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As a user yes. As a developer I would really think twice before building something on top of google. God knows how many products were destroyed because some en

As a user yes. As a developer I would really think twice before building something on top of google. God knows how many products were destroyed because some engineer inside Gborg thought killing an API feature would help him advance his career (source: Friends within Gborg).

Bartweiss 7y ago
Normally this sort of thing is a mismatch between user preferences (easy, free), and developer goals (stable, accessible). But the Google Graveyard is getting so big that it might actually discourage users. First, Google has moved beyond killing third party apps 'terminal' apps like Plus to killing support apps like Cloud Print. That alone means that as a user I'm scared to rely on integration-level apps. Second, the rate of turnover is so high that it actually causes me usability problems pretty often. Everyone hates Microsoft Office redesigns, but they're infrequent enough to get used to. Between dead apps, changing permissions and features, and constantly being thrown in and out A/B tests, I basically never feel at ease with Google products. If I have to look for instructions on how to do something, they're almost always unusably out of date. (Storytime: the incredibly useful "arrive/depart at" feature in Maps vanished from my mobile app for a while. I got into a discussion about it with another programmer who missed the feature and a Google engineer who thought we were just looking in the wrong place. It quickly became clear that fragmentation or long-term A/B testing meant each of us had vastly different options and interfaces.) Third, killing third party ecosystems catches up in the long run. Normally that comes when companies lock down services, but here it might come from uncertainty. if developers shy away from Google products and I can't trust trust Google-official services to say alive, how long before I look for more robust options? (Answer: I already am, increasingly often.)
- enzanki_ars 7y ago
  In terms of long term A/B testing, companies really need to start understanding how harmful and confusing it can get for their user base. As much as I absolutely hate Facebook, I still have to use it for certain groups. Within the 4 people in my immediate family that use the app, we all had vastly different interfaces for the longest time and could never help each other navigate and find some specific option or feature.
gowld 7y ago
1. I don't trust FooCorp, because reasons. 2. I build on FooCorp anyway because it's free and easy and I can't think of any other way to build an MVP. 3. I never bother to upgrade my MVP to a stable platform or add a fallback system. 4. Free easy system is killed. 5. Whine on Medium/Twitter about how I'll never trust FooCorp.

Bartweiss 7y ago

Normally this sort of thing is a mismatch between user preferences (easy, free), and developer goals (stable, accessible). But the Google Graveyard is getting so big that it might actually discourage users. First, Google has moved beyond killing third party apps 'terminal' apps like Plus to killing support apps like Cloud Print. That alone means that as a user I'm scared to rely on integration-level apps. Second, the rate of turnover is so high that it actually causes me usability problems pretty often. Everyone hates Microsoft Office redesigns, but they're infrequent enough to get used to. Between dead apps, changing permissions and features, and constantly being thrown in and out A/B tests, I basically never feel at ease with Google products. If I have to look for instructions on how to do something, they're almost always unusably out of date. (Storytime: the incredibly useful "arrive/depart at" feature in Maps vanished from my mobile app for a while. I got into a discussion about it with another programmer who missed the feature and a Google engineer who thought we were just looking in the wrong place. It quickly became clear that fragmentation or long-term A/B testing meant each of us had vastly different options and interfaces.) Third, killing third party ecosystems catches up in the long run. Normally that comes when companies lock down services, but here it might come from uncertainty. if developers shy away from Google products and I can't trust trust Google-official services to say alive, how long before I look for more robust options? (Answer: I already am, increasingly often.)

enzanki_ars 7y ago
In terms of long term A/B testing, companies really need to start understanding how harmful and confusing it can get for their user base. As much as I absolutely hate Facebook, I still have to use it for certain groups. Within the 4 people in my immediate family that use the app, we all had vastly different interfaces for the longest time and could never help each other navigate and find some specific option or feature.

gowld 7y ago

1. I don't trust FooCorp, because reasons. 2. I build on FooCorp anyway because it's free and easy and I can't think of any other way to build an MVP. 3. I never bother to upgrade my MVP to a stable platform or add a fallback system. 4. Free easy system is killed. 5. Whine on Medium/Twitter about how I'll never trust FooCorp.