Google+ growing at incredible pace of +20 million users a month

[Boz]

You actually believe all this

It's not about belief. It's about experience, history and everything we've seen so far and understanding the overall structure. Android showed us this very clearly. Same will be with Google+. It goes hand in hand and Google was planning on it for a while now.

[evo_spook]

It's not about belief. It's about experience, history and everything we've seen so far and understanding the overall structure. Android showed us this very clearly. Same will be with Google+. It goes hand in hand and Google was planning on it for a while now.

Is this the same experience that said HD would win and Blueray would die? Is this the same experience that said Apple would die?

[Twisp]

Correct me if I am wrong but you need to activate G+ after you make a google account.

Well, i just created a new account just to test and no, you do not need to activate it, you get G+ automatically.

So the numbers are BS.

[Boz]

Is this the same experience that said HD would win and Blueray would die? Is this the same experience that said Apple would die?

Who said Apple would die? And HD DVD vs Blu-ray was an abomination that was not driven by consumer preference but backroom deals. Weren't you one of the ones who were foaming on their mouth screaming how digital distribution will never take off and replace optical media? Riiiiight.

But yeah.. if your only argument is to grasp on something out of context and inventing things that were never said, I guess that's how you do it. This won't change the reality that Google+ is exploding and you can hate it as much you want, it's here to stay and will eventually catch up to and overtake Facebook.

[Twisp]

But yeah.. if your only argument is to grasp on something out of context and inventing things that were never said, I guess that's how you do it. This won't change the reality that Google+ is exploding and you can hate it as much you want, it's here to stay and will eventually catch up to and overtake Facebook.

Google accounts are exploding, not G+ accounts.

[44MLX]

Someone already pointed out that Google accounts = G+ accounts.

[Boz]

You missed the parts that those where just the top countries of many many many countries. so in total you're above 20 million.

No.. it's clear that numbers fall off on that chart. So the rest of the countries might have no growth or 0.1 million sign ups a month (these are top 10 countries). So no, it will be irrelevant number. They probably won't account for another million.

also. back at that time, G+ did not grow at 20 million a month. and as I said, the majority of those 20 million are dead accounts created solely to activate android phones and will NEVER be used to access G+

That's PURE speculation and has absolutely no connection to facts or reality. That's your wishful thinking based on your personal expeirences or what you want to see. I have had more friends on Google+ than it took me year or more to get on Facebook. So no, they are not dead users. They are very much active.

As for growth slowing down, yeah, that's called saturation.

Exactly.. it's saturation. people are saturated with Facebook and when Google+ reaches critical mass they will want something fresh that integrates better with everything else in their life. It's the evolution and network effect already explained which you constantly overlooking as if it means nothing when it was clearly at work when Facebook came out.

G+ isn't catching up to anyone with it's record low retention and active users numbers.

Again, numbers say another story. What you personally wish is really of no relevance on facts.

Someone already pointed out that Google accounts = G+ accounts.

That's the key. They are Google accounts. It's the unification and merging. Eventually a user who uses Google's services will use everything with one account.

That's the brilliance of approach and what Google has over Facebook.

[44MLX]

At the end of the day old is going to be replaced by the new.

[Boz]

At the end of the day old is going to be replaced by the new.

Especially in social sphere..

[44MLX]

Especially in social sphere..

Life cycle ;)

[Elliott]

Better UI

Subjective. I like Facebook's color scheme better, and the Google+ Stream is a direct rip of the Facebook News Feed. Also, I think the new Facebook Timelines are much nicer than the Google+ profiles.

Hangouts

Hangouts are pretty neat, but not a feature I use often or would consider using more often. If I'm meeting with a team, I prefer logged text conversations. If I'm meeting with my friends, I tend to organize an event and do that face to face.

Circles

I can organize my Facebook friends into lists and limit what I share and see to only certain lists. Other than the cutesy UI, I don't see why circles are any nicer.

Better search with Twitter like hashtags

I'll give it that one, but I use Twitter and Facebook in two very different ways, and Google+ doesn't really help me by trying to combine them.

Open nature of it

Erm, open? How so?

Tight integration with all of their services especially with business pages

As opposed to the tight integration Facebook has with...well, everything. :p

[HawkMan]

Again, numbers say another story. What you personally wish is really of no relevance on facts.

That's the key. They are Google accounts. It's the unification and merging. Eventually a user who uses Google's services will use everything with one account.

That's the brilliance of approach and what Google has over Facebook.

No, those numbers are not fantasy. The cavity on G+ isn't even lse to matching the signup numbers, whereas FB. Has a much higher relative activity number vs it's sign ups. There's been numerous articles on this all over the net every month since G+ launched.

As for one account for everything. Sure if you want to be locked to te google Eco system. But FB does the same, just more open. I can use my FB account or a lot more, from signing up to sites like neowin, comment on news to play spotify.

I thought you where against vendor lock in, you should all for FB and against G+

[Boz]

No, those numbers are not fantasy. The cavity on G+ isn't even lse to matching the signup numbers, whereas FB. Has a much higher relative activity number vs it's sign ups. There's been numerous articles on this all over the net every month since G+ launched.

As for one account for everything. Sure if you want to be locked to te google Eco system. But FB does the same, just more open. I can use my FB account or a lot more, from signing up to sites like neowin, comment on news to play spotify.

I thought you where against vendor lock in, you should all for FB and against G+

Locking yourself in an eco system is not a problem here because both existing in an internet eco-system where things by nature open. The reason is because you can export your information in either case. It's about convenience and better integration of services. Facebook is just trying to build their own services but they are barely doing it now. Google has an already existing massive infrustructure with services across the board. This is what makes Google+ a no brainer for everyone. When you sign in to one thing you will automatically start using other services and have access to all of them, such as Google+.

