3 ms·

People will stop caring before anyone gets a chance to use it. This point is brought up often, but I thought it worth reiterating here. One of the biggest diff

by bdhe 15y ago

People will stop caring before anyone gets a chance to use it. This point is brought up often, but I thought it worth reiterating here. One of the biggest differences between GMail and Wave was that even though GMail ended up being released (very) slowly to the public, you could interact with other email users without them needing to get on to GMail. Unfortunately the same is not true with their current offering of Google+. I wonder if there is anyway for them to balance "extensive testing, and careful releases" with "getting a quorum so that the early adopters find it useful". Perhaps allowing them to interact with Facebook so that they can still interact with their friends from Google+ without needing everyone on it (along the lines of GMail).

murz 15y ago
> Perhaps allowing them to interact with Facebook There's no way facebook would play along with that.
RuadhanMc 15y ago
I wonder if there is anyway for them to balance "extensive testing, and careful releases" with "getting a quorum so that the early adopters find it useful". There is a way, but they need to do more groundwork. Facebook started University by University. Even if it's only people at my University that can use Facebook, that's OK, because I have something in common with those people. I don't need everyone else in my life to be able to use it in order for it to be of value to me. They need to find groups of people who have something in common. This could be University's, companies, sporting associations, etc. Anything where there is a group of people who have a reason to communicate with each other and where it can reach a critical mass of usefulness relatively quickly. Of course, it will require a little more hand holding, but it will give the product a greater chance of success. Use Buzz and Wave as examples. I have absolutely no interest in interacting with my friends and family using those services. None. My Mum wouldn't even know where to start with them. They require too much effort. Besides she's got Facebook and everyone else she knows does too. However, I would have happily given Buzz and Wave a go through my companies Google Apps account with the rest of the guys at my company. We try new services as a team all the time to see if we can find something that will help us in some way. BUT, these services were not available to me through my Google Apps account. Only through my Gmail account. Which is a bit of a PITA since -- at the time -- you could not be logged into both Google Apps and Gmail at the same time. So it was a non-starter. My point? Facebook started small with University's. Students who had something in common. Google should probably start with businesses. Work colleagues who have something in common. Roll it out to one Google Apps account at a time. Hold their hand. Gain traction -- then with a solid base, spread your wings and jump.
- Kadrith 15y ago
  One suggestion posted, somewhere, was to cross reference the GMail contact list with people who requested an invite. Then send invites to people on both lists earlier in the process. It may not be the best approach but it would help bring people into the system with something in common.
  - rufibarbatus 15y ago
    Alternatively, rank the people on the "keep me posted" list by their network centrality within their group of contacts, invite the ones of more centrality first, and give them a limited number of invites to give away themselves. (That is: select evangelists from the "keep me posted" list, invite them first, and let 'em do their work.)
  - RuadhanMc 15y ago
    If they aren't already doing this, then they should really start soon.
- nl 15y ago
  This. I think it's much better for new users to come in slowly and find an already active service than for everyone to join at once, use it for a day and then leave.

by bdhe 15y ago

murz 15y ago

> Perhaps allowing them to interact with Facebook There's no way facebook would play along with that.

RuadhanMc 15y ago

I wonder if there is anyway for them to balance "extensive testing, and careful releases" with "getting a quorum so that the early adopters find it useful". There is a way, but they need to do more groundwork. Facebook started University by University. Even if it's only people at my University that can use Facebook, that's OK, because I have something in common with those people. I don't need everyone else in my life to be able to use it in order for it to be of value to me. They need to find groups of people who have something in common. This could be University's, companies, sporting associations, etc. Anything where there is a group of people who have a reason to communicate with each other and where it can reach a critical mass of usefulness relatively quickly. Of course, it will require a little more hand holding, but it will give the product a greater chance of success. Use Buzz and Wave as examples. I have absolutely no interest in interacting with my friends and family using those services. None. My Mum wouldn't even know where to start with them. They require too much effort. Besides she's got Facebook and everyone else she knows does too. However, I would have happily given Buzz and Wave a go through my companies Google Apps account with the rest of the guys at my company. We try new services as a team all the time to see if we can find something that will help us in some way. BUT, these services were not available to me through my Google Apps account. Only through my Gmail account. Which is a bit of a PITA since -- at the time -- you could not be logged into both Google Apps and Gmail at the same time. So it was a non-starter. My point? Facebook started small with University's. Students who had something in common. Google should probably start with businesses. Work colleagues who have something in common. Roll it out to one Google Apps account at a time. Hold their hand. Gain traction -- then with a solid base, spread your wings and jump.

Kadrith 15y ago
One suggestion posted, somewhere, was to cross reference the GMail contact list with people who requested an invite. Then send invites to people on both lists earlier in the process. It may not be the best approach but it would help bring people into the system with something in common.
- rufibarbatus 15y ago
  Alternatively, rank the people on the "keep me posted" list by their network centrality within their group of contacts, invite the ones of more centrality first, and give them a limited number of invites to give away themselves. (That is: select evangelists from the "keep me posted" list, invite them first, and let 'em do their work.)
- RuadhanMc 15y ago
  If they aren't already doing this, then they should really start soon.
nl 15y ago
This. I think it's much better for new users to come in slowly and find an already active service than for everyone to join at once, use it for a day and then leave.