Big Google disruption

I saw this earlier today. It seems Google has stopped innovating and has focused on copying Facebook. It's actually kinda sad.

+Shel Holtz really Shel? On the contrary, I think this is potentially a huge disruption. And in any case, since when did Facebook (or anyone else) have a sole claim on innovation in this space?

I'm wondering what the effect would be if Google commenting included video, eg, as in status updating on G+. No idea what the tech challenges are to roll that out across the social web, but imagine if they did.

Just what I want, +Peter Bowyer — for search to produce even less relevant results than it does now under SPYW. I know I can turn it off, but 99% of people searching aren't even aware it's the default. Relevance to me is not what people I know are saying in the most tangential way; it's what Google did before. Whereas I used to find what I was looking for on the first one or two SERPs, I'm now scrolling through eight or 10 pages to find it.

+Neville Hobson , I wasn't suggesting Facebook had a monopoly, nor that nobody can improve upon what they've done, only that Google seems intent upon competing in social to the extent that it is corrupting and reducing the value of their core product. God forbid the asinine comments left to YouTube videos began showing up in my search results!

Yes, +Peter Bowyer, and I use it, but as I say, the vast majority of users will main clueless as to the fact that their search algorithm has been monkeyed with and that the toggle button is the cure. Inside the fishbowl, we pay attention to these things. Outside? Not so much. The average user will simply see less pertinent results.

Oh, I assume it'll be competing with it. It may even be better. It could bring peace and prosperity to the world. Whether it's awesome or not, it's still Google keeping its eye on competing with Facebook rather than innovating new and exciting products. The best of Google is what nobody had ever done before (like Docs, Google News, etc.).

It's worth keeping in mind that Google is #1 in search, but not in anything else it has launched. You'd think they'd want to innovate rather than simply try to do what someone else is doing with improvements. Remember when Google gave 20% of staff time to blue-skying new stuff? Now it's clear: the mandate is "Beat Facebook." I'm not saying good things won't come of it. I'm just saddened by the new products that break new ground we'll never see because of this focus.

To me, the best innovation means doing something somebody else hasn't done before or, at least, completely reinventing it (as Apple did with the MP3 player and the mobile phone). Google did that with search. They did not do it with Google+ (but they did with Hangouts). So how the commenting system works out remains to be seen. I can't say I'm on pins and needles waiting for it, though.