Google vs. Facebook

I was doing some research, and I thought this might be of value in dealing with the flotsam and jetsam of our daily lives, of which for most, a considerable amount of waking hours are spent on the web.

Microsoft valued Facebook at $15 Billion. Sounds a little odd. But, one must realize that the biggest competitor to Google, will be Facebook. Those of you who have not joined Facebook yet, worry not, for you already are on facebook anyway - it's just called "Google"!

Let me explain. If you are using Gmail while reading this, look around ur screen: Gmail, Calendar (schedule an even) Documents, Photos (Picasa :)) etc... Look closer : Labels, Chat, Drafts Spam protection. If you really want to go wild, be brave and activate stuff from Google Labs.

This is looking more and more like Lotus Notes, or Microsoft Outlook, isn't it? It's faster, virtually unlimited storage, but also has a way to connect you to other users. Now, I am writing this using my gmail account, but, I can mask my addres to charles@loves.newyork ! You can even use gmail to send messages as if it was from Hotmail. Cool stuff! Go to settings, have a play. More, and many more features to come. You'll soon hook up your mobile to your gmail account - you already can, and some people will eventually find ways to send spam texts, and Google will find a way to filter it. It's a whole realm.

Wait a minute.

This sounds awfully like Facebook, doesn't it? You can send messages from facebook to email, upload documents and files, schedule events, etc., the works. Google just has a different approach to all of this, and probably a bit more effective, because, it's all about learning curves. (I am not a google man, but not a Microsoft man either - Google isn't better, it's just different). Humans in general have a resistance to change, and, introducing things bit by bit, makes the transition easier, and also makes people not only more used to it, but dependent on it.

Email is still the most used application on the web, and companies are just building on top. Because, all what the internet does, and this is quoting it's inventor Sir Tim Berners Lee, "it connects us together" .

Well, congratulations. You have just been social-networked!