This is exactly what I don't want, more stuff forced onto me through my Gmail account. Stop using Gmail as a trojan horse please Google. They should just make a standalone clone Facebook that can integrate with Google's services, if desired. I really disliked the way Buzz was forced onto me and I really don't like the way that the new chat box won't go away and you have to manually hide each contact. Just buy Twitter and use their talent, you've got the cash and it's not really in Google's genetics for social.
Using your gmail as a username isn't bad. It makes it easy to know where to send you emails for account details and such. However, I think GMail needs a revamp if it's going to be the focal point of many integrated systems. What I don't want is another Facebook clone. A developer-centric social layer, to integrate various components of their developer infrastructure (google code/analytics/adsense, etc), could work. Could. They've got a bad track-record at "social".
I actually somewhat empathize with lotus's view that Gmail should just be Email and that's it. I think it is bad UX if people who just want email and not these confusing new "social" business have their software change in their face with disruptive noises.
I think Google is moving in the right direction when they introduced that account page / dashboard thing that acts as a hub for Google services. Unfortunately there isn't much besides just the list there for now. What I'd hope is for Google Me to expand on this idea and actually show people how they are related to the data Google has about them, and more importantly, what they can do with it.
Look at what they did with iGoogle. I don't like its loss of simplicity, but it would be a much better 'control center' for all these various offerings...
I think for this time, this is exactly what Google needs to do to kick facebook out of business. Facebook platform is a proven success. If Google clone it, they will eventually get users.
Google have other sources of income. But for facebook, its just "Facebook.com". If "Google" makes the clone and gets users, facebook.com is almost dead then (read like "myspace").
> If Google clone it, they will eventually get users.
That's highly unlikely. Facebook benefits from network effects so strong that Google would have to come up with something revolutionary in terms of social networking to replace Facebook.
> If Google clone it, they will eventually get users.
Why would anyone leave Facebook to join Google's ghost town? Further, Facebook is impossible to successfully clone because part of Facebook's inherent value is that it already has an incredibly large userbase.
> Why would anyone leave Facebook to join Google's ghost town?
You don't have to leave Facebook. And most importantly (and highly likely) you don't need to join the ghost town. You are already there if you are using GMail. Don't you know that after using Buzz?
True... though "clone it and eventually users will come" was Microsoft strategy, wasn't it? :D (ah, Microsoft, if you had only patented it! ;P ).
But I'd be careful to consider Google vs. Facebook a done deal. Yes, Facebook has only one service... but Google gets all its money from ads, a Facebook could potentially have a much better profile of its users than Google. If Facebook starts chipping at Google's ads de-facto monopoly, it will really hurt Google.
