Shame.
I know it has its problems, but I kind of like hangouts. I expect in a few months it will be deprecated in favor of their new toy.
Google is making another effort in social media after the failure of Google+ with a new app called Spaces. The app, available from Monday, is designed to "build a better group sharing experience" and integrates with Google's other products including YouTube, search and its Chrome browser to make it "simple to find and share …
This post has been deleted by its author
They are becoming a pathetic one trick pony that reminds one more and more of Microsoft - they have a terrific cash cow core market, but when they stray from it and try to compete outside their sphere (Windows/Office for Microsoft, advertising for Google) they fail miserably and waste billions.
Google doesn't yet have the long track record of failure that Microsoft does, but there is nothing about the way they have been and still are incompetently flailing about in the social media market that makes one think they're headed in a trajectory different from Microsoft's.
Say what you want about Apple, but at least it only took them one failure (Ping) to realize they don't understand social media at all and should leave it to those who do.
Google's track record of failure, or at least of closed-down products, is pretty long - several dozen IIRC.
I fear this one will go the same way as buzz, wave, plus and all the others.
They definitely do seem to have this desire to keep straying from their core business and hoping something sticks. Social search history ain't gonna be it though.
It's almost certain that Spaces (or is it "Space?") will run headlong into the same problem that G+ and other new social media have faced: it's not enough to be better, you have to find some really compelling reason for a very large number of people to move over from Facebook, Twitter, or... um... Ello.
Facebook sucks, and sucks more every month, and arguably does nothing even satisfactorily, but it is still the juggernaut for one reason: pretty much anyone you might want to find is already there.
Because they have their hooks in such a large part of the population - or at least all of my relatives - they can be crappy and annoying, but still survive.
So the question isn't "What can Google do to invent a better social media platform?"
It's "What can Google do that will convince several million people to abandon Facebook for Spaces?"
I doubt that Google can figure that out, and intead will manage to alienate even more Google+, Gmail, and other Google users.
Yawn, more clickbait about its so called failure.
However for me, it's quality over quantity. 100 interesting posts on G+ are worth more than 100,000 worthless what I had for dinner posts on Facebook.
I have no time for Facebook and their privacy invasion (an account deleted over years ago, still knows my former connections), its confusing sharing rules and idiot magnet nature.
I have alot of time for G+ (which has a clear privacy policy, proper closure option and clarity on who you are sharing what with)