Tech Report: Is Google+ A Passing Fad Or Facebook Killer?
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — A web tracking firm shows that traffic to Google+ jumped by 1,200 percent in a single day after making the site available without invitation. Since then, traffic has dropped by 60 percent.
KCBS' Technology Analyst said the numbers actually don't indicate a drop, but are more reflective of the spike that occurred.
"I think this is a little misleading. It's still bigger than it was before," Magid said.
KCBS Technology Analyst Larry Magid Reports:
He added that it does show Google+ has not been a runaway success in the sense that it won't put a serious dent in Facebook activity.
"It does have millions of users and it provides people with an alternative. Frankly I really like Google+. I spend a fair amount of time on it. Probably about as much or more than I do on Facebook," said Magid.
So far he's finding that he likes the interesting conversations he's been finding on Google+ and said they do a great job in displaying photos.
"It's a viable alternative, but it can't compare with the 800 million people that are on Facebook."
Magid does however get a sense that Google wants to go after those very same big numbers as opposed to creating its own niche of users.
"If anyone can do it Google can. They've got the most successful search engine in the world," Magid observed.
He then gave an astute metaphor for social networking media, likening it to more traditional mediums such as television stations and said that people can use both.
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