Friendster-Livejournal-Myspace-Twitter-Facebook—?

I have been spending some time testing out the nuts and bolts to Google’s new social network Google+. When people ask me what it is I basically say “It’s sort of Google’s Facebook”. But it has the opportunity to be it’s own thing and be succesful. There are some key elements that have been affiliated to making a social network. Basic information about a person, photos, status’s and friendlists/who you are following among some other information if you choose to make this stuff available to others.

There are elements that make Google’s new social network similar to the current social network players such as Facebook and Twitter. Its got main profile information about a person such as the ones mentioned above. It’s got status’s, liking(+1’s), comments, friend recommendations and similar to Twitter lists, your own ‘Circles’. Someone has even said “can’t wait for the eventual hashtag integration as a result #win” in a Twitter vs. G+ discussion.

In the movie The Social Network, based around the founding of Facebook, Mark Zuckerburg tries to figure out what his social network could have which others don’t, to make it unique. He came up with the Relationship status. In the movie, a a character, Dustin, asks about a girl “Do you happen to know if she has a boyfriend? And if not, do you happen to know if she’s looking to go out with anyone?”, to which mark replies “Dustin. People don’t walk around with a sign on them that says-” To which Mark realizes what theFacebook could have which was needed to make it unique.

I feel a similar thing could happen for G0ogle. It seems apart from normal conversations and their own content, the people I have followed so far, even myself, have been talking about on our Google+ pages what we think about the website and the possibilities.

In one discussion I have read, it was mentioned that Google may eventually put games and apps on the website. Let me be one of many who have said I would prefer it without ‘GoogleFarm” or “GoogleMafia”. While I am fine with people who use those apps, and I have heard a story of a couple getting married after meeting on ‘Mafia Wars’, as my own little comment maybe not having those apps could be what helps Google+.

In the same discussion on the website there was talk of weather G+ will take down Facebook in popularity like Facebook did MySpace. (I don’t know about other people, but pretty much everyone I had on Myspace went to Facebook.) Same deal with Twitter as I have noticed one or two functions of G+ to be similar to that of Twitter, which would be sad because I have been enjoying Twitter for a long time now and a number of friends have recently flooded over there.

Many things could get someone’s interest on a new social network like this. Maybe it’s got a feature a person is interested in. Maybe a friend or group of friends are on there and it’s a cool new hangout spot. Maybe they are like me and among other things they are interested in Social Networking itself and people’s reactions to it.

Who knows. I mean the founder of Facebook IS the most popular(even more popular than Google’s co-founder) person on Google+. Maybe Facebook will have the same continued popularity.

Well, with the invite system getting people’s attention the way it has, where I have seen many people asking already members for invites, and the tell-tale of history one can’t help but wonder, Is it a matter of time before the popularity and interest in G+ takes people from Facebook or even Twitter and introduces them to a somewhat new world of social networking over the internet? Or will people enjoy and use it with currently popular social networks still getting their share of the interaction and popularity?

So, as I started this post off with: Friendster-Livejournal-Myspace-Twitter-Facebook—?

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