Clash of the Titans-The Social Network Wars

By Parashar Bhatt

Just a couple of weeks ago, Google launched its 4th attempt to enter the social networking space with Google Plus. Do you Remember Orkut, Wave, and Buzz? Not surprised you don’t because Google failed to grab a successful stake on the social network platform with these first 3 attempts. But this is the first social launch since Larry Page took over as CEO and declared that social was a major battleground.

Google+ is based around the idea of circles. A circle is group of friends. Circles can upload and share content, update each other, even participate in a little group texting. On Google Plus, you can engage in spontaneous video chat by announcing to your circle of friends, acquaintances and followers that you are virtually hanging out. This "hangout" feature gives Google a crucial early advantage over Facebook, where video calling is a one-on-one, PC-to-PC affair.

So just when you think that Google+ has an advantage offering features that Facebook lacks, the world’s largest social network introduces video calling made possible through a partnership with Skype. Not even ten days have lapsed since Google announced its social networking product, and Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg played the master strategy of killing two birds with one stone by announcing the Facebook Skype tie-up. The first one is pretty obvious, which is getting close to Google's worst enemy Microsoft. How you ask? Microsoft bought Skype last month for $8.5 Billion! *insert dramatic music* The second is for Facebook, who is not to be underestimated, to play the role of the kingmaker in the clash of the titans.

Let's face it. Facebook can never really be what Microsoft or Google really is. Social networking has its limitations and a peak beyond which it just cannot go. But in this battle, the Yahoos, Twitters and Facebooks of the world play a very crucial role, that of deciding who wins and who loses or who gets on top and who remains the underdog.

Google versus Microsoft is a saga that can be compared to none in the history of enterprise. While in the earlier times corporate battles were fought over years or even decades, this is probably the first time a startup, Google, challenged the then mightiest company on earth, Microsoft and in less than 5 years of its launch Google became enemy no. 1 for Microsoft. Not many companies have enjoyed the success Google got so easily. It wasn't competing just on products, Google shook the very foundation on which the software enterprise model was based on. It changed the rules of the game. Facebook did the same for social networking, something Google and Microsoft tried many times but couldn't succeed.

Facebook holds power for its mass appeal and is the real thorn for Google. No one even came close to Google in terms of advertising. Google has literally become an advertising mogul. Google's growth is fueled by advertising. Its war ammunition is supplied by the advertisers to fight Microsoft. Problem now is that Facebook is a far superior platform for advertising. Reason for this is the profiling of users. Based on Geography, Interests, Demographics and the minutest detail no one comes even close to Facebook. They have the masses and the absolutely stunning profiling of its users.

In simple words, Facebook has the masses and the stickiness to attract the advertisers. What can hurt Google the most is the advertisers leaving Google for Facebook. The Facebook and Skype association is probably the best missile Microsoft has so far. It's time Google did some overhauling and rewired its thinking, which did work at one time, if its wants to survive. For now Facebook and Microsoft have the lead and a huge one at that. Touché, Zuckerberg, touché.

What do you think of the Google Plus? Who will come out on top? Share your thoughts.

Google Wave - The email Killer

E-mail as we know it is based on the snail-mail format: you send a message; your friend receives it. Google Wave makes mail collaborative and instant. When you type a message to a friend, he or she sees what you're typing as you type it. You can jump in and start drafting a reply before the initial message is complete. Google Wave also lets users collaborate on editable documents, called Wikis, share photos, update blogs, set appointments and chat in big groups. You can add conference calls to a Wave. A translation function called Rosy will translate chat messages between languages as you write.


Watch How Google Wave Works



Twin brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen are the brains behind Google Wave.

Jens Rasmussen is a member of Google's technical staff, currently based in the Sydney office, and with his brother Lars is co-founder of the Google Wave effort. In early 2003, the brothers co-founded a mapping start-up, Where 2 Technologies, which was acquired by Google in October of 2004. Jens joined Google and worked as one of the lead engineers in the team that turned this acquisition into Google Maps, now used by millions of people around the world.




Lars Rasmussen is a member of Google's technical staff, based in the Sydney office, and with his brother Jens is co-founder of the Google Wave effort. In early 2003, the brothers co-founded a mapping start-up, Where 2 Technologies, which was acquired by Google in October of 2004. Lars joined Google and worked as one of the lead engineers in the team that turned this acquisition into Google Maps, now used by millions of people around the world.

My Best Friend's Birthday

Google, my best friend, is celebrating its 10th birthday! It's amazing how far its come in just ten short years! Can you imagine your life without Google?

Here's a look at what Google looked like in 2001.

Even better, you can search Google just as it was in 2001. When you type in "seo," search engine optimization does not come up in the search. The term, "social networks" doesn't refer to the "social networks" we know today. And "microblogging" rendered absolutely no results.

Amazingly, Twitter came up just the same as it is today, but Facebook was still showed up as a searchable database just for Harvard. Search results come up for Senators McCain, Obama, and Biden, but not surprisingly, not Governor Sarah Palin.

The year 2001 is Google's earliest available index.