7 ms·

Google Profiles just got updated

56 points by jedc 16y ago

dudurocha 16y ago
I think this is a bit useless when we see the facebook Api, and you can find yourself in the searches.
- seancron 16y ago
  Do you mind explaining more fully how this is useless? I'm sure there are many people who don't have a Facebook account who have a Google account. Such people could use this to create their own profile page. Also, while you can make your Facebook profile searchable if you wish to, Google profiles will likely be given special priority and placement. Not to mention the social search features Google is working on using profiles.
  - NovaDesu 16y ago
    I for one don't have a facebook and will never make one. I really welcome this change and will be using the google profiles.
    - jamesgeck0 16y ago
      It seems like this offers even less privacy and more scrapeability than Facebook. Can you elaborate on why you prefer it?
jedc 16y ago
Not a huge update, but it's much cleaner looking than current profiles.
- digitaltothem 16y ago
  Yes, that was my first impression too. Looks much cleaner, info displayed better. The old ones look a bit stuffed, they highlighted simplicity in the new ones.
ENOTTY 16y ago
That looks exactly like Facebook, even to the photo timeline thing at the top.
- seancron 16y ago
  I think the reason profile pages tend to use the same layout is because it's an established design pattern now. People already know what to expect when they see a page with that layout. Edit: Also, Google profiles have had that photo timeline for a while. They added it months before Facebook added it.
  - ENOTTY 16y ago
    Oh I didn't know Facebook aped Google.
Kilimanjaro 16y ago
Good, now please allow an API to get your avatar using your gmail address. While we're at it, allow me to get some public info via JSON too. ktxby.
- willnorris 16y ago
  sure – https://www.googleapis.com/buzz/v1/people/wnorris@gmail.com/@self?alt=json&pp=1 https://www.googleapis.com/buzz/v1/people/wnorris@gmail.com/... Note that this will only work for users that have activated Buzz
  - tonfa 16y ago
    Or you can get it from the social graph API: http://socialgraph-resources.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/samples/exploreapi.html http://socialgraph-resources.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/sample...
chapel 16y ago
For some reason the new profiles don't render correctly in Chrome. It just shows a white page with nothing on it that is much longer than the actual profile page is. Not only that if you view source, it is all there. I am running Chrome 11.0.686.1 dev on OS X 10.6
- tonfa 16y ago
  The dev channel of Chrome has lots of issues (e.g. gmail has problems too).
  - chapel 16y ago
    I know it has issues, but for me Gmail is fine. The version before the one I was using displays the profiles fine. So who knows.
adrianwaj 16y ago
How can I set its display language to English?
olalonde 16y ago
What I still can't understand is why Google's top bar's style isn't consistent across pages. http://maps.google.com/ http://maps.google.com/ https://profiles.google.com/u/0/ https://profiles.google.com/u/0/ https://groups.google.com/ https://groups.google.com/
- apotheon 16y ago
  Maybe they're trying to take cues from Microsoft's "ribbon". That would be a tragedy.
- ralx 16y ago
  I guess they're updating incrementally across their sites
lightcatcher 16y ago
Interesting. I just learned about Google Profiles earlier today while reading up about WebFinger and OpenID. Google Profiles also support hCard, the microformat. Google Profiles don't seem to have much practical use to me besides being useful for standards compliant stuff. I really wish Buzz became popular in place of Twitter, its a much better (and more open) platform in my opinion.
- tonfa 16y ago
  Well buzz still miss a retweet equivalent (reshare + close comments is the closest thing).
healsdata 16y ago
Doesn't seem like the updated the old URLs for profiles. http://www.google.com/profiles/<username&#62 http://www.google.com/profiles/<username> is showing the old style profile while https://profiles.google.com/<username&#62 https://profiles.google.com/<username> is in the new style. Bummer because, when editing my profile in the new style, it tells me that the correct URL is the first.
- tonfa 16y ago
  I think you'll have to wait for the rollout to propagate to get it in both places.
catshirt 16y ago
does anyone know if i can expect this to ever work with google apps for your domain?
Rariel 16y ago
It's one thing to want to have a formal profile for when you're googled. It's another to have your buzz attached to it. They want buzz to catch on so badly.
- Andrex 16y ago
  You can hide the Buzz tab.
jhuckestein 16y ago
