11 ms·

I really hope they kick facebook's ass - Google is a company which allows other smaller companies to grow and build on their system, they're inclusive ... it's

I really hope they kick facebook's ass - Google is a company which allows other smaller companies to grow and build on their system, they're inclusive ... it's near impossible to build a serious business on a facebook app (outside of farmville type games) - any serious app (photo sharing, better socialization etc.) that gains any kind of popularity on facebook gets shut down without compromise.

m_eiman 15y ago
It's not like Google is known for being any more responsive to questions from people who get affected by its automated systems, though.
- paulnelligan 15y ago
  true, but at least they're transparent and they allow people to grow with them, which is better for everybody. that said, I think they could make a fortune out of paid support.
- ignifero 15y ago
  You mean, not responsive by humans. Facebook's responses, even when given by humans, are appalling. I thought it was just me, but here: http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=100175 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=100175 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=103438 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=103438 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=91182 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=91182 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=88452 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=88452 On the other hand, i never had problems with google that were not solved in a reasonable timeframe (but i am still waiting after 9 months for facebook to unspam our domain that was an empty page). Adsense will even assign a human to correspond with if you have enough traction.
ignifero 15y ago
Right there with you pal. Anxiously waiting to google's APIs. (they are mentioned here http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/policy/ http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/policy/) I can't express how sick i feel doing facebook apps in the past year, it has been nothing but disappointment and anger (but still makes the money due to huge traction). Google has a much better track record of fostering developer ecosystems and a much better understanding of how to deal with app spam. Hope they do their best to create a good web app ecosystem.
ralfd 15y ago
I would also be wary to build a business on Googles good will. They are shutting down many API from finance, news search and translation.
- chalst 15y ago
  Google do have a preannounced path throught deprecation to termination and they claim [w]herever possible, the documentation includes suggested alternatives designed to help you achieve similar functionality — whether it’s a new version or related offering. http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-cleaning-for-some-of-our-apis.html http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-cleaning-for-s... In the case of the translation APIs, they were clearly broken and facilitated content spamming, and the replacement APIs appear to be serviceable.
  - throwaway32 15y ago
    There is no "replacement API" for Google translate.
    - r00fus 15y ago
      You mean no google replacement translation API? What about bing or mygengo or wordlingo?
    - esrauch 15y ago
      I thought they announced that they were going to launch a paid Translate api?
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
      - robert_mygengo 15y ago
        Esrauch is right — but they have not announced details.
    - chalst 15y ago
possibilistic 15y ago
Exactly this! It almost feels like a political issue--with all of the longterm controversy and animosity that Facebook has stirred up amongst us, we've been quietly waiting for something like this to happen. I'm glad to see that so many of us appear to be rallying around what appears to have the potential of being a "Facebook killer". I shouldn't be so emotionally invested, but after years of Facebook acting like assholes to all of us, I hope Google lays complete and utter waste to them. Facebook has under no uncertain terms been trying to swallow up the web, and before seeing this level of competition I thought they stood a chance of accomplishing that goal. Perhaps not anymore. I deleted my Facebook account a long time ago, and I honestly am not interested in social networking after that experience. I'm not sure whether I want to do the Google+ thing long term, but I'm definitely going to join if for no other reason than to get all of my friends to. Maybe I can get some of them to migrate completely. I trust Google a hell of a lot more than Facebook. (Perhaps I shouldn't, but I do.) I wonder what this holds for their upcoming IPO? People are fickle and can ditch a service rather quickly (MySpace, hotmail/yahoo->gmail). Even with the wealth of photos and memories Facebook has accumulated for many users, I don't think it will be able to retain them by touting that data alone. This is going to be very exciting to watch. What a good show you've put on for us, Google!
- paulnelligan 15y ago
  It's how facebook started, and it's how facebook will finish ... Zuckerberg's mantra appears to be 'kill anyone that looks like competing' rather than 'collaborate and succeed' ... My gut says that the collaborators will win the day.
- wisty 15y ago
  Facebook has done everything that can to turn into Twitter + Flickr for people who know your real name. You can't use apps, look at friends apps, or do anything else interesting. Facebook has made itself a social address book, and dragged down everyone who bought into their "platform".
  - Goladus 15y ago
    I hate facebook's photo-sharing. There are only two things it does reasonably OK-- resize large photos and caching the photos you're likely to view next. The new interface overlay with the black background is really annoying, I don't know anyone who likes it and quite a few who hate it passionately.