I think you are underestimating the value of this. People will by convenience start using Google+ if anything. And that's the real advantage Google has.

[HawkMan]

Google has an existing infrastructure ?

what, FB still is more open, and has MORE things connected to it, and getting more. Google has IT's services and nothing more.

according to your own logic, FB is a far better convenience.

[Boz]

Google has an existing infrastructure ?

what, FB still is more open, and has MORE things connected to it, and getting more. Google has IT's services and nothing more.

according to your own logic, FB is a far better convenience.

What services does FB have on a level of Google? Does it have a mobile OS integrated every major hardware manufacturer with Google's services? Yes, GoogleTV is a huge thing that is just at the beginning and despite a shakey start it will be a major force due to Motorola and a few other deals Google has made. Business services from documents to photo management and enterprise level services etc. We are not talking here about FACEBOOK LIKE buttons or Facebook connect API games. We are talking about diversity of major services that HUGE number of people and businesses use. Google's services are used by FAR more people than Facebook across the world.

Facebook is NOWHERE with their services. They are all tied to Facebook and just really very simplistic ones. Google is everywhere. I don't understand why you are unwilling or unable to see this.

Here you go just a hint:

http://www.google.com/options/

http://www.google.co...sters/provider/

http://www.google.co...ness/index.html

http://www.google.com/analytics/

http://www.youtube.com/

etc etc

Google+ is really a tiny part of what Google has but when they are all merged they are not even comparable to Facebook.

[HawkMan]

Most businesses stay away from Google services because they can't be trusted. and legally many can't use it because documents are stored in servers in other coutnries with different privacy and document storage laws. so even if you trust google, you can't use them anyway due to privacy laws and server locations.

how does Youtube even apply ? FB connects bidirectionally to YT just as well as G+, in fact in many ways better.

You fail to understand that , FB doesn't need to make the services themselves. they are OPEN, unlike Google, so they get others to provide the services for them, like Spotify and many other services.

If you think like buttons is the only services FB provides it just proves how out of connection with the real world you are. Tell me when a major news papers uses G+ for comments, instead of FB which is the major one now, or Disqus (with FB anyway) for those who still allows anonymous comments.

FB also has their own alternative to Analytics, but I fail to remember the name right now.

Funny though, if G+ is such a success, why doesn't Google provide the same stat site that FB does that shows registered user, active users, daily and weekly posts and all this ? because the stats would be terrible and show how little activity there actrually is, and that 90% of their accounts are dead and inactive accounts only created to check the service out, to log into mygoogle, or to activate your Android phone never to ever look at G+ because the next thing you do is set up your FB account on the phone because that's where you friends are and that's where stuff happens....

[LittleNeutrino Veteran]

And yet hardly anyone uses it anymore that i have as friends.

[Twisp]

http://www.google.com/trends?q=facebook%2C+google%2B%2C+twitter%2C+myspace&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

http://www.google.com/trends?q=google%2B&ctab=0&geo=all&date=all&sort=0

=D

[(Spork)]

i have had a G+ account since it was closed beta .. i love the idea but people are facebook zombies :/ and are scared of change

[Dot Matrix]

i have had a G+ account since it was closed beta .. i love the idea but people are facebook zombies :/ and are scared of change

It's not 'change' per se, it's just that, why bother? Most people don't need or want another social service. Personally, I have a Facebook, and Twitter. In signing up for those two services, what am I missing by not having a G+? Absolutely nothing! Which brings me back to why bother?

Facebook is a social hangout first and foremost, Google+ isn't. It's run by an advertising company. A company with a history of privacy flaws and goofs, and one that has shown it is hungry for your information. That scares me, and most other people I know.

The key point here, isn't sign up numbers, it's retention numbers. And so far G+ hasn't kept very many around.

[Elliott]

i have had a G+ account since it was closed beta .. i love the idea but people are facebook zombies :/ and are scared of change

To me, it's a "Why bother?" scenario. If Google+ really changed anything for the better, then sure, I might consider switching. As it stands, it's just a half-baked Facebook clone with a little Twitter thrown in.

[spenser.d]

Google+ is a joke. Most of my friends have an account there but very few of them use it and I doubt that's any different in most places. There's no compelling reason to use G+ over FB. I think most people who think G+ will take off seriously underestimate how deep facebook's tentacles reach into the everyday lives of even people who don't have FB accounts.

[oceanmotion]

G+ could have many members but I think activity is key. You buy an Android phone, you get a Google account. Does that mean your an active user of their services outside of search and youtube ? Not a certainty. Like Facebook people sign up, never use it, multiple accounts for silly reasons. Haven't heard anything but lack of activity on G+ so their member numbers are useless at the moment other than hollow chest thumping. I think if Google ever gets close to Facebook, social will stagnate before or thereabouts, people will move on leaving a core base but no future impact. There is only so much people can take before the experience and usefulness is nullified and they do something else. Having your friends and family on there will only go so far..

[threetonesun]

Google+ is a joke. Most of my friends have an account there but very few of them use it and I doubt that's any different in most places. There's no compelling reason to use G+ over FB. I think most people who think G+ will take off seriously underestimate how deep facebook's tentacles reach into the everyday lives of even people who don't have FB accounts.

Google + is not Facebook. It's like a super-Twitter. I find for tech related stuff, and actually quality of content, Google + is the best. Twitter is great if I want quick, local updates, and Facebook is fine if I want pictures of friends and family. They all have their uses.