This seems to be a part of the upcoming social product. IMO the Google brand does not work well with social. No matter how well they execute this product, it will still feel too "efficient". P.S.: Looks like they invested in eye-candy. try changing your profile picture for an example.
zitterbewegung 16y ago
I am wondering how they figured out where I lived? Geolocation API with common patterns?
chrismealy 16y ago
How much do you have to share to not get "To have your profile featured, add more information about yourself" anymore? It's a mystery, and finding out is a pretty dull game.
- tonfa 16y ago
  This no longer exist, now you just have a checkbox "make your profile visible in search". For me that is a huge improvement.
izendejas 16y ago
Google needs to add a little lock to all posts that are private, or indicate which are. I freaked out when I thought some of my picasa albums were visible publicly--and feared that had pulled another buzz. Luckily that's not the case, but it's not immediately obvious.
viviensin 16y ago
I had this huge debate with regard to our vision of Google's future today. The question was whether Google should stay focused on developing its distinctive competence: being a superior search solution, and monetize through advertising, or whether it should branch into new ideas such as Checkout functions or even desktop products. Personally, I think it's crucial that Google to strike a balance between external acquisition and internal development for these reasons: In terms of internal development, Google’s ultimate mission is to serve as a superior search function for people. So due to the saturation of the market in web search and consistency with company culture, I believe Google should leverage core tech to expand into niche search markets and strengthen additional platforms. More specifically, google should expand into niche search markets or industries where information needs to be more open and organized, for instance, the arts industry, the fashion industry, etc. In additionally, I believe small mobile devices will continue to grow in terms of user base, especially in emerging economies where more people could afford such devices. Therefore, creating applications that ties in with its platform should also be a part of Google’s platform development. Externally, Google, by becoming or adopting the image of Microsoft has brought negative attention to many other high-growth companies, increasing hostility and competition from companies including Microsoft, Ebay, etc. To avoid multiple organizations joining hands to go up against the giant and hence, increasing costs like it has been in the past few years. Google needs to learn to adopt new market in a subtler manner. Instead of creating all functionalities explicitly under Google’s name, acquire small enterprises that serve similar functions and avoid too much publicity during the acquisition. Item number 8 of Google's philosophy highlights the importance of going across borders. Neighboring Asian countries such as Japan (38.20% of market share), and South Korea (3% of market share) fancy locally flavored search engines such as Yahoo Japan over Google, seeing it as a form of “cultural imperialism”. In the end of the day, Google is user-based and a service product. Creating fear among users, in addition to competitors, weakens the potential growth of all other platform products it is developing. The solution to this ties in with the discrete acquisition suggestion- to create products that are culturally sensitive. So instead of attempting to produce additional breakthrough products, I believe Google should keep in mind its core philosophies and focus in, with cultural sensitivity in mind, strengthening additional platforms and expanding into niche search market.
- 16y ago
ivan_ah 16y ago
Wow! This is a major move. In a simultaneous attack on fb and linkedin. The fight for the "profile" page is on. It is like the internet revolution all over again, but for the masses. Most people with any sense in them already have a ~uname/ somewhere and //that// is their profile. But for "monsieur tout le monde" it is too complicated to order hosting and install wordpress on it. This is why everyone absolutely //loves// facebook -- because suddenly they can heave their "own website". Sure its just a wall and mostly used for other people to spy on you, but you can spy on them too so isn't it a great deal? This seems like a sure flop to me because it is essentially an escalation of rights from knowing my email address to knowing a bunch of other things about me. Not cool. On a different note, it is funny to see Google try something and fail... we have gotten used to their superpower, maybe they are not so strong after all. Has the Goliath gotten slow?
Bvalmont 16y ago
How is this going to affect search results when someone googles my name ? This could be very useful because I have a very common name and it would be nice to get bumped up a bit because I have a google profile.

