Loading ...
iGoogle edges closer to becoming a full-fledged social network.
It’s one of the buzz stories on TechCrunch, Wired, and other blogs this week. Google announces a new developer “sandbox” for its OpenSocial API, whereby web applications (widgets/gadgets) can be built for use on iGoogle’s personalized homepages.
The new developer site for iGoogle gadgets says, “the integration of OpenSocial with gadgets gives [developers] an opportunity to enhance [their] content for users by incorporating social features.”
This is the same functionality that Facebook users have with apps like (Lil) Green Patch and Causes. With some re-coding, these same apps can be made available through iGoogle. Plus, Google has the potential to spoil the party altogether by aggregating all of your friends, feeds, gadgets, tools, etc. into one place…namely, iGoogle. (Of course, Google has Orkut, which is big in Brazil but has yet to gain traction in the U.S.)
Considering the search giant’s overall mission (or anti-mission), as well as its nonprofit counterpart, Google.org, and its efforts in both renewable energy and hybrid-electric technology, this could be a good thing, especially for the green agenda. Given the success of so many different networks and social media apps, we’re not too concerned about Google monopolizing the space in the way it’s done with search. The landscape for social media is entirely different than search, and even search itself is giving way to certain aspects of social media. So Google will have challenges on both sides.
That said, as we reported recently on social networking trends, 32% of internet users between 30 and 39 did not prefer one social network to another. Our assumption is that these people aren’t using one, which creates an opportunity for Google. It is one of the few companies to have transitioned from Web 1.0 to 2.0 with continued success and growth. It has tremendous brand equity across the board, but it’s one of the few in Web 2.0 to have built a long-term relationship with 30-somethings and even older demographics. If you’ve not taken the dive into social networking, there’s no reason to wait. If you do, though, it may soon be as simple as flicking a switch on your iGoogle page.
1 response so far ↓
1 Yahoo! Finds Social Religion | Max Gladwell // Apr 25, 2008 at 9:57 am
[…] slowly move toward what they are loathe to call a social network. Similar to the speculation around Google’s next move, this would enable users of Mail, Frontpage, Mobile, Search, and other services […]
Leave a Comment