Instagram, LinkedIn, and Google+ News

Your thoughts on G+ are spot on in terms of the service lacking innovation.  Looking back at how Facebook took market share from MySpace as the social networking service of choice, it was through changes and providing users with a feeling that they were using a newer and better service.

Acknowledging the similarities you pointed out between Facebook and Google+ the only main difference that users are going to notice currently is that none of their friends are networking on G+.  Sure, many have logged onto the service and created an account, but that's about it.  I'm not seeing anything Earth shattering there.

The one key innovation that Google has the potential to tout over Facebook is the potential integration of YouTube, Picasa, Blogger, and maybe even search engine functions.  Regardless of what they decide to integrate as unique features, they will remain a copy-cat of Facebook as you've already pointed out Gini.  That's not getting them any new users.

Well, it's years that Google doesn't innovate and just buys or copies from competitors. If the only thing they see is money and making more money that's what happens. And the main reason why Google is going to fall. Imho.

I'm not on LinkedIn so I don't really know what to say.

As for FaceBook Instagram users are right, they'll be scannerized to the bones and everything will be sold, in a way or another. I don't use it so I don't really care but, as a principle, it isn't correct. While it's true that we have to give back something to use something for free this doesn't mean someone has the right to do what he wants with my personal data. One thing is to have your data clustered and anonymized, another one is that someone in a country, probably not in the USA, will have access to a database which has everything about me. The more companies and corporations use data mining the more they know about you, and you don't get to know who sees these information and what they'll do with them. This is not strictly connected with being online. I think that if I'm online I want to have the right to decide what kind of information to share and who can see them. Otherwise phishing should not be considered a crime anymore given that it's routinely done by corporations (not the impersonating others part but the stealing of personal informatons), and by those who like to know everything about you like some goverments.

Also given that they make money using my data I want a share of the profits. It's my life that they are screenin and selling, am I wrong?

So Zuck will probably let Instagram be more or less as it is, but the Instagram users' souls, so to say, will become his own property and he will do what he sees fit with them, whatever the users think. Reason why I guess Instagram will be live for a year, or slightly more. At least as what it is now.

I don't know if it's true but beside ads I've heard that the bulk of money FB is making, and will make, is by selling users' data to companies. But which companies, and how they will be used? Who knows.

The fact that everything is mined doesn't mean that it's right, correct, ethical or legal, otherwise many crimes and offenses should be seen as common behaviors.

Always imho. :)

You know how old couples that have been together for decades start to look alike? That's what's happening to the social platforms. 

The End.

I don't care about FB purchasing Instagram because I assume that anything I put online is being used. I assume that any time I use FB some machine somewhere is taking my information and trying to find useful and actionable data.

As for G+, well I am not bothered by their changes either or the lack of innovation. Sometimes there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

Excellent point about ads in Instagram- people no longer seem to assign value to intellectual property, especially in the digital space.

Will these new LinkedIn features be for the paying customers only, or for all?

Let's point out something...FREE...it's all FREE. As @MichaelSchechter said in his blog yesterday and some others, WE are the product...we either come or go, say yes or no. It's business; all in a day's work. No secret that G+ views FB as its chief rival; if it takes features that make it look more like that to bring in the masses...sigh...OK. Personally, I love G+ (when I get there) as the heavy hitters are playing in my stream.

Nice pointing out the LinkedIn changes @ginidietrich . Of the three pieces of news this week, the LinkedIn features have me fired up the most. As someone focused on the B2B world, I scratch my head at how much LinkedIn gets the short shrift. 

And I agree with you on take the money and run. Do you think the Groupon guys now wish they took the $6B from Google?

I don't get Instagram, especially at a Bill, but take the money and walk (don't run), guys!  More power to ya!  LinkedIn has been in danger of losing its place in anyone's heart, so their updates were very much needed and should help some.  I'll always root for them as well.

But google+ .... sigh.  I am guessing that there is an internal debate as to what it is supposed to be because there is so much they should be integrating with it - and it's not happening!  Google has all these "object projects" (to use an urban planning term) that are scattered around on their own that cry out to be integrated into one seamless package that appliance users can make use of.   And it is just not coming together.  

Look at what they've done in the last few months - roll out "Play Store" as yet another stand-alone app/site and re-work google+ in the most derivative way possible.  This is not even close to what they need to do, IMHO.

Their position with android is impressive, but it will probably never make a ton of money on its own - what it has is an amazing ability to leverage loyal users forever.  They are in the position Microsoft was in circa 1998, except they also have the goods that Microsoft spent years trying to develop - mail, search, news, et cetera.  It should all come together in google+ - but it does not.  

Meanwhile, the coolest potential tool for curating, PostRank, is being allowed to wither and die after their buyout.  Google reader is just ... there.  So many great things and one really obvious place to bring them all together ...

... and they give us Basefook Lite.  Thanks.

I'm tired of the indignation that seems to arise whenever a small startup like Instagram "sells out" to the big guys.  Sheesh, 

I touched on google yesterday but I'm not opposed to making it work, just gotta figure it out. You're right though, Google did get a facebookier look. Kinda like when G+ came out and Facebook copied stuff off them. We ought to create a new platform called Googface. And happy anniversary!!!

I just sold Mark Zuckerberg 7000 acres of prime beach front property in Arizona that I don't even own! I love when suckers are identified. As AOL proved using inflated overvalued stock to buy other businesses can win deals (Time Warner) but they often fail to succeed. So grats to Instagram! And for those freaking out did you really think it would remain ad free and free to use? They had to monetize right? The only misstep for the Instagram folks? They gave away stock at half the facebook sale price to venture capitalists 2 weeks ago.

I haven't checked out the changes yet for LinkedIn or G+ I am sadly not well versed in LinkedIn.

One of the first things I was told when I started in the communications industry was that the only constant is change. And that certainly applies to the technology we have at our disposal to do our jobs.

As the so-called "experts", we owe it to those who we support to acknowledge the changes, and learn how they affect the work we are doing, even though it's in our very nature to reject change.

Forbes recently ran an article about five lessons we can learn from the late Mike Wallace. #2 was to embrace the possibilities of new mediums. I think that's totally relevant in this case.

(And, really, they're going to change again in six months, so why get bent out of shape?)