G+_Vance McAlister Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 No, guys, Google+ is not being dismantled It is getting annoying hearing so many journalists getting this wrong. Bradley Horowitz, who is now heading up the internal department that includes Google+ (renamed "Photos and Streams" by Sundar recently, but with no functional changes), mentioned their internal divisions and this name change and everyone goes nuts, saying that they are breaking Google+ into multiple services. No, it has been confirmed by Googlers that it is simply not the case. Streams is their internal name for products with, well, streams. Like Google+, Blogger, etc. Photos and Hangouts have always been different and they all work to integrate their products as much as possible. There has been no "new direction" for Google+ and no internal change other than Horowitz now has control over different teams. This new ability to access your Google+ photos in Drive is just that: the ability to access Google+ photos in Drive. We have been asking for that for years, and they have been working on giving us that option for a long time. Will they eventually remove the existing photos features of Google+? Not likely, but they might encourage people to use Google Photos in Drive as their primary focus. This just goes to show that one site like the Verge or Engadget can completely get something wrong and soon it is Gospel Truth throughout the tech new universe. cc Jason Howell Ron Richards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Vance McAlister Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 To clarify even more, here is a Googler, high up in G+, on the subject when it arose: "A lot of misunderstanding and speculation. :) The internal org was renamed "Photos and Streams," because Sundar likes org names that match what the teams do. And since our org includes Photos, Google+, Blogger, and News, there you have photos, plus several streams of content. No big user-facing changes tied to this at all." This was Yonatan Zunger commenting in a post here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AmyBethInverness/posts/67gicvzi8VV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Mark Stronge Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I've been preaching this since that made up story about Google+ breaking up started making the rounds. So was this talked about in AAA this week? I haven't listened yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Vance McAlister Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 Mark Stronge They discussed the new Google Photos integration into Drive as a possible example of the "de-coupling" of things from Google+ and there was some discussion that this was further evidence of Google+'s demise. Jason and Ron made it clear that they hoped this wasn't the case, but everyone just seems to have bought into this idea (based on an initial misunderstanding of what Horowitz said) that Google+ is being broken apart, minimized, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jason Howell (raygun01) Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Personally, I would be incredibly surprised if g+ was phased out. I don't see that actually happening. I think we were just doing what we do and jumping down that rabbit hole. I feel ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Mark Stronge Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Why do they continue to perpetuate the myth? The breakup was nothing more than some stupid "journalist" that, instead of asking what was meant or doing any follow up research, decided that their agenda was further justified by saying it was breaking up. The thing is that this was not the first time that the term "photos and streams"was used by Googlers, that is what is so annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Mark Stronge Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 Ever since photos was introduced, everyone has been asking for Google drive integration, this is not a new request. And from the start, everyone has been asking for better photo album organisation. Now we have it. Did you know you can invite someone via email to a video hangout and they don't need Google+ or even a Google account? Horrors, they are being hangouts from Google+. The reality is that hangouts was Google talk and was never originally a part of Google+, oh but Google+ is splitting up.... SMH I think that all tech media are looking for anything to say anything bad about Google. They are the new Microsoft. Considering that most news outlets are controlled by Rupert Murdoch, like Fox/Sky News, it's not entirely surprising.? Rant over LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Vance McAlister Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 The other factor is that those who don't use Google+ assume that it is dying since, well, they don't use it. So, they see everything as evidence of something they already assume to be true. The guest seemed very surprised that Ron and Jason actually used, and liked, Google+! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Kenny “KitkatRai” Rouss Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 What I wish they would do is have all it's stuff UNCOUPLED from G+ (except say, Google Play) and instead make it actually Google PLUS, so like youtube would have a limit of 150 characters without a plus account, and with a plus account you'd get maybe 500 characters, make it so if a hangout is made, if it's all non plus users they can have say 5 users, one plus user instantly bumps it up to 10 max users or something, give more storage on Photos or something, but things of that nature, just giving people reason to have and make one and not making them, so they can get along without having a plus account if they wish, but get features by having one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Stephen Syputa Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 My 2 cents: Jason and Ron need to be more - combative is too strong, let's say challenging - with their guests. I realize that they are following Leo's lead (witness the all female guests' perpetual Google dissing on the last TWIT) but I think that AAA, and othe twit.tv venues, would improve with them expressing more, journalistic integrity by not simply accepting whatever the guest(s) spew forth.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Vance McAlister Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Stephen Syputa It is a fine line between politeness to a guest who is volunteering their time and the need to speak up when appropriate. That is a hard call and I don't envy them for having to know when is the right time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Stephen Syputa Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Vance McAlister Agreed. Two weeks ago the guest was promoting a flexible cell phone with a 13,000 mah battery! And they just accepted the guest's uninformed explanation. Too polite, imnsho. The opinions and information AAA conveys has had value for me. Perhaps the root cause is that they are not confident in their tech knowledge and information, or that they are just media personalities, but I suspect the situation is much more systemic than that. They are following the leader (who, believe it or not, I respect and like immensely) but something has gradually changed at Twit - it's just too damn friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jason Howell (raygun01) Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Vance McAlister I think you are absolutely correct about those who don't use it see it as the oft repeated "ghost town". That happens a LOT in the tech press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_R.C. Curtright Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 First the incessant cry that Google is to aggressively 'Plusifying' everything. Then Google responds to peoples frustration by backing off and now 'Google plus is being dismantled'. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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