On Thursday, a consortium led by Google (GOOG) launched an initiative to create a list of standards which would encourage open source programmers to develop software for Google's social networking site Orkut.com. In addition to Orkut, Google’s platform, OpenSocial, is said to be compatible across all of the member’s websites, including Friendster, LinkedIn, hi5, Plaxo, and Ning.
The move is believed to be in response to a similar initiative by Facebook last spring, which lead to the development of 5,000 smaller programs capable of integration into individual users’ pages. Popular programs such as RockYou and iLike provide users additional customization within their individual page. Essentially, you get a "Subway sandwich" effect: Your site built with your specifications, hold the onions.
Since News Corp’s (NWS) $480 million dollar acquisition of Myspace in 2005, significant attention has been given to these social networking sites. Google’s own Orkut has a loyal following in Brazil and Asia, but has yet to generate much interest from American net-workers. Google hopes the addition of these smaller programs will have a remunerative effect on the site.
As of August 2007 Google estimated a following of 67,000,000 users strong. Driven by curiosity, I attempted to set up my own account with Orkut to see what type of social networking could be had in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. Using my Gmail account I was able to gain access to the site almost instantaneously.
Due to time constraints, I was only able to perform a limited survey of the site. A user search for ‘Seattle, WA’ produced an abundance of single, 20-something males utilizing catch phrases and obnoxious quips such as, “single and ready to mingle” to spark interest from visitors. Comparing this to my previous experiences on Myspace and Facebook, it was apparent that Google’s site needed some new life.
Jokes aside, Orkut sits at the tenth largest traffic-ranking spot on a global level. Additional, Vic Gundotra an executive at Google believes this enhancement rich software will perpetuate Internet traffic, enhance advertising, and in turn benefit Google.Google's initiative comes a week after Microsoft announced a $240 million, 1.6% investment in Facebook. According to the New York Times, the deal values Facebook at an absurd $15 billion. Given that the company is projected to bring in $150 million in revenues this year, it becomes transparent that Microsoft (MSFT) might have paid a 'slight' premium.
Although comparable to Orkut’s 67,000,000, Facebook's 50 million user base boosts an additional 200,000 members daily.While this move shows desperation on the part of Microsoft, it reaffirms the importance of these social networking sites. For Orkut to gain additional market share in the US, it will need to distinguish itself among the competition.
Google’s ability to differentiate itself from the competition has been its strong point. From strengthening its search algorithms and incorporating digital satellite imagery into mapping, Google was able to distinguish itself from established leaders such as Yahoo.com (YHOO) and Mapquest. By greatly enhancing existing services and products, Google was able to establish significant brand equity for themselves. For Google, the problem with Orkut may not be with its interface, accessibility nor design, but more so with its defunct, quasi association with Google. Perhaps the time has come for an Orkut name change?
Related Articles
|
Top Rated Comment Streams:
-
1.Hedged In662
- 2.
-
3.Smarty_Pants418
-
4.axelrod608315
-
5.cos1000277
- Free E-Newsletters
- About Seeking Alpha
- About Us
- Contact Us
- What's New
- Readers Feedback
- Advertise With Us
- Contributors
- Contribute an Article
- Feature Your Book
- Our Contributors
- Anonymous Contributions
- Dispute an Article?
- Legal
- Terms of Use
- Privacy
- Copyright
This article has 2 comments:
-
GRiddick
-
30 Comments
My Website
Nov 04 10:29 AMGood morning, Carlin
These Googlites are simply brilliant. They are the "baddest". They remind me of Mike Tyson in his prime ... only this time he has a PhD.
Microsoft cannot seem to out-maneuver them at any turn. Here, Microsoft pays a hefty premium for a small stake in Facebook, and Google has them both back-peddling around the ring before the end of Round One.
Don't you think the immediate availability of "OpenSocial" kind of takes the wind out of Facebook's sails as it prepares to announce its own advertising business model next week?
