10 Reasons I’m Not Going To Talk About Google+

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Michael Schechter • 57 Comments
  1. Because 99% of humanity isn’t on it yet.
  2. Because 99% of Social Media Folks have already told you all about it.
  3. Because I’m a giant geek and it seemingly adds nothing to my life that I am missing.
  4. Because how many social chances does an unsocial company deserve?
  5. Because Google HAS to go social and (likely) doesn’t WANT to.
  6. Because its features can be copied and will be.
  7. Because limiting signups is no longer cool; it’s just a sign of fear.
  8. Because as much as we bitch that we are sick of Facebook and Twitter, we are sure talking a lot about Google+ on them.
  9. Because, right now, we seem more excited to get in than we do to use the damn thing.
  10. Because I just don’t trust how excited we all get about things anymore.

I’m a bit of an anomaly in Social Media; I work for a traditional business, selling a traditional product to traditional customers through traditional channels (sensing the theme here?). While there is a damn good chance that Google+ will matter to my business in the long run, it doesn’t today. In fact, like many traditional businesses, I’m still struggling to make the social networks I have perform for me.

Be wary of shiny objects!

Those of us working in the space may be sick of the sites we’re already using, but our customers and companies aren’t. They already feel lost between Facebook and Twitter, so this could scare them a lot more than it will ever excite them. For you, it’s a great new product to sell. For them, it’s just another obligation… one that didn’t even had to prove itself to us before we went and got all hot and bothered by it.

Sure, there is search potential. Sure, there is a mega-player behind it, but something tells me that those who focus in on making the current social networks matter more are likely to have more success than those who are looking to activate a new one altogether. There is a damn good chance that I’ll be eating a steaming cup of claim chowder1 a few months from now, but a little bit of healthy skepticism is never a bad thing. Even when we are talking about the newest, hottest social property…

But then again, I’m not even on the damn site yet, so what the hell do I know? Speaking of, does anyone have an invite?

Hat tip to Gini Dietrich for the inspiration on this one!

  1. John Gruber’s excellent term for shoving your foot in your mouth when making predictions about the future. [↩]
Filed Under: Social Media
  • http://spinsucks.com Gini Dietrich

    Not sure how I inspired this, but you’re welcome! I personally like #8. :) And thank you for adding the tweet button so I can share this.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Tweet button was always there! I haven’t had time to tweak the site yet. Read your post this AM and this one started coming out. Liked the healthy skepticism in your post.

      • http://spinsucks.com Gini Dietrich

        I feel kind of guilty being cynical about it, especially when all the tech boys are downright giddy, but I don’t see how we can add this to our lives without a really valuable business application. And it ain’t there yet!

        • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

          Don’t discount Google Places, five bucks says they draw a straight line from Plus to Places very quickly. I just think we all need to make sure that they Google sticks with this. All signs are positive, but from what I am reading, we are all getting WAY ahead of ourselves… just like we did with Buzz and just like we did with Wave.

          • http://ariherzog.com Ari Herzog

            Michael, please read http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/06/inside-google-plus-social/all/1 — all of that article. It explains why G+ is built with a different mindset and a different back story than how Wave, Buzz, Orkut, and Open Social came about and failed.

          • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

            Read it, interesting, but still have a certain lack of faith in Google’s follow through in Social. I think this is their best shot and they certainly seem dedicated, but right now they are just dealing with our adoration, the true test will be when this project meets the real worlds indifference.

      • http://spinsucks.com Gini Dietrich

        I feel kind of guilty being cynical about it, especially when all the tech boys are downright giddy, but I don’t see how we can add this to our lives without a really valuable business application. And it ain’t there yet!

  • http://www.amritpal.in Amrit Pal

    I echo the exact sentiments, Michael. Guess it’s more relevant being an “early renouncer” since about everyone is an early adopter.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      I don’t know if I would go as far to say I’m a renouncer… just a bit cynical (hopefully a healthy one) :) It’s interesting, it clearly has promise, but we seem to be getting way ahead of ourselves…

  • Anonymous

    Yet you spent atleast ten minutes of your life talking about it here that makes it as 1 being thought by you. Anyway the initial usage has attracted me more than other social offerings from google. I think it is gonna steal lots of users bothered by noise and privacy in FB. I personally like it.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      I was obviously playing with the title there… clearly I was talking about it :)

      It certainly seems that it is their best offering to date, that said, it right now appeals to those of us who are rushing in and I doubt for the minute that switching (or perhaps even its very existence) is on the minds of the average user. Sometimes we forget, we are not the norm and my bet… anyone already on Google+ is not the voice of the average user.

