Google+ was Google's attempt to take on Facebook. The service didn't take off as Google had hoped, and the decision was made to pull the plug. For those who don't know, I was among those who signed up for Google+ but not Facebook. Despite having an account, I was never very active.
What went wrong for Google? In short, they were too much like Facebook. They created the same kind of closed network that eliminates communication with individuals outside the network and tries to control the content of their members.
For those of us who hate Facebook, Google gave us an offering that was pretty much the same, but with different branding. They failed to address the reasons some of us rejected Facebook. They gave us Facebook with fewer members to socialize with.
I'm not going to miss Google+. While it is a little sad to see Facebook maintaining its dominance, this was never the right approach. Until walls are torn down, social networking will remain gimmicky and impractical. It may be a popular concept, but we need to start working our way to where we should have been more than a decade ago. Until then, it will be difficult for me to fully embrace social networking.
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