Will Google+ Beat Facebook? (Invitation Available)

Apparently, the rumored news about Google’s own social network is proved to be a fact. Starting few days ago, Google launched their own version of social media network, rivaling Facebook, that’s called Google+.

Some of the features that are currently being rolled out are status updates, check-ins, huddle, and hangout. You can read a complete Google+ overview from Search Engine Land to see in detail about Google+.

My main question now is….”Will Google+ be able to beat Facebook?”

It might be still too early to tell for sure if Google+ would be able to beat Facebook in terms of popularity and user base. However, I see that Google is moving to the right direction with Google+. They sure learned a lot from Google Wave failure. I mean Google Wave is cool, but it’s too complicated and impractical to use for a non-techie person. I can see how Google Wave technology could be developed into something great in the future, but in its current state, I don’t think it’s gonna go anywhere.

On the other hand, I can see a great potential already in Google+. I have been using Google+ for about 2-3 days now and I think Google+ could beat Facebook, for several reasons: 

  • Google+ is able to limit/control to whom your post/updates will be shared with. This gives me a greater control to make sure that my message could only be read by the people (circles) I intended the post for. In Facebook, you don’t have this ability. Once you post something on Facebook, it will go out to ALL your friends.
  • Easy access from Google.com. Since most of our homepage is Google.com, Google+ is one tab-click away from it, so it’s really easy to access. Plus, Google+ notification bar is always there sit at the top of Google.com so if you have any activity on your Google+, it will show at the top right hand-side bar.
  • Google+ Chat will allow you to invite more than one people in a text chat. Plus, your conversation will be archived and searchable for later use. Facebook has finally caught up on this by combining Facebook Chat and Facebook Message, but you still can’t combine more than one people in your Facebook chat.
  • Moreover, Google+ Chat will allow you to audio chat with your friends, something that still hasn’t been seen in Facebook even thought rumored says that Facebook is working with Skype to enable this feature soon.
  • Google+ Huddle. If you are using Android (and soon for iPhone), you can download Google+ Android apps and do a “huddle” together with your friends. Google+ Huddle is basically a mobile chat feature that enable several people to quickly chat over the phone. I think this is great to save on your text message money.
  • Lastly….Google+ Hangout. I’m saving the best for the last. Google+ Hangout will allow you to do a simultaneous video conference chat with up to 10 people. You could also pop up a Youtube video on it and watch it together with your friends. Off course you could also send text and audio chat while watching Youtube among the 10 people to make your “hangout” even more enjoyable.

My point is that Google+ is a purer form of social media platform. Its focus is to connecting people and it does that very well. There are still minor glitches and improvements they could do to improve Google+, but overall, I’m very pleased with it.

Now…if you are not a Google+ member yet, you now have the chance to get an invitation. How? Very simple. Since I made this as a closed-invitation now, I need your participation on this. As I need to raise money to fly back to Indonesia, I will send out a Google+ invitation to whomever chip-in for my plane ticket. Any amount will do, so if you were only able to chip-in $5…that’s fine, but if you were able to chip-in $10…that would so “uber” awesome 🙂 Just click the chip-in button below and MAKE SURE you put your Google account email address where the invitation will be sent to in the “Instruction to Merchant” box. I appreciate your generosity. Thanks!!!

If you enjoy this post, please like it on Facebook and share it with others. Thanks!

Update: 07/01/2011

  • Facebook is planning to launch something “awesome” next week. (Source: Reuters)

68 thoughts on “Will Google+ Beat Facebook? (Invitation Available)”

  1. Liked … js.opdebeeck AT gmail DOT comnnGood article. It will not beat Facebook (for the moment), but users will probably be forced to have both.

    Reply

    1. I agree. I don’t think Google+ will beat Facebook anytime soon. But looking at how Google try to “touch” every area of our life with their Gmail, Google Contact, Google Map, Google Calendar, Android phones, etc…I can see how Google can easily leverage those to promote Google+ even more and integrate it with our life. It’s kinda scary actually…. 🙁

      Reply

      1. got your invitation but when I click the link it says “The requested URL was not found on this server.u00a0Thatu2019s all we know.” u00a0know why?

        Reply

  5. Google+ is able tou00a0limit/control to whom your post/updates will be shared with….. In Facebook, you donu2019t have this ability. Once you post something on Facebook, it will go out to ALL your friends.

    Oh, FB juga punya fitur ini kok. Postingan bisa diatur agar hanya List (ekivalen) tertentu yang bisa lihat. Cuma kalau di FB jarang yang pakai/tahu/peduli List, di Google+ dari awal sudah diarahkan untuk memakai Circle 🙂

    Reply

  13. I have seen your Facebook page and liked it. Your blog is interesting. I’m curious about Google+; can you send me an invitation? ctberdon[at]yahoo[dot]com (btw, sorry for double posting a few minutes ago). Thanks!

    Reply

      1. Thanks man! Though, I have not reallyu00a0receivedu00a0it yet. Hmm, does google+ have some sort of problem when inviting people under Yahoo mail? The email should have been there already but it’s not. Can the previous invitation be cancelled and instead use my gmail account? ctberdon[at]gmail[dot]com .. Thanks again man!

        Reply

        1. Once the email was out, it’s out so I can’t cancel it. I sent out therninvitation in batch, so I just added your new email in the “invitees” circlernthat I created for inviting-purposes.rnrnCheck your email again within the next couple days or so (I sent another onernfor you). One of my friend told me that even though he failed to join on thern1st try, he tried it again the next day and it worked using the same link.rnrnBest Luck,rnS.S.

          Reply

  15. I think the invites aren’t getting sent out because of the error message on the homepage. It states they have exceeded their capacity and aren’t allowing the new invites to log in. Thanks for trying, though. The invites will probably all go through once the site has released the hold.

    Reply

    1. Maybe that’s the problem…I guess there’s a limit even for Google ServerrnLOL just keep the link that you got in your email. One of my friend failedrnto join on the 1st try, but he used that same link again the next day and itrnworked.

      Reply

    2. Luckily Facebook is announcing today that it now supports Video Calling andrnGroup Chat, http://goo.gl/nPBPn hhahah it’s kinda too late (1 week afterrnGoogle+) I think.rnrnLooking how Google expanding now, within 5-10 years down the road, Googlernwill eventually take over the world. Even now, I’m using most Google’srnproduct for my productivity from Google Calender, Docs, Gmail, Google+, etc.rnWho knows what Google might come up in the future….kinda scary 🙁

      Reply

  25. Hello sir your post is awesome nd best can i get invite on google+ i also liked your facebook page its also very cool …. nnmy email id is :- [email protected] and devanshjani@gmail:disqus.comnn please sir it will be much appriciated

    Reply

  27. What if we can’t access facebook? I’d do it, but facebook is blocked from here…

    Reply

    1. It is a closed-invitation now where I only send invitation to people whorndonate for my plane ticket. Please go to sentosa.chipin.com for detail.rnThanks!

      Reply

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