back to article Google+ inertia sets in at Chocolate Factory

Google+ – unlike Buzz and other failed Chocolate Factory experiments – may have graduated from the soon-to-be-defunct Labs wing of the ad broker's web estate, but questions remain about the company's plans to make it THE social network platform online. It doesn't help that many of the top bosses at Google are struggling to …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Not sure where it says CEO's should use social networking.

    I'm guessing none of them use Facefuck either.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Indeed, in fact generally speaking talking about your work in open social media is a bad idea.

      You never know, they may well share information between each other, and be +1'ing that comedy picture from the company BBQ, but no one would do that in public.

      And frankly, that's what makes G+ so much better than its rivals, the built in privacy.

      1. JimmyPage Silver badge
        Black Helicopters

        Indeed

        I've just worked on a social media policy for my employer, and highlighted the fact that a lot of what would be *very* sensitive data can be leaked out to anyone with a clue ... if employee X tweets that they're working double hard right now, and won't be able to go for a drink till next week, AND you know employee X is in the legal dept, looking after takeovers ... and employee Y tweets that they met up with an old mate from Uni, and you know from employee Ys Linkedin Profile who they went to Uni with is now working at a company that could be a takeover target ...

        Time to buy shares in that company ....

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Google wants YOU to go social.

    Nobody at Google believes in or cares about Social (well maybe the odd 'Googler' who's bought into the cult).

    This is simply a drive to get more traffic to Google owned properties (how long before the most prominent search for any brand, product or business points to the Google+ page - like Places pages and countless other "universal search results" now). It's also an attempt to gather yet more data about users and their friendships to sell more advertising.

  3. JimC

    Not sure of the logic here...

    If said executives are using (or used to use) other social netwirking platforms in favour of their own that's an indication of a problem. If on the other hand they don't and never have used Social Networking of any kind then it tells us very little...

  4. mraak
    Thumb Up

    Maybe it's OK

    I like this distribution, maybe this is how a proper sharing service should work. The reason I signed off of FB is that everyone and its dog were using it to post 99% of BS and 1% of interesting stuff, creeping on each other, stalking and gossiping.

    With G+ I get much less info, but 80% is interesting and relevant to me, and I have all my friends and circles publicly hidden and nobody can tag me in a photo.

    Quality doesn't equate quantity.

    1. mraak

      Oh, I forgot to add the analogy.

      It's like going into a pub where all the friends hang out, and it's cosy and not to busy. Versus going into a place where you can't turn around and hear your own thoughts, and everybody's screaming LOOK AT MEEEEEeeeee.

      1. William Strong
        Happy

        Depends on how you use Facebook

        I use a pseudonymous name on Facebook, and therefore get to choose exactly who I add to my network. No social pressure to add people from family/work because I happen to know them IRL. Before the new 'close friends', subscriptions and newsfeed filtering options were introduced, on average 20-30% of my newsfeed messages were relevant to my interests. Now it's more like 80%. Not bashing your choice to use G+ here - I, too, found the Facebook newsfeed signal-to-noise ratio a bit high before, but more & more options for streamlining one's use of the site are being rolled out. It really depends on how you (choose to) use it.

  5. P Zero
    Happy

    Didn't add Tom or the Zuck anyway. The comparatively stripped down G+ compared to Facebook means I suddenly have a lot more time in the day. And I like it.

  6. JDX Gold badge

    What do the personal decisions of big-shot executives have to do with the rest of us and the platform? In my experience such people are too busy working to mess about on the web, that's why they are in those positions in the first place!

    1. Rob 30

      too busy working? really?

  7. Code Monkey

    I've got an account but I really don't know what to do with it. I'm already in touch with all my contacts and just don't need another network. I guess it'll be handy for whenever Facebook really shit the bed over privacy (and I'm I'll enjoy the irony of fleeing to Google for privacy).

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Social but not public. What's the problem?

    Hmm, a free-to-join network where many of the members are sharing posts amongst their private circles rather than assuming everyone in the world is interested.

    That sounds like a pretty good tool I could use.

    If I wanted to share my every waking thought to everyone within a five mile radius I'd have a blog (or be cursed with telepathy)

  9. vic 4

    Maybe they have something better to do

    Like work, family, hobbies or even _real_ social interaction in the real world. It's been a long time since I've actually had any interest in using the software we develop other than testing purposes.

  10. AnoNymousGerbil
    Thumb Down

    G+ is useless...

