DISQUS

mantel clocks · 1 month ago

I don't agree with this prediction. If face book continues to grow and begins to establish a presence that threatens google, what makes you think google won't create it's own social newtworking widget or app. Like Google Friends or something.

Name · 1 month ago

Or google wave...

Scott Hildebrand · 1 month ago

Um, Google already has a foothold with Google Friend Connect... but it's true that they don't have the network. Google Wave is crap so far, bugs galore and its usefulness hasn't been determined yet. Why'd they push it out with all the bugs??? Why'd they hype it so much???

Sean's assuming that Google doesn't have a network, and that's where he's wrong. It's not a "network" like Facebook, but the relationship is there under the covers. It's still where everybody goes to search, still where everybody advertises and still where website operators benefit from being part of the ecosystem. Facebook has a valuable ecosystem too, but if anything Facebook is much more at risk than Google to having people disperse... to smaller and more meaningful networks.

Tim J Robinson · 1 month ago

I think what he's trying to say is that Google doesn't have stickiness like Facebook has beacause it's easy to move to another search engine that produces better results, while if you want to go from Facebook to another platform you leave all your friends & contacts behind.

But google has stickiness in another way - their apps, I myself use Google Reader, Docs, Notebook, Analytics, Gmail and Chrome. This is where google gets its stickiness from, people becoming so integrated with all their data in Googles apps that it becomes a real pain to go anywhere else.

I think this is one of the main reasons Google is branching out from Search so much, even though search brings in the majority of their revenue they realize that if bing suddenly starts getting much better results that people will change in a heartbeat. These apps give them stickiness and a reason for people to stick with them.

Omar Ead · 1 month ago

yea this prediction is out of sequence. I use Google groups a lot. And we have no clue which way Wave is headed yet, so I dont know why they would consider this sort of prediction yet...

Name · 1 month ago

I think facebook would be better with fewer users.

Alex Koloskov · 1 month ago

Quote: “I’m not trying to say that Google will have a reversal in fortunes,” he said. “But they will decline in relative importance.”

Can't agree here:-)

I think the information itself will become even more important in a future, therefore information provides such Google will play even bigger role.Facebook, mySpace is a great places to build your network, but information is the real money. If I have access to Google, I know everything!
I am sure Google will find the way to use enormous potential they have now.

wesR · 1 month ago

Google is in a fine position to entry the social media fray. They have a wealth of human capital, technology and creativity. And most importantly (to enforce what Alex has pointed out) they have built up a Ft. Knox of indexing. That information is incredibly valuable, and it is the greatest asset they could bring to a social media platform if and when they launch one. Wave is cool but still buggy, and it lacks the networking capabilities of FB and other platforms. Google isn't blindly watching the social media train roll out of the station, they're working on all kinds of projects.

Imagine a social networking tool that brought people together based on search preferences, common interests, and offered networking capabilities for those sourcing similar information. That would be useful and social- combining the networking power of facebook with the search engine power, and management tools or analytical tools of Google. Don't count them out yet. They have a lot of tools to work with and incredible value in their vault.

Olga Kostrova (IdeaMama) · 1 month ago

Unfortunately (or fortunately :-) ) Google has way greater capacity to innovate and the history / track record of innovation. Yes, on Facebook users innovate quite a bit, but it's micro-innovation. No capital intense, transformation innovative projects usually come from Facebook apps. It might change with time thou, but for that Facebook needs to improve their distribution algorithm that is weaker and weaker when competition between apps grows. It has potentials, but doesn't have the ultimate solution yet to even dream overshadowing Google.