„Inside the failure of Google+, a very expensive attempt to unseat Facebook“

„The belief was that we were always just one weird feature away from the thing taking off,“ says the same employee. Throughout the next couple years, Google improved its video hangout service and added smart, algorithmic photo-editing and search features, the latter of which earned plenty of praise, but did little to improve the overall reputation of Google+.

Seth Fiegerman | „Inside the failure of Google+, a very expensive attempt to unseat Facebook“

Wie hart Google+ tatsächlich an die Wand fuhr, lässt sich an den mobilen Apps erkennen. Die Software war gleich von Beginn an gut und trotzdem zog das Interesse nicht. Während Facebook 18 Monate für eine iPad-Anpassung brauchte, hat Google mit Hangouts und Fotos konstant nachgelegt („iPhone zuerst, Andoid in ein paar Wochen„), ohne jedoch zählbar Punkte gegen das Zuckerberg-Netzwerk einzufahren.

Rückblickend ist Steven Levys „Inside Google+ – How the search giant plans to go social“ einen Re-Instapaper wert.

No one expects an instant success. But even if this week’s launch evokes snark or yawns, Google will keep at it. Google+ is not a product like Buzz or Wave where the company’s leaders can chalk off a failure to laudable ambition and then move on. “We’re in this for the long run,” says Ben-Yair. “This isn’t like an experiment. We’re betting on this, so if obstacles arise, we’ll adapt.”

“I don’t really see what Google’s alternative is,” says Smarr. “People are going to be a fundamental layer of the internet. There’s no going back.”