You must be aware of the big battle going on between Facebook and Google’s new G+ (Google plus). I have heard so many speculations, especially from Facebook addicts, that Google cannot shake Facebook in any way. However, the reverse may very well be the case.
As of today, Facebook is doing all they can to avoid obscurity. As a result of this, there have been numerous updates to the FB platform recently. So, many new features have been added to Facebook within the last few days. It is worthy of note that these features are actually “Twitter-like” and “G+ like”, if you understand what I mean.
Yesterday, I stumbled on Mark Zuckerberg’s (the founder of Facebook) Facebook page and I noticed his last post (posted on Sunday) “Getting ready for f8 — at Facebook HQ.”
I took some time to check the comments and I spotted one major point. Check it out on the screenshot below:
Taking a look at how many people like the comment (1,258 likes), it’s obvious that the guy is making a point that Facebook probably isn’t aware of. Friends, my point of view is that facebook is releasing too many new features at a time in response to the arrival of G+.
Facebook needs to consider the effects this has on it’s users. I know many people who are still finding it very difficult to work with the current features. I have lost count of how many times I have been called upon to perform certain FB tasks for numerous people. Ny concern is how these set of people will be able to adapt to the new features being rolled out everyday.
I almost got confused yesterday when I opened my FB profile in a browser. So many things have changed. Features like the new side bar notifications which displays all the actions of your friends in real-time, the removal of the status update box from the News Feed, and many others. I am not in any way saying that these new features are not good. My concern is just how users respond to the sudden flood of changes.
I am still expecting more features to be rolled out from Facebook in the coming days (like the new buttons and others). In my opinion, the new features will retain facebook as the top Social Networking site if and only if they:
- are simpler to use than before.
- promote the users’ objective of connectivity.
- don’t make Facebook kind of complicated and too chocked for simple users to understand.
Those are key things that I think Mark and the FB team need to consider before rolling out more.
If you have seen the newly added features on Facebook, what do you feel about them? If you haven’t, why not check them out? This weekend, I’ll be on the street and one of my missions is to sample people’s opinion about FB and G+. Stay tuned.
This post was written by
Oluwatobi Soyombo is a techno-preneur poised with the mission of creating and deploying cutting-edge I.T. solutions for Individuals, Corporate Bodies and Governments. He is the founder of VDrive Technologies. Follow him on Twitter @SOluwatobi. He shares his views here.
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September 22nd, 2011 at 10:13 pm Browsing with
Getting people to leave their comfort zone is always tough!
Apart from the GEEKY types, i suspect losts of people would feel Facebook is ok for them. Unless google can find some brilliant leverage to railroad facebbook into oblivion, Google+ is not likely to dent the Zuckerberg stranglehold any time soon. The novelty will soon wear off…
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September 23rd, 2011 at 7:22 am Browsing with
Facebook didnt just become one overnight. New users are still being added. Only the geeks know about google + at the moment. Average Nigerian wouldnt know. I dont think it stands a chance of overtakin FB in the next 3years at least.
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September 23rd, 2011 at 7:27 am Browsing with
Like the guy said in the comment, i think facebook needs to ask before suddenly implementing huge or minor changes to their service.
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September 23rd, 2011 at 8:14 am Browsing with
That’s why I prefer twitter. Straight forward, simple and easy to use. Facebook now serves as a birthday reminder service for me.
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September 23rd, 2011 at 10:35 am Browsing with
Ibukun, why the sudden change of name from Eye.Bee.Kay? As I said before you remind me of P. diddy! Lol. By the way, I disagree with the opinion that Facebook will continue to dominate in the Social Media circles. First of all, I believe that Facebook is scared and that’s why they are bringing too many features out in a hurry. It’s a testimony of Google+ ‘s emerging popularity.
Instead of leaving their users sour, Facebook should take time to access the usability of it’s features before rolling them out. Yes, it’s true that G+ appears to be popular amongst Geeks now. But that too can change!
The only advantage of Facebook over G+ was that they had a Head Start And the initial simplicity of use! give G+ some time and it may catch up. It also has simplicity of use, but not the headstart.
Let’s just wait and see how the social media war turns out. For me, I prefer Twitter because it is more cerebral and business-like. On Facebook most times you see people whining about next to nothing; their dogs or someone’s bithrday… I love the changes on Facebook quite alright. You can now decide to share information in a selected subset of friends, and also see streams from another subset… but would the average user in the street not find it too complex?
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September 23rd, 2011 at 12:27 pm Browsing with
yiu can train a chimpanzee to drive a V12_engined car brimming with cutting-edge cartech. The trick is simplicity masking out all the technological wizardryy. The power and sophistication is there, but it also caters for those who do not want that sophistication..
Facebook should incorporate ‘me too’ feature (and out think G+ where possible).
Unless G+ is manifestly better, most people (read-nongeeks) alikely to bother to change.
THE power of a network is the square of the elements in that network. Facebook had the numbers. AND that is all there is to it. If my friends do not change, why would i change over? But it is a chick n egg prob.
Bing vs GoggkeSearch is similar. Are people changing (unless they are forced to by giving you no options)?
Google needs to oull a trick out of their gat. AND it will have to be more than merely incorporating features that merely confuse and confound in their variegatedness!
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September 24th, 2011 at 4:57 am Browsing with
Just like afewgoodmen mentioned, facebook success over google+ is in the headstart. Facebook noticed the impressive features of google+ and quickly rushed back to their drawing board.
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