Google is undefeated ... and carries a powerful knockout punch, the likes of which we have never seen in this industry. Every move they make is feared. They are always moving and jabbing ... jabbing and moving. They hit you with an uppercut (strong stock price surge after their third quarter earnings are announced), follow that with a left hook (delivery of "OpenSocial" with all of the powerful third parties already on board), and, before you catch your breath, they nail you with a powerful right to the chin (the new Google phone plan).
Virtually every Google opponent ends up flat on their back on the canvas. Some never regain their former self-confidence, determination, or pride.
But hasn't the Google arrogance and lawlessness started to wear thin ... both on consumers' minds and in the eyes of the investment community and the regulatory authorities? I think so. If not now, then soon. Let's hope I'm not wrong.
But Google doesn't think so. They seem to think they are anointed with a unique right to set their own laws and rules of conduct (business and social) ... both here in the U.S. and across the globe.
You see, Google has its own unique brand of "rape". They too, have tattoos painted on their face. And they'll bite your ear off in a flat second if you get too close to them.
Their entourage includes some of the brightest investment bankers, rocket scientists, public relations specialists, and IP defense attorneys in our land. All as determined as the three amigos at the top of Google to snooker Internet users, business partners, shareholders, and advertisers out of every dime they claim to own.
And all supported financially by the largest group of self-serving advertisers, lawyers, and investment bankers on the planet ... bar none. Aren't you growing tired of these claims of "willful blindness" we hear virtually every day coming from the folks in Mountain View and their business partners?
"We didn't know we were doing anything illegal, your honor."
Google has gained much of its prominence on the backs of other people's hard-earned properties that have been stolen. They are among the most notorious copyright infringers ("pirates") this country has ever seen. They are brilliant ... I'll give them that. But, they are also unethical at almost every turn ... they are arrogant, greedy, hypocritical, and deceptive ... AND many of their operations are illegal.
They routinely treat other people's property as their own. Not just with YouTube, but with many software and search functions within Google itself. They perpetuate and support "public domain" scams. They routinely ignore U.S. Copyright laws ... and subsidize willful copyright infringement at thousands of web sites around the world.
In countries where Copyright compliance is a joke (such as Brazil), Google reigns supreme. I presume this is where the bulk of the Orkut 67 million users reside.
I have studied the U.S. Copyright laws (both civil and criminal) closely now for over twelve years. The U.S. now claims to be requiring copyright "enforcement"... enhancements in its trade negotiations with other countries in Asia, Europe, and South America.
Who are we fooling here?
We don't enforce our own copyright laws fairly or consistently in this country. How do we expect Brazil, Russia, India and China (the "BRICs") to follow our lead? ... let alone the hundreds of other countries who are not nearly as close to the spotlight.
Read our criminal copyright laws. You'll see that Google has violated these laws at a rate over 5,000 times the volume (both in dollar volume and quantity of works infringed) as is required to receive the maximum criminal penalty of $1,000,000 per willful infringement and up to five years in jail.
Is the Department of Justice asleep at the wheel? Or, are they, too, simple afraid of being hit by the Google right cross?
Why aren't these laws being enforced? Why is this country leaving it up to the small companies (like my own) and creative individuals who produce over 85% of the new and original copyrighted works in this country to tackle Google and its growing army of IP attorneys and pirating web site partners worldwide?
Only three things stopped Mighty Mike in his prime:
1. His friends and wife told him they were sick of his shenanigans and were leaving him.
2. He couldn't control his own greed and arrogance ... let alone his temper.
3. We put him in jail for breaking the laws of this land.
Don't you think it's high time we consider some of these exact same types of remedies for mighty Google? I do!
I am sick and tired of suffering marketplace "knockouts" at their expense ... especially when their activities are both unethical and illegal.
We need a company we can all be proud of to carry this belt as "World Champion" of the Internet space.
Your thoughts?
George P. Riddick, III
Chairman/CEO
Imageline, Inc.
griddick@imageline2.co...
-
Directoy
-
90 Comments
My Website
Nov 02 04:16 PMWould google do That?