It's hard not to draw up comparisons between Facebook and Google +, as Zuckerberg's company announces privacy changes intended to comfort users and let them know they're protected.
While it is the natural evolution of a social network to adapt new features which appeal to others on other services, Facebook is facing a quandary. Facebook repeatedly asserts that it isn't worried about the challenge from that other mighty data harvester, Google, but by introducing changes easily comparable to G+ it has confirmed its fears.
Facebook has undergone plenty of changes in its time, not always met positively. However, by forcing users to get used to whatever it imposes, after a couple of months the complaints die down and they are familiar with the tweaks. And that can, potentially, become Facebook's downfall.
Many of the features seem like they've been ported right over from G+. You can't tag without permission, the groups feature has been updated and now there's a preview button. From the get-go G+ called its interactive groups 'circles' and at first glance made clear its policy on privacy.
By introducing Facebook users to these features, whether they like it or not, they are readying their own flock for a mass exodus. People will no longer be put off by what are deemed the complexities of G+. Instead they'll see G+ has already been doing that, but better.
One industry watcher points us to the adoption of Gmail, and the huge demand it received upon launch. Google + is a "restricted new toy, making a lot of people want it more," our source tells us. "This is just a desperate attempt from a company afraid of going the way of MySpace."
And privacy? "Facebook still has licence over the content. That in itself makes the 'privacy' stuff a joke."
"Joe Average" does not care about complex features. They care about content. They care about connecting to their friends and family. Facebook has both and they have both in much greater abundance than G+ does.
Personally I'd love to see a serious contender to Facebook as I'm tied hand and foot to these guys for traffic and ad prices increase on a daily base. I just don't think G+ will be that contender. Honestly, I don't think that any social network out there, old or new, will be able to be more than a niche player, for the two reasons I named earlier: Your average user doesn't look further than "Where are my friends?".
By the way, quoting a 'source' without giving any credentials as stating "This is just a desperate attempt from a company afraid of going the way of MySpace" is not journalism. That's simply regurgitating water-cooler talk.