Everyone’s blogging about it. Google’s attempt at taking over the social media world. Will it succeed? Will Facebook come to its knees? What can we expect? And the truth is: no one really knows at this point. But we all have our best guesses. With that in mind, I’m going to give you my two cents by attempting to answer a series of important (or so I think) questions.
Does Google Plus Spell “Doom” for Facebook?
Out of all the posts I’ve read, pretty much everyone who is anyone says “No!” In fact, some people think the battle has ended before it even began. It seems the opinion that’s most prevalent is that Google Plus isn’t really adding anything that new to the table. Therefore, it won’t be easy enough to get people to switch from Facebook. Many of these same people are singing the praises of Facebook–saying how its the end all be all.
Truth be told, Facebook has adapted well since its inception. And no one ever thought it would topple MySpace.
But isn’t that the point we’re overlooking? No one thought it would topple MySpace. And it did.
Here’s what I think: Facebook is scared. Don’t believe me? Check out Mark Zuckerberg’s picture on Google Plus. Sure he looks pissed. But I’m thinking that’s not just anger. That’s fear.
See, he knows a simple truth. Have you ever heard that saying, “Every empire must fall?” The Roman Empire…the Egyptian Empire…and then we have the United States. Well, I would compare the U.S. to Facebook. Most Americans are going about their day to day life, oblivious as to what’s really going on in the world around them. They have no clue what it’s like to live in a country where you never know if a bomb is going to go off in the bus on your way to work in the morning. As far as they’re concerned, we’re the most powerful country in the world and we always will be.
But is that what history shows us? No, history tells a different story. One where superpowers get fat and jolly and prideful. One where these superpowers end up falling. Is America really invincible? Not likely.
The same goes with Facebook. Now that soooooo many people are on Facebook, they see it as THE SOCIAL NETWORK (no pun intended). And in their mind, it will always be THE SOCIAL NETWORK. Because that’s human mentality, right? What we have now is always “the best ever” (anyone listen to Travis Rodgers? If so then you’ll catch that reference).
It’s shortsighted. Facebook’s time on top–how much longer can it really last? It can’t last forever. People in the know are just waiting to see who is going to take the mantle. Just like Facebook did it to MySpace. Just like MySpace did it to LiveJournal. Just like LiveJournal did it to Friendster. And MakeOutClub. And all those other social media networks from the good ol’ days.
(side note: were any of you on those old social media networks? I still have a LiveJournal account sitting stagnant)
Google Raises the Middle Finger to Facebook
There’s something big Google has done with Google Plus that I’m not seeing much talk about–including the option to stream your Facebook wall through Plus. While everyone’s busy arguing “why would anyone ever leave Facebook to start something new?” Google has basically answered it with “who said you gotta leave?” Meanwhile, they’re giving the middle finger to Zuckerberg.
For those in-betweeners, they’ve offered a compromise. Register for Google Plus and you can still see Facebook while you use it. GENIUS. Obviously the idea here has to be that while new users are streaming Facebook accounts through Google Plus, they’ll slowly be won over and eventually leave Facebook altogether. Sort of a weening off process.
Like nicotine patches. Or electronic cigarettes.
It reminds me of that old movie Miracle on 34th Street, where Santa starts sending customers to other stores when the one he was working at didn’t have what they were looking for. Well, it’s sort of like that anyway.
I’m Going on Record Here–Facebook is Going Down
Maybe I’m rambling a bit. But here it is in a nutshell. I’m not betting against Google. And I’m not going to blindly bow down and worship Facebook. Google Plus will be issuing the fatality. And I’m betting it will be sooner rather than later.
Your thoughts?
