4 ms·

How can Google beat Facebook with one checkbox?

9 points by nreece 19y ago

pg 19y ago
I don't trust Alexa as a measure of Orkut vs Facebook. All those users in other countries don't have the Alexa toolbar installed.
- nreece 19y ago
  Do you think all those users in Brazil and India have the Alexa toolbar installed? Most of them are not even aware of Alexa. Which other global traffic analyzer do you recommend for this comparison? If any.
  - pg 19y ago
    That was my point: Orkut does disproportionately badly in Alexa because the Brazilian and Indian users don't have the toolbar installed.
    - nreece 19y ago
      Fair enough. Do you have the Alexa toolbar installed? The point is most of here don't. Anyways, which other global traffic analyzer do you recommend for this comparison?
    - nreece 19y ago
      For the record, Google Trends paints the very same picture: http://www.google.com/trends?q=orkut%2C+facebook&ctab=0&geo=all&date=2007&sort=1 http://www.google.com/trends?q=orkut%2C+facebook&ctab=0&...
karzeem 19y ago
The answer is almost certainly no. To my mind, Facebook dominates for three things: basic personal info (looking up someone's phone number, seeing where they work, etc.), photos, and events. I don't know Orkut well, but if beating Facebook includes becoming dominant in the U.S., they'll have to do something truly fresh, not just play catch-up.
- nreece 19y ago
  "I don't know Orkut well" The review is based on personal hands-on use on both the mentioned social networking utilities.
adamdoupe 19y ago
"Facebook on the other hand is the leader in the US, Canada and UK." This statement isn't true. Like it or not, MySpace is the leader in the US.
- nreece 19y ago
  I don't quite consider MySpace as a "social networking" site in the same league as Facebook or Orkut. How many people actually use MySpace for business networking? MySpace is a teen station.
  - adamdoupe 19y ago
    If we're talking about business networking, I thought LinkedIn was the winner. MySpace and Facebook are both "social networking" in my book, Facebook even moreso, because I only friend people I actually know (However this could be just because I use it in the college context, not the business context). I'd be interesting if there are different usage patterns based on the main use of the network. I see it as keeping in touch with my friends rather than "networking" in the business sense.

9 points by nreece 19y ago

pg 19y ago

I don't trust Alexa as a measure of Orkut vs Facebook. All those users in other countries don't have the Alexa toolbar installed.

nreece 19y ago
Do you think all those users in Brazil and India have the Alexa toolbar installed? Most of them are not even aware of Alexa. Which other global traffic analyzer do you recommend for this comparison? If any.
- pg 19y ago
  That was my point: Orkut does disproportionately badly in Alexa because the Brazilian and Indian users don't have the toolbar installed.
  - nreece 19y ago
    Fair enough. Do you have the Alexa toolbar installed? The point is most of here don't. Anyways, which other global traffic analyzer do you recommend for this comparison?
  - nreece 19y ago
    For the record, Google Trends paints the very same picture: http://www.google.com/trends?q=orkut%2C+facebook&ctab=0&geo=all&date=2007&sort=1 http://www.google.com/trends?q=orkut%2C+facebook&ctab=0&...

karzeem 19y ago

The answer is almost certainly no. To my mind, Facebook dominates for three things: basic personal info (looking up someone's phone number, seeing where they work, etc.), photos, and events. I don't know Orkut well, but if beating Facebook includes becoming dominant in the U.S., they'll have to do something truly fresh, not just play catch-up.

nreece 19y ago
"I don't know Orkut well" The review is based on personal hands-on use on both the mentioned social networking utilities.

adamdoupe 19y ago

"Facebook on the other hand is the leader in the US, Canada and UK." This statement isn't true. Like it or not, MySpace is the leader in the US.

nreece 19y ago
I don't quite consider MySpace as a "social networking" site in the same league as Facebook or Orkut. How many people actually use MySpace for business networking? MySpace is a teen station.
- adamdoupe 19y ago
  If we're talking about business networking, I thought LinkedIn was the winner. MySpace and Facebook are both "social networking" in my book, Facebook even moreso, because I only friend people I actually know (However this could be just because I use it in the college context, not the business context). I'd be interesting if there are different usage patterns based on the main use of the network. I see it as keeping in touch with my friends rather than "networking" in the business sense.