Chris TrottierEveryone gives Meta and Twitter flack for the hellscape that is social media.
But you know who else deserves flack? Google.
They killed RSS so that everyone would use Google+ for news. Instead, everyone used Facebook and Twiter.
Oblomov@atomicpoet
I don't really think that's something that could be put on Google though. The migration off RSS to Facebook and Twitter had started before Google killed its Reader.
I don't really think that's something that could be put on Google though. The migration off RSS to Facebook and Twitter had started before Google killed its Reader.
@atomicpoet
Actually, if anything, one could argue that G+ was the failed attempt of Google to keep up with the competition. Ironically, today if they wanted to do that, they could try help the #Fediverse grow, just to subtract ad revenue from the competition.
Actually, if anything, one could argue that G+ was the failed attempt of Google to keep up with the competition. Ironically, today if they wanted to do that, they could try help the #Fediverse grow, just to subtract ad revenue from the competition.
@oblomov Google's many screw-ups with social media are long and varied.
During the entire span that Google's been around, they launched and then killed:
1. Orkut
2. Wave
3. Buzz
4. Jaiku
5. Shoelace
That's not even all of them!
@oblomov Also, Google Reader is exactly why Google should not be trusted with the Fediverse.
Even if they achieved market dominance with a Google-branded instance, they would eventually kill it. And then the whole Fediverse would die along with it.
@atomicpoet
Oh, I never said it would be good for he #Fediverse if Google tried to enter the field, just that it might be a good strategy for them.
Oh, I never said it would be good for he #Fediverse if Google tried to enter the field, just that it might be a good strategy for them.
@oblomov I know -- I have no doubt that Google will try their hand at the Fediverse. It will launch to much fanfare. People will flock to it because it's Google.
And I just hope that the community is prepared and willing to give the Google instance a big middle finger.
@atomicpoet
I'm actually not that sure people will flock to it that enthusiastically, especially if it “misses the train”. Google is in a bad position timing-wise: their G+ blunder is still pretty fresh in people's mind, but the #Fediverse uptick is _now_: a few years down the line G+ might be far enough that its failure isn't taken seriously anymore, but the switch to the fediverse might be far enough that a Google alternative won't be that appealing.
I'm actually not that sure people will flock to it that enthusiastically, especially if it “misses the train”. Google is in a bad position timing-wise: their G+ blunder is still pretty fresh in people's mind, but the #Fediverse uptick is _now_: a few years down the line G+ might be far enough that its failure isn't taken seriously anymore, but the switch to the fediverse might be far enough that a Google alternative won't be that appealing.
@atomicpoet
They would have to come out of the box with a very solid alternative with a killer feature (like, a multi-platform instance, maybe?), and the only base platforms they have to build on are photos and videos. Their only selling point could be that you could find contacts by email search because they'd have the link already.
They would have to come out of the box with a very solid alternative with a killer feature (like, a multi-platform instance, maybe?), and the only base platforms they have to build on are photos and videos. Their only selling point could be that you could find contacts by email search because they'd have the link already.
Kudra 
@oblomov @atomicpoet photos and videos are not that bad a starting point for a social network, especially with the features Google already has. If Google genuinely implemented a SN with interoperability even with the intent to dominate, there's surely the risk of it being tainted once there's another "new thing" on the block - but maybe by that point we'll have some legislation in place requiring a basic level of interoperability. Like railway or mobile phone networks. And then it just becomes a case of which instance is no longer cool, we don't lose our connections and need to decamp to somewhere etc... I live in hope.