Ex-Google employee says Google+ has ruined the company

[Reality]

"My last three months working for Google was a whirlwind of desperation," wrote Whittaker, who headed an engineering team for social network Google+. "The Google I was passionate about was a technology company that empowered its employees to innovate. The Google I left was an advertising company with a single corporate-mandated focus."

Full Story: http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/14/technology/microsoft-google-rant/index.htm?hpt=hp_t3

 

[casmith07]

Teh Moneys!!1

 

[Reality]

I am actually a fan of Google, but I am concerned with their desperate focus on Google+ lately. I have said for years that Google's biggest problem is that they have a lot of services that are not tied together very well. That being said, I am concerned that the push to Google+ seems to be too fast and too aggressive for most users.

That being said, I do find it rather ironic that the guy complaining in this article was formerly from Microsoft and has since returned to Microsoft, yet he's ranting about a money focused corporation. It would seem his actions do not support the words he wrote. It makes you wonder if he is trying to earn some brownie points with Microsoft since he returned after leaving them three years ago.

#reality

 

[YosemiteSam]

That being said, I do find it rather ironic that the guy complaining in this article was formerly from Microsoft and has since returned to Microsoft, yet he's ranting about a money focused corporation.

I find nothing ironic about it. This has Microsoft's finger prints all over it. We've seen their FUD machine at work before. There is no doubt in my mind that his article was prompted by Microsoft's FUD machine. I wouldn't doubt that his compensation package depended upon him doing this. They previously had a relationship with the Microsoft so they already knew him. They poached him back by offering him a huge compensation package that had this requirement. I have zero doubt he is making a lot more money today than he was at Google.

Though I have no doubt the change in Google. I honestly don't have a major problem with it either. Lets face it. Early on Google was blowing money on a lot of garbage. They are a public company these days and with the patent wars going on, they can't just burn money for the sake of burning money anymore.

To me it's like the kid is starting to grow up.

My only issue I've had with Google thus far is there have been what appear to be privacy issues in the way they have been starting to do things. Nothing as bad as Facebook, but you take notice when it appears they are dipping their toes into the water.

 

[Concord]

But it didn't. It's too early to write Google+ off, but the site is developing a reputation as a ghost town. Google says 90 million people have signed up, but analysts and anecdotal evidence show that fairly few have turned into heavy users.

"Google was the rich kid who, after having discovered he wasn't invited to the party, built his own party in retaliation," Whittaker wrote. "The fact that no one came to Google's party became the elephant in the room."


At least they got Sam

:laugh2:

 

[Faerluna]

At least they got Sam

:laugh2:

Good thing, too. We don't want the Wacky Web Images thread to suffer.

:laugh2:

 

[tupperware]

Google's biggest problem is they try to be everything to everyone. Do one thing, do it significantly better than the rest and of course, always try to stay ahead of the curve as far as introducing new ideas and aspects to what you do so well.

 

[YosemiteSam]

Google's biggest problem is they try to be everything to everyone. Do one thing, do it significantly better than the rest and of course, always try to stay ahead of the curve as far as introducing new ideas and aspects to what you do so well.

Right now they do several things better than the rest.

1. Search (Google)
2. Web Mail (Gmail)
3. Social Networking (G+)
4. Maps (Google Maps)
5. Smartphones (Android)
6. Blog Service (Blogger)
7. Web Video (Youtube)
8. News Aggregator (Google News)
9. Web Photo Albums (Picasa)
10. Instance Messaging (GTalk)
11. Web Browser (Chrome)

All of these are better than their competition. There are probably more too.

 

[Reality]

Right now they do several things better than the rest.

1. Search (Google)
2. Web Mail (Gmail)
3. Social Networking (G+)
4. Maps (Google Maps)
5. Smartphones (Android)
6. Blog Service (Blogger)
7. Web Video (Youtube)
8. News Aggregator (Google News)
9. Web Photo Albums (Picasa)
10. Instance Messaging (GTalk)
11. Web Browser (Chrome)

All of these are better than their competition. There are probably more too.

I think your bias is showing through

#reality

 

[tupperware]

I think your bias is showing through

#reality

I know right? Those are a matter of opinion. Besides, I never said they didn't do things well, just that I think their biggest problem is they try to be everything to everyone.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I think your bias is showing through

#reality

Which one am I being bias on? While some people might like the iPhone, I don't think it is better than my Galaxy Nexus. While the user experience might not have been true for my Nexus One, it's IMO definitely true for my Galaxy Nexus.

Gmail? Definitely better than Yahoo / Hotmail. (I still use a Yahoo email on top of my Gmail)

As a basic browser, Chrome is the best. Search? No question. Google Maps is FAR superior to the others like MapQuest.

G+ is better than Facebook. IMO, there are only two reasons people use Facebook. #1 and most of all. All their friends are still on facebook. Second, they don't know how to use the Circles. You don't even need *friends* on Google+ to enjoy it. You just have to know *how* to use it. It replaces both Facebook and Twitter in one fell swoop, plus a lot more.

I haven't found a web photo album that I like better than Picasa. Youtube is the undisputed king of Internet video. Google News is awesome and it's backed by Google Search which makes it just that much more awesome.

Tell me, where am I being bias? The absolute closest you could claim is Smartphones.

 

[Faerluna]

I think your bias is showing through

#reality

I can almost see the glaze in his eyes and the little smile on his face when he talks about Google. It's almost exactly like the one that my friend has when he talks about Apple products.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I can almost see the glaze in his eyes and the little smile on his face when he talks about Google. It's almost exactly like the one that my friend has when he talks about Apple products.

No. I believe I noted somewhere that I'm not quite as fond of Google as I once was. That said, they make a lot of great products.

If I was so fond of Google, why did I reject their job offer?