When will Google release Me?
Is Google about to go after Facebook?
There has been a lot of speculation recently that Google will be releasing a Facebook killer called Google Me. The reports all seem to focus on the fact that every attempt by Google to get into social networking so far have either failed or had little impact on it’s competitors.
What I find staggering is that nobody seems to have noticed that Google already has all the elements of a fantastic social network in place and they are used by millions of people. Compare Facebook and it’s uses to Google’s own functionality and it starts to show where Google has been headed for the last few years.
| Status update | Google Chat status | |
| Threaded conversations | Google Buzz | |
| Photo sharing | Picasa Web | |
| Inbox | Gmail | |
| Chat | Google Talk | |
| Profile | Google Profiles |
To me it seems quite obvious that Google has been quietly building the back end of their social network and building it’s user base.
Imagine now, if you will, all the services currently offered by Google but with a new front end called “Google Me”. Boom! One ready to use social network with millions of users from day one. Not that this will be easy. Google has a history of having issues with front end designs. In 2009 Douglas Bowman, their lead designer, left the company in quite dramatic fashion. Getting all of their current properties organised into a single entity could well be a huge sticking point for Google.
One things is certain though. If Google can pull this off it could be a very strong challenger to Facebook.
Paul Howard - standard nerd standard nerd
I’m very excited about Google Me. I hope it is indeed for real and i hope it comes out SOON!
You are dead on, but let me provide a little more…
If you take YouTube, Google Reader, Google Buzz, Google Friend Connect, Google Docs, Google Latitude, Google Wave, Blogger, Picasa, Gmail, Gcaht, SMS messaging, and tie them altogether in a wall type app you really have something. Then make them all available on an Android phone too.
That is what Google is out to do here, not imitate Facebook. Google has simply built a social network in reverse, bringing in the wall page last.
Also when you consider that you can use any of these world class apps independently without the wall, they become much more powerful too. And they are all open to the public, anyone can read my Google Buzz posts.
You may also want to take a look at my Google Me predictions video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdYyvMkF100
Hope this helps you with even more insight as we have been treating Google as a social network for over two years now.
Chris,
Exactly! I am just surprised more people don’t see it this way.