Google Gives Advice to Facebook
November 15, 2010
No, really. Googlers are telling Facebook what to do to become more social. This comes from the outfit that rolled out Orkut to the delight of certain interesting user communities in Brazil and Buzz to the annoyance of many users. Google had to pay a fine for its social sensitivity over that “Buzz” saw.
This is a metaphor for the Facebook parade. Why doesn’t Google have a band or a float or some twirlers in this spectacle?
Not surprisingly, Google executives continue to amuse this silly goose. Usually former English majors and mid-tier consulting firms crank out management malarkey. But Google is playing this game as well. I think it may be construed as further evidence that Google has begun to show its shrewish side, navigate to “Apps Must Be More Social, Says Google’s Barra.” The main point of the write up is that Google wants applications to be more social. This from the Math Club! Here’s the passage about the Googler’s presentation that caught my attention:
Social media should be an integral part of any app, and personalization will be a key to success, says Hugo Barra, Google director of mobile product management. At this year’s Monaco Media Forum, he refuted speculation Google would be launching its own social network platform, adding, “But we do think social is an ingredient for success for any app going forward. So we’re seeing social more as an ingredient rather than a vertical platform play.” He said personalization would be “absolutely huge” and “being able to relate the different signals that users give you, whether on Facebook or Google, will be a key to success”.
I need to waddle from the goose pond to the shore to think about this.
First, isn’t Google the company that is paying employees to refrain from quitting their job at Google. The numbers I recall are $1,000 and a 10 percent raise for the average wizard and 30 percent raise for the ultra wizard to stay. But the ultimo wizard was offered $3.5 million. Now that’s a management decision that warrants consideration? Google seems to believe that money buys happiness or at least keeping people from abandoning ship? Here’s a question, “Is purchased “love” the same as “real” love?”
Second, hasn’t the Google demonstrated that its interpersonal skills have annoyed some government procurement professionals and the US television broadcasters?
Third, Google understands social. Facebook does social. The Pope may have been thinking about Google when he wrote, according to AFP’s “Pope Says Internet Users Risk Solitude”. The sentence I noted in this critique was, “He also said that young people were being “numbed” by the Internet, adding that the technology was creating an “educational emergency — a challenge that we can and must respond to with creative intelligence.” Google may face its own emergency with staff defections on the rise, increased legal friction around the world, and seemingly more “chaos” in management than “controlled chaos” in innovation.
Finally, the notion of “relating to signals” is particularly insightful. The Google is watching Facebook build a banner ad business, expand its database of “member” information, and roll out social deals with a number of outfits. I particularly like the RockMelt play. The Google Chrome technology makes it possible to experience Facebook goodness from a browser. As far as I know, this social app was accomplished using Google as plumbing, just not for Google per se.
Yep, giving advice to Facebook as that company prepares to roll out some interesting additions to its service line up makes perfect sense. One final question: Why Google is on the curb watching the Facebook band march by?
Stephen E Arnold, November 15, 2010
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