Alright… A lot has been said and written about both the Social networking sites since Google+ launched in June. It’s unfair in a way to compare both the sites or too early to make a statement like 'Google + poses a threat to Facebook'. Zuckerberg’s Facebook is existing for 7 years now and Google+ is only 2 months old. However the two social networking sites can be compared over their Features. What does Facebook have that Google+ lacks and what new features Google+ has introduced, which Facebook didn’t think of.
Google+
Google+ had about five million users as of July, according to Paul Allen, the founder of Ancestry.com, who estimated Google+ members using US census data and the number of Google+ members with certain last names. Allen has also noted that Google+ is "growing like crazy."
The key feature that distinguishes Google+ from Facebook is its Circles. The Circles feature allows users to share their information with a group of people they want to share with. Users can share something with one circle, while keeping it hidden from others. "It's a hybrid of friending and following that could get difficult to wrap one's head around. You can put anyone in a Circle, and they can choose to reciprocate or not," wrote The Washington Post.
Google doesn't consider Google+ to be a separate product. The company says it is an extension of things you can already do on Google. A toolbar will be available atop all Google sites, and users can download an Android or Chrome application to get notifications and share content.
"What might turn out to be Google+'s real killer app isn't a feature inside Google+. It is the new black bar that sits atop every Google property including the Google.com search page and Gmail accounts. But the real key is that on the right side, you have a box that turns bright red when you have a notification from Google+. If someone has commented or reshared your post, or added you to a circle, the box lights up. When you click on it, a dropdown box appears--and in the case that someone has added you to a circle, you see their profile pic and with a single click add them to one--or more--of your circles, hide them or outright block them. And even easier, if someone comments on a post you have made or comments after you do on someone else's post, you can reply directly from the notification drop down window, without ever leaving the other Google page you are on,” Ryan Singel of Wired notes.
Business customers of Google are apparently unhappy with Google + as they yet do not have an access to Google Plus and incidentally, they are the only ones who pay for Gmail, Docs, Calendars, Contacts etc. Google will neglect business users at their own peril as they now number in the 10′s of millions. Luckily, for Google the reality is that they have a great opportunity for integrating business into search results and other business services such as Google Places, Google Voice, Google Checkout, Adwords, Adsense, Google Analytics, Google Calendar etc.
Facebook currently has about 700 million users which means it is very well established in the social networking scene. Facebook users have already created their own networks of friends on the site, and it is a pain for some to switch over to another social network site.
Since early July, all Facebook members, and gamers in particular, are able to use Facebook Credits, a virtual currency. This is Facebook's another advantage that will boost its membership and loyalty.
It is still not clear as to who will win the social media war, but one thing holds true: social media users are the ultimate beneficiaries as the two rivals continue to improve their products in order to win over customers.
[Via: Geeky Stuffs]