m_eiman 15y ago

It's not like Google is known for being any more responsive to questions from people who get affected by its automated systems, though.

paulnelligan 15y ago
true, but at least they're transparent and they allow people to grow with them, which is better for everybody. that said, I think they could make a fortune out of paid support.
ignifero 15y ago
You mean, not responsive by humans. Facebook's responses, even when given by humans, are appalling. I thought it was just me, but here: http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=100175 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=100175 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=103438 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=103438 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=91182 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=91182 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=88452 http://forum.developers.facebook.net/viewtopic.php?id=88452 On the other hand, i never had problems with google that were not solved in a reasonable timeframe (but i am still waiting after 9 months for facebook to unspam our domain that was an empty page). Adsense will even assign a human to correspond with if you have enough traction.

ignifero 15y ago

Right there with you pal. Anxiously waiting to google's APIs. (they are mentioned here http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/policy/ http://www.google.com/intl/en/+/policy/) I can't express how sick i feel doing facebook apps in the past year, it has been nothing but disappointment and anger (but still makes the money due to huge traction). Google has a much better track record of fostering developer ecosystems and a much better understanding of how to deal with app spam. Hope they do their best to create a good web app ecosystem.

ralfd 15y ago

I would also be wary to build a business on Googles good will. They are shutting down many API from finance, news search and translation.

chalst 15y ago
Google do have a preannounced path throught deprecation to termination and they claim [w]herever possible, the documentation includes suggested alternatives designed to help you achieve similar functionality — whether it’s a new version or related offering. http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-cleaning-for-some-of-our-apis.html http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-cleaning-for-s... In the case of the translation APIs, they were clearly broken and facilitated content spamming, and the replacement APIs appear to be serviceable.
- throwaway32 15y ago
  There is no "replacement API" for Google translate.
  - r00fus 15y ago
    You mean no google replacement translation API? What about bing or mygengo or wordlingo?
  - esrauch 15y ago
    I thought they announced that they were going to launch a paid Translate api?
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - robert_mygengo 15y ago
      Esrauch is right — but they have not announced details.
  - chalst 15y ago

possibilistic 15y ago

Exactly this! It almost feels like a political issue--with all of the longterm controversy and animosity that Facebook has stirred up amongst us, we've been quietly waiting for something like this to happen. I'm glad to see that so many of us appear to be rallying around what appears to have the potential of being a "Facebook killer". I shouldn't be so emotionally invested, but after years of Facebook acting like assholes to all of us, I hope Google lays complete and utter waste to them. Facebook has under no uncertain terms been trying to swallow up the web, and before seeing this level of competition I thought they stood a chance of accomplishing that goal. Perhaps not anymore. I deleted my Facebook account a long time ago, and I honestly am not interested in social networking after that experience. I'm not sure whether I want to do the Google+ thing long term, but I'm definitely going to join if for no other reason than to get all of my friends to. Maybe I can get some of them to migrate completely. I trust Google a hell of a lot more than Facebook. (Perhaps I shouldn't, but I do.) I wonder what this holds for their upcoming IPO? People are fickle and can ditch a service rather quickly (MySpace, hotmail/yahoo->gmail). Even with the wealth of photos and memories Facebook has accumulated for many users, I don't think it will be able to retain them by touting that data alone. This is going to be very exciting to watch. What a good show you've put on for us, Google!

paulnelligan 15y ago
It's how facebook started, and it's how facebook will finish ... Zuckerberg's mantra appears to be 'kill anyone that looks like competing' rather than 'collaborate and succeed' ... My gut says that the collaborators will win the day.
wisty 15y ago
Facebook has done everything that can to turn into Twitter + Flickr for people who know your real name. You can't use apps, look at friends apps, or do anything else interesting. Facebook has made itself a social address book, and dragged down everyone who bought into their "platform".
- Goladus 15y ago
  I hate facebook's photo-sharing. There are only two things it does reasonably OK-- resize large photos and caching the photos you're likely to view next. The new interface overlay with the black background is really annoying, I don't know anyone who likes it and quite a few who hate it passionately.