Google has plastered a whopping great arrow across its homepage today, in an effort to convince visitors to give its Google Plus social network a try.
The blazing blue arrow points to the new 'You' tab on the Google toolbar, which is where you access Google Plus once you've signed in with your Google account.
Google Plus is the Big G's answer to Facebook, and it opened to all and sundry yesterday after two and a half months of closed testing, adding new features such as video chat for Android phones.
It seems that despite attracting a massive 10 million users while in its invite-only stage, enthusiasm for Google Plus has faltered, with reports that public posts are on the wane. The big blue arrow could be Google's saving grace however -- if it can channel just a small chunk of homepage traffic to the new service, we could see Google Plus' popularity explode.
We'll be watching with a keen eye over the next few days to see how the general public takes to the new social network. A huge influx of new users trying out features and posting fun stuff could be the tipping point that makes everyone switch to it. It has a mountain to climb though -- Facebook has 750 million active users.
Google Plus isn't a carbon copy of Facebook, with plenty of ideas of its own. It lets you sort your friends into circles, for example, so you can decide who sees what. We recommend pointing your peepers at our jaunty video explanation.
Will you be signing up to Google Plus now it's open to the public? If you're already on it, what do you like about it? Let us know in the comments section below, or on our, er, Facebook wall.
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Comments 33
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anonymous 21 September, 2011 11:15
Are you serious? Another social time waster? I prefer to walk outside than wasting my time on useless crap like Facebook "friends"...
anonymous 21 September, 2011 11:22
Iv been on google+ for a while now. After the first week i moved out of facebook forever :P
Because google promote google+'s image in a creative way i think it promotes creative and fun posting such as interesting youtube clips, posting creative photos and linking to your favourite sites....Were as with facebook your more likely to post text about the night before, how cute your new pet is or what time your going to bed!
If your looking for someone to follow, then here is my profile: http://goo.gl/qrSxA
anonymous 21 September, 2011 11:23
Yeah you tell 'em, don't go on the sites, just read about them and then fill out online comment boxes to share your opinions...........
anonymous 21 September, 2011 12:00
"It seems that despite attracting a massive 10 million users while in its invite-only stage, enthusiasm for Google Plus has faltered, with reports that public posts are on the wane"
How many times does this have to be pointed out to you before you stop with this incessant negative spin? Public post counts do not matter because they don't take private sharing into account. The only reason why it doesn't look like a success to you is because you've never tried to interact with the Google+ community.
10 million members? Why are you still quoting that figure? That was ages ago...it's vastly more than that right now. But no, the lower the figure you quote, the smaller you make the service look.
Enthusiasm for Google+ has not faltered at all...maybe in your tiny little world it has...but for the people who are actually using and enjoying the service, it's still very much thriving.
"We'll be watching with a keen eye over the next few days to see how the general public takes to the new social network."
It will be interesting to see how you do that considering you make no efforts to engage with the Google+ community. I suspect you will go onto your precious Facebook page and ask them what they think of Google+...cos, you know...that would fit with the "reliable" level of journalism we are used to from CNET.
By the way, Louis Gray said the arrow was their Doodle for the day...here's the post about it...
https://plus.google.com/100535338638690515335/posts/NLQ5XHYWDTK
Jason Jenkins 21 September, 2011 12:30
We'd love to have a CNET UK page on Google+, but Google doesn't currently allow brands to have their own pages, apart from a select few such as Ford.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 13:39
Totally agree with anonymous 21 September, 2011 12:00
Cnet seems hell bent on not giving G+ any positive, educated mention.
And regardless of the fact that G+ has not entirely rolled out to the business world just yet (which they will do at some point in the near future) - there is nothing to stop Cnet bloggers & writers to set up G+ accounts for themselves and post Cnet related articles to G+. This is exactly what a large number of bloggers are doing at present. Pete Cashmore (https://plus.google.com/101849747879612982297) of Mashable is a shining example - he takes the time to engage in G+ in a positive way.
Get your act together Cnet...are you not paying any attention to the majority of negative reactions to all of your cynical G+ related articles?
anonymous 21 September, 2011 13:52
And don't forget all the staff of TNW...including Zee Kane:
https://plus.google.com/103907806627406122152
jagman9310 21 September, 2011 13:56
I just signed up for it yesterday, but I can only find one person that I know that has it. It keeps suggesting all the people in my Gmail inbox but I don't think they actually have it yet. I'll keep at it and see if anyone else joins.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 16:22
No! I have not the slightest interest in social networking of any sort!
anonymous 21 September, 2011 16:31
I was invited by a friend a few month ago, signed up and never used it. Yesterday, I cancelled it in hopes of getting rid of the blue arrow...IT"S ANNOYING!!! What's with all the greed? Google, just be Google, for God's sake and let Facebook be Facebook. There's enough for everyone to be something. One company doesn't have to be everything. I will be doing my searches with Yahoo! until the arrow goes away.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 16:33
Jagman...
It's not just about the people you know; there's tons of stuff going on publically that you could get involved with. I guess the tricky thing is getting started.
Why not try following the people mentioned above...Pete Cashmore and Zee Kane...then take a look at who is commenting on their posts. If you find someone posting interesting comments, why not check out their profile...then maybe circle them? Circling works best if done by whether you find someone interesting, not whether you know them personally.
I guarantee that you will find loads of interesting content on G+ if you go down that route. One of the people I follow, J.C. Kendall, has posted some interesting incites on such things. You should check out his profile too.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 17:49
I think the GIANT arrow shows desperation. Ah, megalomania shows no bounds. Am I going to have to start running an adblocker on Google to block its own obnoxious, distracting, desperate ads now? It's like a trap too, you sign up and are forced to put in your private information or they delete you and waste your time.
