6 ms·

As prophesied in the top comment (by user24) right here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6248771 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6248771

by Chinjut 12y ago

hahainternet 12y ago
Google should focus! Google should keep services running despite low growth or low interest! Google should be all things to all people!
- Apocryphon 12y ago
  Surely an organization with as much resources and revenue as Google can have their cake and eat it too?
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
- ploxiln 12y ago
  Just throw out the last one. Google should just not launch new stuff. Unless they're serious about it and they're going to keep it. The problem is that a number of users that would make a dedicated startup quite happy, doesn't interest google - "low growth or low interest" is a rather high bar for google. Google Reader was huge, just not google huge. EDIT: Why I think this, is because I'm annoyed that all the big companies want one of what all the other big companies have - music locker/streaming service, home automation platform, tv platform, freaking VR goggles. One does it, the rest have to get one too. Then it's forgotten in a couple of years. (Helpouts was part of the Hangouts push, and now that the push is over, it's forgotten.)
  - jfoster 12y ago
    They could just start spinning off (into separate companies) or open sourcing the projects they decide to no longer pursue. That would alleviate a lot of the negative PR they get from doing this stuff, I think. Also is the right thing for customers who are invested in the product.
    - aragot 12y ago
      Technically, this is impossible because their build system and shared libraries [0] Commercially, this is exactly the right thing to do! Then you can only blame customers for not buying shares of the spin-off! [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2899467 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2899467
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
netinstructions 12y ago
This makes me think of the launch of Google Domains[1]. One of the top comments was "What happens when Google sunsets this product?" which is a great question we should all be asking before investing resources (money or time) into a new Google product. Maybe even more so the ones that are labeled as beta. We should also be skeptical of their customer service, because as many of the comments show[2] users are wary of this too. I made the choice to use Google Domains last week for a pet project because: 1) Google has been good at letting users get their data out of their system, and they give a long notice of impending sunsets and opportunities to migrate away. 2) Google specifically called out email, phone, and chat support for this new product. So far I've been very happy and they addressed a few of my particular needs. But I do worry about lock-in or wasted time. Maybe one of the questions I'd ask upset Helpout users is how much time was spent "wasted" or if any of it was useful. Perhaps Google was trying to help out everyone (make them more skeptical of Google products, learn from their mistakes, etc.) by sunsetting Helpouts! ;) [1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7934146 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7934146 [2]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7933870 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7933870
- dragonwriter 12y ago
  > This makes me think of the launch of Google Domains[1]. One of the top comments was "What happens when Google sunsets this product?" which is a great question we should all be asking before investing resources (money or time) into a new Google product. Nothing really special about "Google" here. Any product from any company runs the risk of (1) the company failing, taking the product with it, or (2) the company canceling the product. The more a company is committed to mitigating (2) by maintaining products that aren't profitable, the greater risk (1) is.
  - netinstructions 12y ago
    I guess what I wanted to call attention to that was relevant to Google was: 1) Did users lose anything by trying Helpouts that was special? Besides time, which comes with trying anything new. 2) Google tries really hard to warn users of services shutting down. Google Reader had a bunch of notice. Wave ended up being open sourced and handed off to a different project manager. 3) Google tries hard to avoid vendor lock-in. Take a look at https://www.google.com/settings/takeout https://www.google.com/settings/takeout or I can use the example of Google+ photo albums that put the download or export button front and center so I can upload them to Flickr if I want. Now don't think I'm a huge Google advocate blind to their issues. In fact, what I was trying to call out was a healthy amount of skepticism to their product launches based on previous situations and comments around Google.
Forbo 12y ago
This is only my perspective, but I had never heard of it before seeing this article. I'd like to consider myself pretty "in-the-know" when it comes to this sort of stuff, so how in the world is this supposed to work when there's been nearly no awareness? This search trend is pretty telling: http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=Google%20Helpouts&date=6%2F2013%2021m&cmpt=q&tz= http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=Google%20Helpouts&dat...
- maratd 12y ago
  My wife wears a Google Helpouts hoodie and I got a ton of freebies when they launched. It's not like Google wasn't trying ... but it always felt like a half-hearted, let's see if this sticks, kind of attempt ... especially on the software side of things. It didn't stick.
  - jfoster 12y ago
    Aside from merchandise, what did they do to promote it? Not saying they did nothing, but I have a feeling that Google collectively (on average) underestimates the degree of promotion necessary to make a product or service successful. They're somewhat spoilt by their big hits.
hosay123 12y ago
Hilarious, this one didn't even last 18 months, it's almost like they're doing it on purpose.
saraid216 12y ago
Why start a company when no one's going to buy your product anyways?
icefox 12y ago
Prophesied the death of a new Google product is becoming this generations equivalent of "First Post". :)
obstinate 12y ago
Someone says this about everything that Google launches. When Google does close something, they're right. It's like people who say that the stock market is going to crash.
codeonfire 12y ago
Its so predictable because of how corporations work. People try to launch big visible projects, everyone high fives, a few people get promoted or a bonus, then everyone leaves to repeat the process. There is no value to support something long term at Random Bigcorp (TM).
developer1 12y ago
Haha the funny feels. Too bad you can't reply to old comments; there are a few there worth replying to just to mock Google's commitment. One guy says "You cannot be sure they're going to shut this down soon", another says "Why would they kill helpouts. Helpouts is build upon hangouts and hangouts is here to stay.". Cause Google. Cause Google.

