Tag Archives: internet

Social Networking Today

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Just today I read an article titled, “Facebook Busted in Clumsy Smear on Google“. I found the article very interesting in many aspects. Two of the best well known internet giants in the United States are getting down and dirty with one another rather than simply creating great services and letting the best man win. Another interesting concern is that Facebook actually seems threatened by Google’s attempt to replace their social media network. Makes me wonder if Facebook has just become too cocky thinking no one will ever replace them until now.

Talking to anyone of your friends, I can almost guarantee they will be aware of both Google and Facebook. Both internet giants are everywhere. Google has replaced the term “internet search”. Facebook has it’s own movie! Makes me wonder why these two giants would be so inclined to such shady dealings as to slander another’s name behind ones back.

As stated in the article:

Last month, Google CEO and co-founder Larry Page sent out a memo telling everyone at Google that social networking was a top priority for Google—so much so that 25 percent of every Googler’s bonus this year will be based on how well Google does in social.

This got me to figuring out what has happened. Facebook has been the number one social media network with very few close competitors. I’m sure it’s CEO and board feel as if no one will come close to how big they have grown today. Until an internet giant such as Google comes along and starts to take their thunder.

Google has experienced internet wizards and pros building their highly advanced and free tools today. Unlike on Facebook, you may never see a simple AJAX call error on a Google site. Facebook knows the power of Google an is obviously fearful of it. A company capable of building it’s own operating system (coming June 15th, 2011) is sure as hell capable of building a very usable social network.

When Google released the Chrome browser, it became well adopted simply because of their wide ad network and site base. Logging into YouTube, one would instantly be bombarded with a suggestion to use the new Chrome Browser for a faster internet browsing experience. The browser took off like a rocket in internet use:

Table of web browser usage

Taken from www.w3schools.com 5/12/2011

Google could easily do the same thing with their upcoming Social Media Network burst.

When I use Facebook, I still as if it is missing something. It misses reliability, usability, and the ability to meet new people. Myspace gave the users the ability to make their profile unique. Myspace also encouraged meeting new people rather than simply talking to friends and family. I hope Google’s new social plan involves a Facebook replacement that allows users to have a reliable social experience while still meeting new people.

Facebook won’t last forever, Google may be the first to make them realize that. The fact that Facebook did such an underhanded move in order to stunt Google’s momentum, makes me think they know their live will start to fall short as people become bored with them.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

Do you remember when….

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Do you remember when the internet was fun? When finding new sites exciting? I’m sure you don’t.

It seems now that the internet is just as common as having a home phone. The thrill of having internet access is gone. Sites like facebook and Myspace took the trills away by making everything so… normal.

I have friends that are living in a shitty home, eating crappy food, have cars that hardly run, but still have the money to pay for their monthly internet access. Now people assume another has access to the world wide web. Before, it was a real question to ask if someone has the internet, an email, or a facebook. Today, the desire to get plugged in is gone.

During the days of excitement, websites didn’t look good – some didn’t even run that well. However, the sites at the time were worth visiting. Not everyone was trying to sell you something or make a buck off your visit. A website was built to inform or simply because the owner loved creating, updating, and sharing the information they provided.

Very few sites are even fun anymore. Just about every site has advertisements on it, or is for paid use only. May hold the dream of making money online, the excitement of simply owning your own page is gone.

This really hit home with me one GeoCities was taken off the web. When simple user created pages were considered out of date and useless. Found useless simply because the excitement of creating a page of your own to simply do it or share something is gone. Now, people pay thousands of dollars in the hopes of making it back with interest.

I miss a fun internet, I miss an internet that didn’t want more from me than I wanted from it. I miss an internet where information was free and chasing it down was half the fun.

Of coures, I might be bias simply because I make a living working on the internet. When I’m on the web it’s because I’m building a site or doing research to create one. Time to surf is time to work for me. Or, I’m completely right; the internet is no longer exciting.