  • Anonymous

    Yet you spent atleast ten minutes of your life talking about it here that makes it as 1 being thought by you. Anyway the initial usage has attracted me more than other social offerings from google. I think it is gonna steal lots of users bothered by noise and privacy in FB. I personally like it.

  • Anonymous

    Yet you spent atleast ten minutes of your life talking about it here that makes it as 1 being thought by you. Anyway the initial usage has attracted me more than other social offerings from google. I think it is gonna steal lots of users bothered by noise and privacy in FB. I personally like it.

  • Anonymous

    Yet you spent atleast ten minutes of your life talking about it here that makes it as 1 being thought by you. Anyway the initial usage has attracted me more than other social offerings from google. I think it is gonna steal lots of users bothered by noise and privacy in FB. I personally like it.

  • http://www.hanelly.com hanelly

    Brilliant, Michael. There’s no prize for beating your audience to the future. Love it.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Hands down the quote of the day my good man! Love that!

  • http://ariherzog.com Ari Herzog

    Google+ is not built for businesses. It will at some point but not today. Companies with G+ streams are using the streams as, well, STREAMS that are no different than any other broadcast stream, to get their message to people and inspire people to respond and comment.

    Google Mail is not built for businesses either, for that matter. That’s why Google Mail for Applications was created. We will see a similar progression here.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      I have to call bullshit there. It’s not open for business use but it is sure as hell geared towards it. They are collecting a boatload of data from you and connecting it to the people you know while getting better a better sense of context to who those people are to you and what their interests are… sounds like a hell of a recipe for improving ads to me and that is speaking to businesses. 

      Plus, why does every SM junky have their shorts in a bunch… not because there is a shiny new site and a hot new limited invite, but because there is a new product to sell. There is chum in the water. I see exactly what I said to Gini below, a swift line being drawn from Plus to Places in the future. I could be dead wrong, but to me, the longer term for this product seems very geared towards businesses.

      • http://ariherzog.com Ari Herzog

        My turn to call bullshit, Michael. Google has collected boatloads of data from every person with a Google account and every IP address using their products since Day One. Google+ is nothing new in that realm and shouldn’t be perceived as such.

        If Google+ was intended for a business, that would be part of the initial launch. Will there be a business segment? Yes; their engineers are working on something. I don’t see it happening in the next six months, but that’s me.

        • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

          You are right and you are wrong here. Google collecting information, nothing new. Google getting this much information from you, new and needed for them. In fact, more important to them than it is to you. Google+ is not gmail, it’s not analytics and it is not reader. It is not a free service meant to keep you on the Internet a little bit longer while collecting email. If they are as serious about this as they seem, it is a tentpole product alongside search and search is meant for one thing. Selling ads and making money. Good for the user, but geared towards business. It doesn’t matter if it tomorrow, a year, or even 10. Like search, this is made for the user and geared towards business.

        • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

          Not to beat a dead horse, but I think this pick from Gruber says it best: http://daringfireball.net/linked/2011/07/06/elgan-google-product

        • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

          Ari,

          I’m with Mike. I already use G+ for business needs, and have some of our clients in there already using it as both lead-gen and research. Just because something doesn’t scream “BUSINESS!!” doesn’t mean it can be used as such – that’s where a smart company / agency / consultancy comes into play.

          • http://ariherzog.com Ari Herzog

            Agreed 100 percent. That wasn’t my argument, Danny.

  • Anonymous

    What kind of wacky social media world are we living in when Michael Schechter is the voice of reason? The answer to that terrifies me. 

    Very nicely put.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      I think the world just hit rock bottom… 

      Thanks man!

