Yes, Google can beat Facebook, but only if it builds a Diaspora of grownups

Dear Googlers!

As an IT and media expert from Ukraine, currently residing in the U.S., I would like to present my concept of one possible option for the further development of Google+.

Google+ has made a remarkable progress for only a few months after it was launched last summer. And yet, today, many analysts are increasingly expressing doubt that the new social networking service be able to achieve its main objective — to catch up and overtake Facebook in the foreseeable future. To create another successful network in an era of social media market stabilization is not enough even if the network based on a great design and good functionality, which are actually superior to Facebook in some ways. They must seek out and offer something completely new, fundamentally different from those are in Facebook. And, as one can judge from recent events and statements of Google, the corporation itself realized the situation very well. So I also want to insert to the cause my «two cents».

The main objective of option suggested is to get the same number of users as Facebook as soon as possible, then exceed Facebook’s share of the market. At the same time Google+ will institute fundamentally new features which are now completely absent in Facebook.

I do not think that the implementation of my concept will cause any problems for Google. As far as I know, this option will not conflict with what you already have, nor with future Google+ development plans. It will only complement them.

Now, I would like to clarify a little bit what I’m talking about. I suggest creating a subnetwork within the overall Google+ social network. The new social subnetwork will be oriented to professionals and businesses. Roughly speaking, the project combines a concept of the decentralized social network as implemented in the existing Diaspora project joindiaspora.com with the ideas put forth in Jason Perlow’s article “Facebook for grownups. Can Microsoft, Apple or Google build one?” in conjunction with the ideas outlined in my article entitled «We want it today, we want it now» (in Russian). In other words, I propose to build a decentralized «Diaspora for grownups» inside of Google+. The concept in general is based on a vision of the future Internet that was described in my article «Social switchboards as commodity: from dawn to dusk» (in English).

As I said above, “Diaspora of grownups” does not have to change the general concept of Google+ development either now or in the future. Moreover, what is suggested can be viewed as the next big step in recently launched integration Google+ and Google Apps for Business as well as other its cloud services. Members of the “Diaspora of grownups» remain Google+ users. They can communicate among themselves and with the other users on the same general rules. However, the “Diaspora of grownups» members get a number of other opportunities that are not available to other users of Google+ or to users of other social networking web sites.

My marketing strategy is that «Diaspora of grownups» initially competes with LinkedIn not Facebook. There are many factors, which provide a basis to believe that Google + can easily win such a competition. Google+ enters into a direct competition with Facebook only after defeating LinkedIn. That itself could mean a lot to Google+ because of the firm position LinkedIn has on the market. By that time, having well established a system of decentralized social network communications, along with many already existing services, it would not be difficult for Google to defeat Facebook.

Google already has a large part of the necessary services for “Diaspora of grownups” as well as other necessary software for this project. Currently, Google is also one of the leaders towards the creation of standard protocols for open and non-proprietary web with interoperable «social» blocks. However, some of those will need to be refined, and some new features and tools will need to be developed.

In other words, as Russians joke, normal heroes always like workaround:). And what happens if Google does not lead the movement to decentralized social Web? In this case, I have no doubt that Facebook will do it itself some time.

So in contrast to Pete Cashmore, I argue that Google can beat Facebook, but only if… And I have worked out a concrete plan of action to implement the concept of «Diaspora of grownups” and prepared a list of required services and other software for this project. General specifications for many of these tools have been also formulated. If you are interested in my proposal, I will be happy to discuss the possibility of its implementation in detail.

About me

I am an IT and media expert, and I have a PhD in the computer science. My experience includes over 20 years in the field of software development, project management, training and consulting. For the past 10 years while still in Ukraine, I was a founder, journalist and editor-in chief of the country’s largest Publishing House which specialized in the area of telecommunication and the Internet (acquired by SoftPress in 2000). Currently, my major area of interest is social media at work and for work. More then 7 years I am following and researching Internet trends and exploring new social media projects from Facebook, Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn and others. I am working as a social media consultant for a number of companies including inSegment, MassTran, iTechBridge, 4TE (ru), Business magazine (ua), etc. I am also the author of the posts on social networking business, Enterprise 2.0 and Cloud Computing in the most popular Russian IT blogs, Live Journal, and my own amilner.com blog.

in Russian