Comments on: iGoogle Goes Social: The Birth of Scaled Automation http://tropophilia.com/2008/04/24/igoogle-goes-social-the-birth-of-scaled-automation/ the love of change Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:41:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Scaled Automation: Google and Facebook Start To Connect Your Dots | Tropophilia http://tropophilia.com/2008/04/24/igoogle-goes-social-the-birth-of-scaled-automation/#comment-1084 Scaled Automation: Google and Facebook Start To Connect Your Dots | Tropophilia Mon, 12 May 2008 19:30:36 +0000 http://tropophilia.com/?p=237#comment-1084 [...] few weeks ago I wrote about Google’s baby step into the social networking game, when it announced it was testing social features in its branded [...] [...] few weeks ago I wrote about Google’s baby step into the social networking game, when it announced it was testing social features in its branded [...]

]]> By: Taylor http://tropophilia.com/2008/04/24/igoogle-goes-social-the-birth-of-scaled-automation/#comment-904 Taylor Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:29:34 +0000 http://tropophilia.com/?p=237#comment-904 You know it's interesting that Google uses the "include everyone unless explicitly instructed not to" approach in its social apps, because it's the same philosophy that <a href="http://tropophilia.com/2007/12/14/15/" rel="nofollow">pissed off a bunch of authors</a> included (without permission) in the Google Libraries project. I'm not sure that Google wants to base its offerings on a "We'll do what we want and you can sort out the details" philosophy. You know it’s interesting that Google uses the “include everyone unless explicitly instructed not to” approach in its social apps, because it’s the same philosophy that pissed off a bunch of authors included (without permission) in the Google Libraries project. I’m not sure that Google wants to base its offerings on a “We’ll do what we want and you can sort out the details” philosophy.

]]> By: Jarred http://tropophilia.com/2008/04/24/igoogle-goes-social-the-birth-of-scaled-automation/#comment-902 Jarred Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:21:25 +0000 http://tropophilia.com/?p=237#comment-902 Exactly, and I think therein lies the impending controversy. As I mentioned in <a href="http://tropophilia.com/2007/12/31/the-google-reader-debate-what-is-a-friend-what-is-public-what-is-privacy/" rel="nofollow">this post</a>, Google is good at figuring out who you communicate with... but it's not good at figuring out who's a friend and who's just a contact. In my opinion, there's a middle ground to be had. If Google detects that you e-mail someone a lot, can't it just have a little notification that says "We noticed you e-mail X a lot. Want to add him as a friend?" Only then would you be able to exchage shared Google Reader items, talk on GChat, and -- soon -- see their updates on iGoogle, etc. It's kind of a prompted opt-in, which I think is more than acceptable. And I agree, though I haven't used it much yet, Facebook Chat is not that great. I think it's mostly because people don't just "hang out" all day on Facebook like they do on Gmail. Maybe this will change over time, but I don't think it will really ever compete with GChat, especially as Google continues to upgrade their social services. Exactly, and I think therein lies the impending controversy. As I mentioned in this post, Google is good at figuring out who you communicate with… but it’s not good at figuring out who’s a friend and who’s just a contact.

In my opinion, there’s a middle ground to be had. If Google detects that you e-mail someone a lot, can’t it just have a little notification that says “We noticed you e-mail X a lot. Want to add him as a friend?” Only then would you be able to exchage shared Google Reader items, talk on GChat, and — soon — see their updates on iGoogle, etc. It’s kind of a prompted opt-in, which I think is more than acceptable.

And I agree, though I haven’t used it much yet, Facebook Chat is not that great. I think it’s mostly because people don’t just “hang out” all day on Facebook like they do on Gmail. Maybe this will change over time, but I don’t think it will really ever compete with GChat, especially as Google continues to upgrade their social services.

]]> By: Taylor http://tropophilia.com/2008/04/24/igoogle-goes-social-the-birth-of-scaled-automation/#comment-901 Taylor Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:13:58 +0000 http://tropophilia.com/?p=237#comment-901 So I now have Facebook chat, and I have to say: it's not doing anything for me. I'm much more likely to take advantage of expanded offerings from Google in the social realm--just as I'm already using Gchat, but won't be using Facebook Chat much at all. There's one side of Google that bothers me from a social networking angle: some people I email are not really close friends or even distant acquaintances. When I see their name show up in my chat box (or, as these social tools expand, I see their updates through my Google account), I have to scramble to block them. Now, maybe selectively LIMITING your social graph is more beneficial than selectively EXPANDING (Facebook) your social graph...but it makes for some uncomfortable closeness with that random guy who bought your old guitar amp off Ebay (stop trying to chat with me, dude). So I now have Facebook chat, and I have to say: it’s not doing anything for me. I’m much more likely to take advantage of expanded offerings from Google in the social realm–just as I’m already using Gchat, but won’t be using Facebook Chat much at all. There’s one side of Google that bothers me from a social networking angle: some people I email are not really close friends or even distant acquaintances. When I see their name show up in my chat box (or, as these social tools expand, I see their updates through my Google account), I have to scramble to block them. Now, maybe selectively LIMITING your social graph is more beneficial than selectively EXPANDING (Facebook) your social graph…but it makes for some uncomfortable closeness with that random guy who bought your old guitar amp off Ebay (stop trying to chat with me, dude).

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