  • Anonymous

    Nicely done, Sir. Enjoyed it and grinned from ear to ear as I finished reading…busy sharing it now. ;)

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Thanks Allen! Ear to ear is what I am for :)

  • http://www.shopmichelin.com jeffreypjacobs

    Utterly crying “shiny penny” here. I am sorry if all the chatter has moved me nowhere beyond, “I’m on”. As one in the corporate world who teaches Twitter 101 to a bunch of still deer-in-the-headlites evey week, I say Strike 1 (wave), Strike 2 (buzz)…. Now show me you can even make “contact”. THEN, we’ll see what the implementation might be. Nice perspective, Michael.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      I’m with you, I talk to people in my little land of jewelry and they are nowhere near up to speed on what they’ve got, none the less looking for something new to step in. Like you, I want to see what the real response is once it get’s past those of us who are so bored of talking Twitter and FB 101 that we needed something new to sink our teeth into.

  • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

    What’s Google Plus? Is it like a bank account for big hitters? :)

    Nicely done, man, and thank the shitbuster lords you’re not one of the sheep that’s writing EXACTLY the same thing as everyone else…

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Thanks good sir! The whole sheep thing’s never quite been my forte (was that it were some days…). Always preferred to walk around, throw rocks and see what happens… I know another guy like that, but he has an accent and you can’t understand what the hell it is he is saying…

      • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

        Borat?

      • http://twitter.com/JGoldsborough JGoldsborough

        My question is Google Plus what? What do I need to add to Google and what do I get? :)

        • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

          Why it is Google plus you and all of your friends of course! As for what you get… as long as you get in the van and don’t ask any questions, they will give you candy bars and comic books :)

  • Anonymous

    I am partial to number 10 and am quite sick of this shiny object syndrome that turns into a dick measuring contest of who can be first with the how to or top 10 blog post.

    • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

      Top 10″ Dicks. Now there’s a blog post. 

      • Anonymous

        I can see you writing that and wait were you measuring the original folks who posted….

        • http://dannybrown.me Danny Brown

          Nah. Majority of them are probably dickless. ;-)

      • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

        More likely the Top 10 2″ Dicks, but I hear ya!

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Nothing more to say there than Amen :)

      • Anonymous

        I second that and will leave all judging of size to @dannybrown:disqus 

  • JaniceM

    From the name “Michael” I will assume you are male. That gives you about a 99% better chance of getting an invite than me or any other female.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Really? Is that a thing? That it is skewing male?

  • http://margauxzion.tumblr.com MargauxZ

    BRAVO MICHAEL!!!!! It takes time to move mountains, and the mass market is surely a heavy one. Happy to learn the product for myself in the best interests of my clients, but am going to keep actionable planning in the “maybe later” pile until real social migration happens.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      That’s where my head is at for our business as well. Get in there, get familiar, don’t get carried away.

  • http://www.thesaleslion.com/ Marcus Sheridan,The Sales Lion

    Fresh Freaking Perspective= Michael Freaking Schechter

    You’re making it happen man. Thanks.

    Marcus

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Still mad at you for getting me all misty eyed on the subway today, but comments like this will go a long way to allay that ire :) Thanks man! Wrote that on the way in this morning and read yours on the way home. Good subway day…

  • http://marketingpartners.ca Jon Aston

    Damn you Schechter! I find myself spending more and more time on your blog… and it’s cutting into my G+ing.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Are we really calling it G+ing… :) Thanks for wasting your time with me!

  • Cheri Allbritton

    6….could be why the CEO of Facebook is the #1 user of this new tool?

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      I’d say it is pretty darn likely…

  • http://twitter.com/NancyD68 Nancy Davis

    Nicely done. My boyfriend is still annoyed about me shopping for my birthday gift while reading your #FollowFriday post at Spin Sucks, but he will live. :)

    I am not headed over to Google anytime soon.

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Please send him my sincerest of apologies :) Looks like I am not alone!

  • Tonejurek

    You will and everyone else will do it (Join Google+ ) when it becomes the popular thing to do. 

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Oh, don’t get me wrong, I have every intention of joining and already have. My point is not to deny it, it is to not get carried away with it. We are all first adopters, we need to see what happens when and if the late adopters arrive.

  • http://almost60really.com Paula Lee Bright

    Funny guy! I’m glad Margie Clayman sent me your way from The Blog Library! 

    • http://michaelschechter.me MSchechter

      Thanks so much! Margie is a good egg, isn’t she?