10 Reasons Why I Hate Google Plus

I hate Google Plus.

Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but since it’s introduction only a few weeks ago Google Plus has become the #1 hit on the Top 40. Truth be told – I do have a Google Plus account and am enjoying learning more about this new social media channel. My frustration, however, stems more from people’s reaction to Google Plus and not necessarily a reaction to the tool per se.

With all that being said I’d like to share 10 Reasons why I hate Google Plus:

1. O-V-E-R-R-A-T-E-D

Can you spell Overrated? I just did. While I’m excited about the possibilities of Google Plus I have to admit that the early predictions surrounding Google Plus as being a Twitter and/or Facebook killer are a bit premature.

2. Copycat

While I do like the new Google Plus interface, I can’t determine any new features compared to other social media channels. Google might have a cleaner interface, and arguably better interpretation of features, but fundamentally Google Plus hasn’t added anything new to my social media experience.

3. Where’s The Business Love?

Google Plus currently only supports personal profiles and haven’t launched Business Profiles yet. This raises two questions for me: 1. How will business profiles differ from personal profiles? and 2. How will the introduction of business profiles change the dynamic that currently exists on Google Plus with only individuals participating? Only time will tell.

4. Interface Size/Spacing

While I do like the visual aesthetic of the G+ interface I’m not liking all the white space which doesn’t allow me to view as much information as compared to the Facebook interface. I dislike that I can only see a few posts on Google Plus when in the same space I can much more on Facebook or Twitter.

5. Facebook Killer, really?

I’m not aware of Google referring to G+ as a Facebook killer but now that Facebook has 750 million users I hardly believe that G+ will “kill” Facebook.

6. Remember Google Wave

I admit that I was consumed in the buzz surrounding the launch of Google Wave. Google positioned Wave as the evolution of email – well that didn’t quite happen. I actually thought that Wave could have been a useful tool but Google eventually gave up on Wave and released the code as open source.

7. Show Me The Money

Make no mistake about it – Google is all about making money. I have absolutely no problem with that and admire them for how good they are but you need to recognize that Google Plus is not monetized yet. Where are they going to put the ads? How, if any, will the G+ experience change. Again, only time will tell…

8. Limited Audience

This isn’t really Google’s problem but it is a fact. I’ve heard it reported that G+ now has around 10 million users but compare that to 750 million for Facebook and 200 million on Twitter I would argue that Google Plus has a long way to go.

9. Google’s Social Media Track Record

Google’ social media track record has not been great. Who remembers Orkut? I certainly don’t. Although Google is the 1000 pound gorilla in terms of Internet companies they haven’t been able to throw their weight around with regard to social media. Similar to mutual funds, past performance doesn’t indicate future returns, either positive or negative, but it will cause me to withhold judgement on Google Pluses impact on social media.

10. Your Turn

What do you think? Are you ready to anoint Google Plus as a Facebook “Killer” or are you withholding judgment until a later date?

Let me know by posting your initial thoughts in the comments section below. I would love to get your feedback!

photo credit: richardmasoner

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schneiderb

@DannonL Thanks for your thoughts and insight! I agree that we will just have to wait to see if the momentum will continue for G+.

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DannonL

I wish that Google+ would keep up the momentum. I like the system, I don't like the lack of users. Facebook was able to easily change a few settings (lists and selective sharing) and suddenly there wasn't the same pull to Google+.

SeekingBeta

Monetization is really not a problem for a company like Google that has accumulated such a large user base.

Remember ads is by no means the only way with which they can monetize a product like G+. For example, the sheer amount of user behavior data Google can collect on a platform like G+ can help them improve their search results which is where the $ is really flowing. They could also horizontally integrate G+ with other products such as Gmail to help them further understand each user's online behavior which will certainly help with target marketing efforts.The same logic can be said about Andriod's monetization strategy.

It's all about Google understand you as an individual better which will in turn help drive revenues higher in their core products.

AnaMiriamColoma

I think it's still a bit premature to start making comparisons, let's see what G+ has in store for us

Mr. Schneider,

Remember ads is by no means the only way with which they can monetize a product like G+. For example, the sheer amount of user behavior and data Google can collect on a platform like G+ can help them improve their search results which is where the $ is really flowing. They could also horizontally integrate G+ with other products such as Gmail to help them further understand each user's online behavior which will certainly help with target marketing efforts.

The same logic can be said about Andriod's monetization strategy. It's all about Google understand you as an individual better which will in turn help drive revenues higher in their core products.

Stanley

Remember ads is by no means the only way with which they can monetize a product like G+. For example, the sheer amount of user data and behavior Google can collect on a platform like G+ can help them improve their search results which is where the $ is really flowing. They could also horizontally integrate G+ with other products such as Gmail to help them further understand each user's online behavior which will certainly help with target marketing efforts.

The same logic can be said about Andriod's monetization strategy. It's all about Google understand you as an individual better which will in turn help drive revenue highers in their core products.

@desertrose0601 Great points that I actually hadn't considered but agree with. Thanks for taking the time to comment!

desertrose0601

You know, I really really wanted to like G+ but so far it hasn't lived up to my expectations. For one thing, what's with all the fragmentation? There's the Posts page, the +1 page, the Buzz page, the Photo page... Nothing seems to flow nicely into the Public stream except what you explicitly share on the Share page. When I'm trying to follow 50+ people, it's not at all conducive to have to physically go to each person's page and click through all their tabs to see what they're sharing.

@jonkenator Great point and thanks for taking the time to comment!

jonkenator

@iCalvin Simple solution: only share things with people that are in your circles. In doing so, nothing is shared with people that you don't specifically select.

@iCalvin Thanks for commenting! You bring up a great point and one that I haven't thought about...

Thanks,

Brendan

iCalvin

I like your list. I'd like to say that I don't like the idea of people that I don't know have the ability to follow me! I think that should be left on Twitter. That's one of the things I love about Facebook...absolutely no one is following me around that I don't know or know about.

@bkolani Basil - thank you so much for your comment and joining the conversation. Ultimately, my frustration is with all the hype surrounding G+ and not necessarily with the tool itself. At the very least I'm going to reserve judgment until a later date and hope that Google does get it right.

@leemon035 Thanks for your comment. You make some great points and ultimately I admit that my frustration is not with Google+ at this point but with all the hype being generated about it.

bkolani

I'm a fan. I could have written a 10 reasons that I love Google+. In fact, now I think I will.

I'm a huge fan of circles and the way they let me selectively post to either public or private groups, and it's nice to have a little more than 140 characters to play with. The ownership of information is a big one to me, too -- Google is making it clear that you own all the stuff you post (and the Data Liberation Front inside Google is making sure that you can take your content out), whereas Facebook says absolutely the opposite.

This is still a very easy to get in to public beta, but Google is going to nail it. This isn't another Google experiment with social media -- you're right that the trail of Orkut, Wave, Buzz leaves a lot to be desired -- but this is the evolution of Google. This WILL be what Google is to us in the near future.

leemon035

I actually like Google+ so far and it's still in the field testing stage so it's not fair to compare it to facebook now. That fact addresses pretty much all of the issues you have with it. It's a work in progress. Right now though G+ has the advantage of the best aspects of social networking like the chat app, video chatting, and sparks, which reminds me of stumbleupon but more focused. I love the way I can order my friends into circles and seek out people to add. It's too early to call G+ a facebook killer but it's off to a good start if it will and it has one quality that facebook doesn't. It's brand new.

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