Google Launches Social Network
Google slipped a social network into Reader last night while I was sleeping. It’s simple, and unobtrusive, and gently prompts me to add more info, if I want. It’s about sharing your news- for now. But there it is. There’s Google’s simple, easy, I’m -destined-to-use-it social network right there.
Facebook, I hear bells tolling.
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I go to ASU full time, and we’ve had Gmail and Google Docs or the last two semesters as a ‘test’ for other universities. Recently they started beta-testing a new application (potentially called MyWorld) on campus.
There are rumors that it’s run by Google and is another Second Life type interface. Of course no ‘official’ word had come out about it, and everything is rumor and hearsay at this point, but it could prove interesting.
[…] yea the new social aspect of google reader is drop dead simple and purty, yea I know newsgator does sharing too but I just […]
Rick, I’m not following your meaning. Are you saying that the option for social interaction is a bad feature on a feed reader?
The list of people you can add as friends is pretty limited. If you aren’t already in touch with people, it’s a two-step process.
1. Get someone into your Google Chat list
2. Add them to your Reader friends
I’d like if this could be simplified but I guess you have to be ‘in the network’ before you can connect.
Chris Cree, I’m saying that when they knock on my door with a warrant for my papers and effects, I want to be able to shrug my shoulders and say, “Gosh, it’s all dispersed in the cloud”, not, “www.google.com”. I’ll sacrifice some functionality for a little less concentration of personal data. I’ll socially interact here, read my blogs there. No biggie.
[…] yea the new social aspect of google reader is drop dead simple and purty, yea I know newsgator does sharing too but I just […]
I saw that I had a couple friends that could see my shared items last night but I didn’t think it through.
This has powerful implications for me as a guy teaching my clients how to use blogs and feeds effectively. Given the choice of course I’ll recommend they use a reader that lets me share valuable posts & feeds with my clients.
Hard to recommend Bloglines when I can have this additional interaction with my clients.
Smart move on Google’s part. Right up there with adding search to GR. (I’m still shaking my head at how long it took them to do that.)