Google+ Second Thoughts

Google+

Indigo Mertel has supplied me with links that are a counterpoint to the Tech Crunch article on Google+ Walking Dead. So, I was asking myself if Tech Crunch had blown it or not and I by piling on. So, this morning I started looking at various articles written about Google+ (G+) in recent days.

Forbes has an article out on both the Tech Crunch claims and what Google is saying. See: Is Google+ Really Walking Dead? The article dose not really answer the question its title asks. But, they too point out that G+ is failing to compete with Facebook, which seems to be general knowledge uncontested by Google.

The article does point out the value G+ has for those doing SEO work (Search Engine Optimization). Everyone wants placement in the research results. Of course Google’s challenge is in keeping people interested in buying their advertising. To do that they must keep people searching via Google. That means providing good results for your searches. G+ has significant advantages for those wanting search placement and for those trying to find things. 

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Google+ Is Walking Dead

This is interesting, at least I found it so:  Google+ Is Walking Dead.

Vic Gundotra, the brains behind Google+, is leaving Google. This raises questions about Google+’s future. Add to that management’s decision to move staff working on Google+ to other teams, like Android. Rumor is something like 1,000 employees have been moved to other teams. Now that is a move.

Take away the brains and muscle (engineers) and it is a pretty good indication the product is being abandoned.

The word is Google’s goal is to have every Internet/Google user be a ‘signed in user’ via Google. It appears G+ wasn’t getting them there. Plus Facebook has pretty well captured that market. The attempt to push G+ on everyone was apparently creating blow back. Have you tried a Nexus phone? The recommended way to move your contacts is to put them into your Google login and then download them to your phone.

Of course Google would never read your email or addresses. Nor would the NSA…

Second Life’s GMAIL Problems

Honour has an article up on her blog showing some great pictures of Atlantas. But, she titled it: Google Really, Really Hates Second Life. So, what’s with that? The title and writing is because of Google’s adding @im.agni.lindenlab.com to their spam filter. She points to Prim Perfect’s recent article on how to fix Google’s filtering of Linden email headed to you to via a GMAIL address.

The steps to fix the problem are easy but not intuitive. Nor is this a particularly noticeable problem. You may not notice the loss of these emails until you are looking for some specific email.

You can see if you are getting bit by this problem by looking in the left side menu of GMAIL. In the section of the menu with Inbox and Sent Mail you will find MORE. Click it and look for SPAM. Click SPAM and you’ll see the email going there. In SPAM, you will likely find email from: @im.agni.lindenlab.com. If so you need to fix your GMAIL.

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Google’s Plan for World Domination

Google's Panoramic Camera in backpack form named: Trekker.
Google’s Panoramic Camera in backpack form named: Trekker.

This isn’t domination in the sense of the Brain’s (Pinky and the Brain) world domination. But, it is about the world and Google’s ongoing effort to dominate the market for ‘WHERE” type questions. I think this gives one an interesting view of where we are headed.

See: Google’s Road Map to Global Domination. A New York Times article via Drudge Report.

 

 

Freedom of Information

The two countries most active in asking Google to remove content are Brazil and the USA.

Google has expressed the sentiment: The United States, too, has its fair share of censorship requests. While Google can’t be specific about legal matters, it appears that at least some of the requests come from overly-reactive local authorities.

Governments’ Attempts To Censor Google Have Doubled Since 2011

More details: Google Transparency Report

The Transparency Report

If you think Google, Yahoo, and Bing are providing equal access across the planet, think again. There are videos on YouTube that can’t see seen in some countries. There are search results that are not shown in some countries. It is not always the countries we may think of that are censoring our information.