As prophesied in the top comment (by user24) right here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6248771 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6248771

by Chinjut 12y ago

As prophesied in the top comment (by user24) right here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6248771 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6248771

hahainternet 12y ago

Google should focus! Google should keep services running despite low growth or low interest! Google should be all things to all people!

Apocryphon 12y ago
Surely an organization with as much resources and revenue as Google can have their cake and eat it too?
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
ploxiln 12y ago
Just throw out the last one. Google should just not launch new stuff. Unless they're serious about it and they're going to keep it. The problem is that a number of users that would make a dedicated startup quite happy, doesn't interest google - "low growth or low interest" is a rather high bar for google. Google Reader was huge, just not google huge. EDIT: Why I think this, is because I'm annoyed that all the big companies want one of what all the other big companies have - music locker/streaming service, home automation platform, tv platform, freaking VR goggles. One does it, the rest have to get one too. Then it's forgotten in a couple of years. (Helpouts was part of the Hangouts push, and now that the push is over, it's forgotten.)
- jfoster 12y ago
  They could just start spinning off (into separate companies) or open sourcing the projects they decide to no longer pursue. That would alleviate a lot of the negative PR they get from doing this stuff, I think. Also is the right thing for customers who are invested in the product.
  - aragot 12y ago
    Technically, this is impossible because their build system and shared libraries [0] Commercially, this is exactly the right thing to do! Then you can only blame customers for not buying shares of the spin-off! [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2899467 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2899467

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

netinstructions 12y ago

This makes me think of the launch of Google Domains[1]. One of the top comments was "What happens when Google sunsets this product?" which is a great question we should all be asking before investing resources (money or time) into a new Google product. Maybe even more so the ones that are labeled as beta. We should also be skeptical of their customer service, because as many of the comments show[2] users are wary of this too. I made the choice to use Google Domains last week for a pet project because: 1) Google has been good at letting users get their data out of their system, and they give a long notice of impending sunsets and opportunities to migrate away. 2) Google specifically called out email, phone, and chat support for this new product. So far I've been very happy and they addressed a few of my particular needs. But I do worry about lock-in or wasted time. Maybe one of the questions I'd ask upset Helpout users is how much time was spent "wasted" or if any of it was useful. Perhaps Google was trying to help out everyone (make them more skeptical of Google products, learn from their mistakes, etc.) by sunsetting Helpouts! ;) [1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7934146 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7934146 [2]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7933870 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7933870

dragonwriter 12y ago
> This makes me think of the launch of Google Domains[1]. One of the top comments was "What happens when Google sunsets this product?" which is a great question we should all be asking before investing resources (money or time) into a new Google product. Nothing really special about "Google" here. Any product from any company runs the risk of (1) the company failing, taking the product with it, or (2) the company canceling the product. The more a company is committed to mitigating (2) by maintaining products that aren't profitable, the greater risk (1) is.
- netinstructions 12y ago
  I guess what I wanted to call attention to that was relevant to Google was: 1) Did users lose anything by trying Helpouts that was special? Besides time, which comes with trying anything new. 2) Google tries really hard to warn users of services shutting down. Google Reader had a bunch of notice. Wave ended up being open sourced and handed off to a different project manager. 3) Google tries hard to avoid vendor lock-in. Take a look at https://www.google.com/settings/takeout https://www.google.com/settings/takeout or I can use the example of Google+ photo albums that put the download or export button front and center so I can upload them to Flickr if I want. Now don't think I'm a huge Google advocate blind to their issues. In fact, what I was trying to call out was a healthy amount of skepticism to their product launches based on previous situations and comments around Google.

Forbo 12y ago

This is only my perspective, but I had never heard of it before seeing this article. I'd like to consider myself pretty "in-the-know" when it comes to this sort of stuff, so how in the world is this supposed to work when there's been nearly no awareness? This search trend is pretty telling: http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=Google%20Helpouts&date=6%2F2013%2021m&cmpt=q&tz= http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=Google%20Helpouts&dat...

maratd 12y ago
My wife wears a Google Helpouts hoodie and I got a ton of freebies when they launched. It's not like Google wasn't trying ... but it always felt like a half-hearted, let's see if this sticks, kind of attempt ... especially on the software side of things. It didn't stick.
- jfoster 12y ago
  Aside from merchandise, what did they do to promote it? Not saying they did nothing, but I have a feeling that Google collectively (on average) underestimates the degree of promotion necessary to make a product or service successful. They're somewhat spoilt by their big hits.

hosay123 12y ago

Hilarious, this one didn't even last 18 months, it's almost like they're doing it on purpose.

saraid216 12y ago

Why start a company when no one's going to buy your product anyways?

icefox 12y ago

Prophesied the death of a new Google product is becoming this generations equivalent of "First Post". :)

obstinate 12y ago

Someone says this about everything that Google launches. When Google does close something, they're right. It's like people who say that the stock market is going to crash.

codeonfire 12y ago

Its so predictable because of how corporations work. People try to launch big visible projects, everyone high fives, a few people get promoted or a bonus, then everyone leaves to repeat the process. There is no value to support something long term at Random Bigcorp (TM).

developer1 12y ago

Haha the funny feels. Too bad you can't reply to old comments; there are a few there worth replying to just to mock Google's commitment. One guy says "You cannot be sure they're going to shut this down soon", another says "Why would they kill helpouts. Helpouts is build upon hangouts and hangouts is here to stay.". Cause Google. Cause Google.