Google's Social Underpants

Search? Ask Google. But when it comes to social - Google knows next to shit.

Orkut failed to seduce anyone save Brazilians and Indians. I know why Indians liked it but that's another story for another day. But as you read this, more and more Brazilians and Indians are ditching Orkut and getting laid with Facebook.

Google Buzz and Wave came with a lot of buzz and went away in a wave.

Now is the time to jizz your pants for + & Circles. This time Google is using their SEO card to have their +1 Button on sites. Bully, I tell you. Now that everyone is +1-ing it, you better do or loose on Google's love for you.

When I got an invite, I made a profile and then did not log-in for ages. Recently I gave it a sincere try but it just doesn't make sense.

Why should I share something on Google+?

Facebook has my friends, twitter has my Romans and countrymen. Who art thou Google+?

Sure there are some Google+ evangelist who light a candle when someone posts on Google+. They are also telling you how Google+ got more users in less time than Facebook and Twitter. How witless.

May I remind you Google has gazillions of Gmail users. They did not get new kids on block like Twitter and Facebook did. They just made their Gmail users wear new +underpants.

If twitter dies, I will care. If facebook dies... damn that should not happen. But if Google+ dies. Oh well that's the default trajectory.

Unless Google defines gets down to solve a specific problem, there is not much hope. Which usually happens when you are in the waters with your users and building around them.

But Google doesn't get it. To build social, you have to build in social. You can't go to your room and come back with solo-movie and call it social.

PS: As a designer, I care about typography. And dear Google, when you have a paragraph, Arial is the way.

You are reading a post that I wrote a long time back—at least 13 years ago. Take it with a bag of salt.