Home Google Launches New Official Blog Focused on Social Web – We Are Suspicious

Google Launches New Official Blog Focused on Social Web – We Are Suspicious

Remember the Google-led OpenSocial project? Google FriendConnect? For some period of time last year, Google was talked about as a leading innovator in the new “social web.” Facebook, and to some degree OpenID, stole Google’s thunder as 2008 came to an end. Now in order to get back into the conversation, Google has launched its 80th official blog – the Google Social Web Blog.

“We will write about social initiatives within Google, such as Google Friend Connect, as well as community efforts like OpenSocial,” Mendel Chuang, Product Marketing Manager for Google Friend Connect, writes in the new blog’s first post. “We plan to share some success stories, present tips and tricks, provide updates when there are new developments, and much more.” I’d bet it’s not just me to whom that reads like “we’re going to talk about the social web – by talking more about us, Google.”

Google has all kinds of positive things to offer, from the wonders of Google Reader to the awesome Google Social Graph API. We’ve got high hopes for Android to beat the phones we’ve got in our own pockets. But each new entrance into “the social” that Google makes is also worthy of a heavy dose of skepticism.

Google is Big Brother just waiting to happen. The company indexes the bottom of the ocean, the web, the view of the front of your house and an increasing number of peoples’ genetic makeup. That’s not something to take lightly.

Its specific products are often a big disappointment, too. OpenSocial failed to solve the data portability problem that was the only reason most people cared about it, then it failed to deliver the app portability it promised to developers. Google FriendConnect is ugly and seems pointless until you tie it to the as yet untested system called Latitude, where Google knows your every waking move around town.

We’ve subscribed to the new Google Social Web Blog and we hope to see some good come of it, but we expect a lot of big PR talk to be broadcast from it. That’s fine for other Google blogs, where we just want to get the products and be left alone. But when it comes to the social web as a concept, we’re a lot more cynical about Google.

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.