Google Plus – Best Software of 2011

Google Plus/Google+ has provoked a lot reactions among Social Media users. After all Google+ is deemed the best challenger to Facebook for all those consumer eyeballs [700 million worldwide and growing for Facebook]and Web time [a Facebook session average 4-5 times longer than a Google session].Yet ye Editor has been cagey after the disasters that were  Google Wave and Buzz. Nonetheless it is easy to  see many positives about Google+. But one  still  should have concerns about the SDK/API and integration with Google’s other major services. As well, there has been a lot of other positive reactions but also some notable nays. However, before listing those it would be well to cite some of the best  All About  Google+ References:
Google – the official Google blog introductory reference on what Google+ is
SearchEngineLand – an incisive look at the Google+ vs Facebook tradeoffs
WebAppStorm – one of the first and  best getting started Guides to Google+  with plenty of screenshots and explanations for how it works
Wired – the story on the making of Google+.

Yes, Google+ is image gallery oriented.

The Yeas are significant but like ye Editor, guarded mostly.

Computerworld – catches the enterprise business opportunity represented by Google+
Computerworld2 – Mike Elgan provides most convincing arguments for Google+
idealo.co.uk – Positive with good analysis of impact on Facebook
GoogleWatch – guarded but grudgingly upbeat appraisal; lots of good links
Louis Gray – looks inside and likes what he sees
MacWorld – best quality IT media review so far
ReadWriteWeb – very interesting thumbs up but too short
Tantek Çelik – sees open source opportunity and vigorous Facebook response
TechCrunch – one of the best first looks with analysis; also good links at the end

The Nays are Numerous

Actually the nays are from some longstanding  technology observers and some invested  interests. Here is a list:

Business Insider – provides detailed look at Google+and decides its just not good enough.
Forbes+Adam Hartung – see the current user lead of Facebook in social domain as a critical impenetrable barrier; but relies on others for technical appraisal and they are off the mark
Infoworld –  Cringely says “Google+ is mostly minus”
Robert Scoble – though a big Google+ user, Scoble  says “why yo daddy won’t use Google+, no noise control”
Silicon Alley Insider – “Wow, Google+ Looks EXACTLY Like Facebook”
Dave Winer – sees this as a vendetta against Facebook by Google
There are some very astute IT veterans that don’t like Google+ including the investment wise Silicon Alley Insiders. And the bulk of the points are that a)Facebook has a massive user lead and b) Facebook has done all that is in Google+ in some form or another. As we shall see below, ye Editor thinks the Silicon Alley folks are off the mark … and not by a little.

Summary

Having done this Yeas and Nays report, ye Editor thinks that it is time to get off the fence post and in the style of Computerworld’s Mike Elgan and declare that Google+ is a natural replacement for Facebook. First, Google+ will take large user share from Facebook because it does many Facebook features much better than the original[simplifying Facebook Groups into something as elegant as Google+ Circles will not be easy to duplicate quickly and Huddle, Hangouts, and Sparks are clear winners and harder to replicate].

Second, Google finally has a unifying and highly usable interface beyond Marissa-minimalist across all of its products and services which is prerequisite to winning in the consumer social web sphere. And that interface is under the very savvy design guidance of Andy Hertzfeld – a very big plus for Google.

Third, Google+ is not only an interface that ChromeOS and Google Apps will love; but also has the basic services that will electrify the Google Apps offerings. In no small part Google+ with Hangouts will hangout to dry Microsoft’s newly acquired Skype + recently consolidated LiveMeeting conferencing software. Free, 10 person conferencing? Do you see competitive advantage over Facebook, FaceTime and anything Redmondnite?

Fourth, eHarmony and Match.com will be trilling no love songs for Google+ because Circles, Hangouts, Huddle and Sparks will provide services for free which they charge for or really  wish they had. Google+ is courting software++.

Fifth, because all of Google services are committed to integrating tightly with Google+, there will be a constant stream of  “new feature” announcement on Google+ over the next year. This  will keep the program front and center – like the constant following of things Apple.

Sixth and finally, do IT observers not see the brilliant business opening and strategy? Give away the the social media interface for free to consumers. Wrest large user share from Facebook, Myspace, Orkut, Buzz, Flickr  and many other social media. Therefore protect your Search engines access to the masses sentiments while also preserving Ad space if required. Use those hundreds of millions of home users as the spearhead troopers that bring GoogleBiz++ into corporate IT shops. Google Apps, Chrome OS, Mail, Portal plus  two dozen other Google Services now have a unifying interface/framework for delivering value in a business setting that Google can get paid for[check off Marketwatch’s John Dvorak’s burning requirement for Larry and Sergei].

GoogleBiz++ will have to supply help, training, admin and operational scripting plus support services on a scale that Googlites have been very reluctant to engage in – so Google could still fumble their nearly achieved  Web+Cloud+Desktop advantage, faster than Maria Sharapova double faulted her way out of a 2nd Wimbledon Title. But starting with the best Software Introduction of 2011 is no mean feat and appears to supply the company with the base  technology for another 4-7  years of profitable business in the highly disruptive and game changing IT tech sector.