    Whole G+ is totally useless as it now is. People don't know my real name, only nickname, and that's pretty much same what I know about them.

    I ain't gonna go on and start ask real name of people to see if they use G+, nor I will give my real name for them to add in G+ circles.

    I've been online and using web since mid 90's and I've always used just nicks, even family and closest friends use my nickname only, so whole stupid "real name" only nonsense made G+ useless. Kinda sad because otherwise G+ looked promising.

    1. Jimbob...

      You have to register with your real name, or at least a name that sounds real, but you can add a nickname and have that visible if you want...

  11. Andrew Jones 2
    FAIL

    Sigh.....

    The people who actually made Google+ though - they are the ones using it (and other Googlers)...

    https://plus.google.com/111499908439497508351 (Punit Soni)

    https://plus.google.com/113127438179392830442 (Paul Irish)

    https://plus.google.com/112599748506977857728 (Andy Rubin)

    https://plus.google.com/104380091028556940918 (Nicolas Maurette)

    https://plus.google.com/115695578304416858659 (Melissa Daniels)

    https://plus.google.com/105006381068870463173 (Colleen Henry)

    https://plus.google.com/108159551615224338529 (Kelly Ellis)

    https://plus.google.com/110563351377427897709 (David Glazer)

    https://plus.google.com/107117483540235115863 (Vic Gundotra)

    https://plus.google.com/102991700177087923792 (Vanessa Schneider)

    https://plus.google.com/109895887909967698705 (Natalie Villalobos)

    https://plus.google.com/113686253941057080055 (Brian Rose)

    https://plus.google.com/106792630639449031994 (Frances Haugen)

    https://plus.google.com/109412257237874861202 (Matt Cutts)

    https://plus.google.com/115863474911002159675 (Brad Fitzpatrick)

    https://plus.google.com/113882113745075873153 (Dave Besbris)

    .....and plenty more..... these people (above) all posted within the last 2 days.

    1. BoldMan
  12. TonyHoyle

    Meanwhile google apps still forbids people from joining google plus.. so if your email isn't @gmail.com as far as google is concerned you can swivel. One rule for some...

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Don't we hear TOO MUCH from Schmidt as it is?

    Don't use ANY social networks anyway...but one less avenue for that dimbulb to access is probably a good thing.

  14. Jim Preis
    Meh

    Stop the processors!

    Is el Reg insinuating that people at the top don't get it?! WHY. I. NEVER Have heard such rubbish!!!

    I'm seriously considering starting a consulting firm that specializes in outsourcing CxO level positions to "competents".

  15. sisk

    I logged into Google+ once. I was underwhelmed.

    Here's the kicker: until my family, friends, and the few friends from high school I still keep in touch with are there there's no reason for me to be there. Since they're all on Facebook and many of them fear change (at least computer related change) I won't be spending much time on Google+. I believe that's a pretty common stance, and therein lies the problem with starting a new social network. I'm not sure how Facebook prompted us all to abandon MySpace, but it's a trick Google's going to need to replicate if they want people on Google+.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      So in summary

      The problem is not Google+ (which is a very fine service), the problem is your idiot friends and family...

      OK then....

      "Google+ sucks because my family are idiots" is your rationale....

  16. Microphage

    The Short Version

    Google+ is failing because certain Google execs don't post on Google+, or so I read on some blog.

  17. multipharious

    Interface

    G+ suffers from one fugly interface. It makes the experience one that involves a lot of scroll wheel. Pretty simple actually. Sorry if I just insulted your child. I use G+ with my geek friends, and that seems to be where my circles have stopped.

  18. url
    Thumb Down

    the nymwar issue is a bit of a chore

    i'm currently on probation/hellban/sent to coventry whatever.

    thanks g+

    that's me reccomending you to exactly no-one now.

  19. mittfh

    Public versus Private

    Facebook appears to be designed to encourage you to share everything with everyone (and their dog).

    Google+ appears to be designed to encourage you to share everything with selected people (those in your circles), so just because someone doesn't post much publicly (you'll only find a handful of public posts written by me), they may be very active in their own circles.

    Perhaps an optional feature Google could add is the ability to display the number of posts / comments you've made across all circles - not the content, just the aggregated total. That way, if you were checking someone out, you could see that they weren't very engaged with the world at large, but were very active in their own social circles.

    And maybe, just maybe, it will gain a few extra converts when Facebook roll out their timeline...

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