56 points by jedc 16y ago

dudurocha 16y ago

I think this is a bit useless when we see the facebook Api, and you can find yourself in the searches.

seancron 16y ago
Do you mind explaining more fully how this is useless? I'm sure there are many people who don't have a Facebook account who have a Google account. Such people could use this to create their own profile page. Also, while you can make your Facebook profile searchable if you wish to, Google profiles will likely be given special priority and placement. Not to mention the social search features Google is working on using profiles.
- NovaDesu 16y ago
  I for one don't have a facebook and will never make one. I really welcome this change and will be using the google profiles.
  - jamesgeck0 16y ago
    It seems like this offers even less privacy and more scrapeability than Facebook. Can you elaborate on why you prefer it?

jedc 16y ago

Not a huge update, but it's much cleaner looking than current profiles.

digitaltothem 16y ago
Yes, that was my first impression too. Looks much cleaner, info displayed better. The old ones look a bit stuffed, they highlighted simplicity in the new ones.

ENOTTY 16y ago

That looks exactly like Facebook, even to the photo timeline thing at the top.

seancron 16y ago
I think the reason profile pages tend to use the same layout is because it's an established design pattern now. People already know what to expect when they see a page with that layout. Edit: Also, Google profiles have had that photo timeline for a while. They added it months before Facebook added it.
- ENOTTY 16y ago
  Oh I didn't know Facebook aped Google.

Kilimanjaro 16y ago

Good, now please allow an API to get your avatar using your gmail address. While we're at it, allow me to get some public info via JSON too. ktxby.

willnorris 16y ago
sure – https://www.googleapis.com/buzz/v1/people/wnorris@gmail.com/@self?alt=json&pp=1 https://www.googleapis.com/buzz/v1/people/wnorris@gmail.com/... Note that this will only work for users that have activated Buzz
- tonfa 16y ago
  Or you can get it from the social graph API: http://socialgraph-resources.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/samples/exploreapi.html http://socialgraph-resources.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/sample...

chapel 16y ago

For some reason the new profiles don't render correctly in Chrome. It just shows a white page with nothing on it that is much longer than the actual profile page is. Not only that if you view source, it is all there. I am running Chrome 11.0.686.1 dev on OS X 10.6

tonfa 16y ago
The dev channel of Chrome has lots of issues (e.g. gmail has problems too).
- chapel 16y ago
  I know it has issues, but for me Gmail is fine. The version before the one I was using displays the profiles fine. So who knows.

adrianwaj 16y ago

How can I set its display language to English?

olalonde 16y ago

What I still can't understand is why Google's top bar's style isn't consistent across pages. http://maps.google.com/ http://maps.google.com/ https://profiles.google.com/u/0/ https://profiles.google.com/u/0/ https://groups.google.com/ https://groups.google.com/

apotheon 16y ago
Maybe they're trying to take cues from Microsoft's "ribbon". That would be a tragedy.
ralx 16y ago
I guess they're updating incrementally across their sites

lightcatcher 16y ago

Interesting. I just learned about Google Profiles earlier today while reading up about WebFinger and OpenID. Google Profiles also support hCard, the microformat. Google Profiles don't seem to have much practical use to me besides being useful for standards compliant stuff. I really wish Buzz became popular in place of Twitter, its a much better (and more open) platform in my opinion.

tonfa 16y ago
Well buzz still miss a retweet equivalent (reshare + close comments is the closest thing).

healsdata 16y ago

Doesn't seem like the updated the old URLs for profiles. http://www.google.com/profiles/<username&#62 http://www.google.com/profiles/<username> is showing the old style profile while https://profiles.google.com/<username&#62 https://profiles.google.com/<username> is in the new style. Bummer because, when editing my profile in the new style, it tells me that the correct URL is the first.

tonfa 16y ago
I think you'll have to wait for the rollout to propagate to get it in both places.

catshirt 16y ago

does anyone know if i can expect this to ever work with google apps for your domain?

