Will Google Strike Out Of The Social Networking Market?

In July, Google GOOG launched its third attempt in the social networking arena – Google+. Available through invite only, the service launched strong, quickly reaching 25 million users. But in less than three months' time, daily posts made by these users have dropped an alarming 41 percent. According to TechCrunch, 7,280 people have linked their Google+ and Twitter accounts, merging the newcomer with the younger social network. Yet statistics are beginning to look grim for Google's latest project. The Google+ project was launched to make sharing simpler and to “make connecting with people on the web more like connecting with them in the real world.” It attempts to integrate social elements into all of the services that Google offers, including maps, news, and Gmail. Google's previous efforts at social networking ended in early failures. Its first attempt to gain a place in the social networking market, with Wave in March 2009, was shelved just over a year later. Wave was supposed to combine the benefits of instant messaging and status updates with email accounts. With Wave on the decline, Google launched Buzz in February 2010. Buzz intended to weave social aspects into existing Gmail accounts by allowing link and photo share as well as status updates. Ultimately, the service failed due to an unsound privacy structure. Consequentially, Google+ has given much attention to the issues of privacy and security—an aspect of the service that has won over many users. While other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have suffered criticism in the realm of privacy, Google+ prevails. It enables its users to create “circles,” which allow them to separate their friends into subgroups and share information and documents accordingly. Bradley Horowitz, the Vice President of project management overseeing the Google+ project, recently spoke to CBC, saying, “It's possible to create online systems that are privacy-considerate and that respect people's intentions around who sees what. I think we've clearly hit a nerve and part of the reason our product is resonating with people is because this is an unmet need.” Unmet as it may be, Google+ still seems to be losing the interest of its selected users. Clearly, transparent privacy policies are not the only issue in the market. However, Horowitz states, “We're not confused about the fact that all of the work really lies ahead of us.” The project's website states that the service is still in the testing stage, though updates are available to those interested in future invites. It seems we will have to wait to see if Google strikes out of the social networking market.