Maybe I should just go back to using altavista search... the arrow points me away to it.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 18:57
Desperation? It's called Marketing Strategy. A massive pop-up that is almost impossible to click away would be desperation. An arrow pointing users to Google+ is pretty subtle if you ask me. And it's just there, you don't have to click on it...
anonymous 21 September, 2011 23:46
I want to get rid of that horrid blue arrow.. i want nothing to do with Google Plus.. i want to not see +You on my screen.... Get rid of it ALL!!
anonymous 22 September, 2011 01:23
If people want to get rid of this lame arrow you can use ad block plus extension in Firefox. It should remove it by default as the image url is already blacklisted :)
anonymous 22 September, 2011 05:49
If you have adblock, just right click on the arrow and block the image like it was an ad.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 07:08
How long is the arrow going to stay here? This is so annoying. I wish both facebook and googleplus would go far away.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 08:19
When are Google going to remove this b***dy annoying HHUUGGGEE great arrow on my homepage?<br />
I switched to Google as a homepage almost immediately it came out as it was clean, ad-free and simple to use. Now they go and start plastering all this stuff over my page.<br />
It is distracting.<br />
It is annoying.<br />
It is something that THOUSANDS of people do NOT want to see.<br />
GET RID OF IT, GOOGLE.. Or you will soon find people getting rid of you!
anonymous 22 September, 2011 09:22
Are people so bored they need to complain about a blue arrow on Google home page? It's just a blue arrow for goodness sake, you'd think there would be more constructive things to moan about...
anonymous 22 September, 2011 09:30
Add me to the list of people sick of the blue arrow...I'm going to Bing.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 09:39
Okay Google Plus, which grave plot would you like? We have this affordable plot next to Google Buzz or we have this slightly more expensive but picturesque spot between Bebo and MySpace.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 09:50
That animated blue arrow is a real pain.I think I might switch to Bing unless google get rid of it soon.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 11:22
Come on guys...the service is new and they want to spend a couple of days advertising it. It wont last forever and it's not really hurting you, is it?
Get over it...
Re: Anon 09:39...don't like it then? Or haven't you tried it?
anonymous 22 September, 2011 13:03
Another social network?
anonymous 22 September, 2011 13:05
There's a healthy competition between the great giants Facebook and Google plus. Before its launch there was a great buzz about Google Plus, which kept people anxious and anticipating it. It began with a reach of over 10 million active users, whereas Facebook is an established social networking website with a global reach of over 750 million as of 2011. However, Google has an edge over Facebook because with Google Plus you get other services like Adwords, Adsense, etc. But only time will tell who packs more muscle power!
anonymous 22 September, 2011 13:26
They should change the color of the arrow every day. That would be so awesome.
anonymous 22 September, 2011 15:37
Are they going to leave that arrow there for very long? I'm sick of looking at the damn thing - and whatever it points to, I'm not buying...
anonymous 22 September, 2011 15:44
I agree with everyone else who wants that big annoying blue arrow gone from the google home page. The main reason why I have kept google.com as my homepage all these years is because it lacks the annoying things other sites have. It was nice with just a logo, searchbox and button. The arrow is as ridiculous as ball-in-a-cup, and deeply upsets me. When I have my nervous breakdown, guess who I am going to sue?
anonymous 22 September, 2011 16:25
@Anonymous 11:22- Yeah, I'm on it...just to try it, obviously. I couldn't pass comment if I hadn't tried it/still trying it. The layout is clean and there's some interesting organisational ideas that Facebook should definitely steal...er, I mean utilise. Sadly, it's all for nought as there's NOTHING there. Out of my few hundred FB friends, only two are on G+ and putting the feelers out showed that none of the others were really that interested in joining, except on the caveat if Facebook were to do something stupid.
Also, whilst I realise it's still beta, it's glitchy as f***...especially, when you're doing something to do with dragging, say cropping your profile pic or selecting items.
The kindest thing I could say?
It's not ready.
anonymous 23 September, 2011 13:53
It did not take Facebook 2 months to steal all of it's followers from Myspace....it took them years. Are people seriously questioning G+ after 2 months and a day after it is open to public? Seriously!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!
Optioneer Jm 23 September, 2011 22:11
I use Google "Chrome" so I don't get the annoying blue arrow everyone is talking about.
What does amaze me is how many businesses are written off after launching just a few months? I think there is way too much time wasted on whether or not Google will be successful when people are looking for jobs and concerned about the economy. Google is making loads of money, Facebook is making loads of money.
Like many areas of life and business ... it comes down to a p***ing contest. I watched The Social Network and that was the key message that resonated to what Mark's personality is all about. Not surprising or earth shattering to know that its a contest. Like most contests, there are rules. The rule here should be what sort of time line should be allowed before anyone is ruled the winner ....
AND ... as in most business cases ... I think the winner is the one with the biggest pocket book, profitability. Let's focus on that so we can learn from it.
I'm a fan of Google+ for the wonderful way it showcases images, people are readers on G+. FB is for better intimacy and interaction with friends. If you want viral message spread you have Twitter. Linked In is super for business.
Did I mention that I like G+ and believe that a few months is not long enough to write anything off ..... media can certainly influence the outcome ... I'd rather follow an optimist than a sceptic any day!
Jeannette
http://optioneerjm.blogspot.com/
anonymous 25 September, 2011 16:11
Anonymous 15:44, what's so ridiculous about ball in a cup? You toss the ball, catch it in the cup, dump it out of the cup, toss it, and catch it in the cup again. The ball is on a string and attached to the cup, so there's no worry if you don't catch the ball in the cup, and clean up is as easy as catching a ball in a cup.
anonymous 29 September, 2011 17:34
@anonymous21 - Give me a break pal... how long have you worked for Google? Just a silly twit.