Rariel 16y ago

It's one thing to want to have a formal profile for when you're googled. It's another to have your buzz attached to it. They want buzz to catch on so badly.

Andrex 16y ago
You can hide the Buzz tab.

jhuckestein 16y ago

This seems to be a part of the upcoming social product. IMO the Google brand does not work well with social. No matter how well they execute this product, it will still feel too "efficient". P.S.: Looks like they invested in eye-candy. try changing your profile picture for an example.

zitterbewegung 16y ago

I am wondering how they figured out where I lived? Geolocation API with common patterns?

chrismealy 16y ago

How much do you have to share to not get "To have your profile featured, add more information about yourself" anymore? It's a mystery, and finding out is a pretty dull game.

tonfa 16y ago
This no longer exist, now you just have a checkbox "make your profile visible in search". For me that is a huge improvement.

izendejas 16y ago

Google needs to add a little lock to all posts that are private, or indicate which are. I freaked out when I thought some of my picasa albums were visible publicly--and feared that had pulled another buzz. Luckily that's not the case, but it's not immediately obvious.

viviensin 16y ago

I had this huge debate with regard to our vision of Google's future today. The question was whether Google should stay focused on developing its distinctive competence: being a superior search solution, and monetize through advertising, or whether it should branch into new ideas such as Checkout functions or even desktop products. Personally, I think it's crucial that Google to strike a balance between external acquisition and internal development for these reasons: In terms of internal development, Google’s ultimate mission is to serve as a superior search function for people. So due to the saturation of the market in web search and consistency with company culture, I believe Google should leverage core tech to expand into niche search markets and strengthen additional platforms. More specifically, google should expand into niche search markets or industries where information needs to be more open and organized, for instance, the arts industry, the fashion industry, etc. In additionally, I believe small mobile devices will continue to grow in terms of user base, especially in emerging economies where more people could afford such devices. Therefore, creating applications that ties in with its platform should also be a part of Google’s platform development. Externally, Google, by becoming or adopting the image of Microsoft has brought negative attention to many other high-growth companies, increasing hostility and competition from companies including Microsoft, Ebay, etc. To avoid multiple organizations joining hands to go up against the giant and hence, increasing costs like it has been in the past few years. Google needs to learn to adopt new market in a subtler manner. Instead of creating all functionalities explicitly under Google’s name, acquire small enterprises that serve similar functions and avoid too much publicity during the acquisition. Item number 8 of Google's philosophy highlights the importance of going across borders. Neighboring Asian countries such as Japan (38.20% of market share), and South Korea (3% of market share) fancy locally flavored search engines such as Yahoo Japan over Google, seeing it as a form of “cultural imperialism”. In the end of the day, Google is user-based and a service product. Creating fear among users, in addition to competitors, weakens the potential growth of all other platform products it is developing. The solution to this ties in with the discrete acquisition suggestion- to create products that are culturally sensitive. So instead of attempting to produce additional breakthrough products, I believe Google should keep in mind its core philosophies and focus in, with cultural sensitivity in mind, strengthening additional platforms and expanding into niche search market.

16y ago

ivan_ah 16y ago

Wow! This is a major move. In a simultaneous attack on fb and linkedin. The fight for the "profile" page is on. It is like the internet revolution all over again, but for the masses. Most people with any sense in them already have a ~uname/ somewhere and //that// is their profile. But for "monsieur tout le monde" it is too complicated to order hosting and install wordpress on it. This is why everyone absolutely //loves// facebook -- because suddenly they can heave their "own website". Sure its just a wall and mostly used for other people to spy on you, but you can spy on them too so isn't it a great deal? This seems like a sure flop to me because it is essentially an escalation of rights from knowing my email address to knowing a bunch of other things about me. Not cool. On a different note, it is funny to see Google try something and fail... we have gotten used to their superpower, maybe they are not so strong after all. Has the Goliath gotten slow?

Bvalmont 16y ago

How is this going to affect search results when someone googles my name ? This could be very useful because I have a very common name and it would be nice to get bumped up a bit because I have a google profile.