Google CEO Larry Page hasn't posted publicly on his Google Plus profile for over a month. Is Google's ambitious new Facebook rival in decline?
Page's last status update was on 15 August, which calendar enthusiasts will tell you was yonks ago.
It's possible that the Google grand master is simply posting everything that happens to his own private circles rather than making them public, but still -- it doesn't look great to onlookers keen to see what Google Plus can do.
Google Plus is Google's answer to Facebook, and while it's been up and running for a few months now, it doesn't appear to have made much of an impact.
Google said it had over 10 million Google Plus users in mid-June, but only Google knows how many of those folks have stuck around, and how many were just popping in to see what it was like. Facebook now has 750 million active users, which is a terrifyingly large number.
Our own experience of Google Plus is that it's certainly slick, and offers a bunch of features we're very keen on. But it feels empty, and it's hard to ignore the pull of Facebook, where all our buddies are already firmly entrenched.
Google appears to be very keen on Google Plus, and has closed down a range of its products, including Google Labs, to focus more on its social network. Pleasing the early adopters is one thing, but we reckon that to be a success, Google will need to tempt the ordinary Web surfer to try Google Plus. Our experiences suggest most people aren't even aware the service exists.
If all this talk of circles and friend feeds has got your mind scrambled, you'd do well to check out our explanatory Google Plus video.
Are you in love with Google Plus? Or does Facebook hold your heart? Let us know in the comments section below, or on our Facebook wall.
Android App 
RSS Feeds 
iPhone App 
Newsletters 
Comments 23
Add your comment
Craig Barratt 19 September, 2011 12:40
It's not exactly what you call available, might be why it feels empty...
anonymous 19 September, 2011 12:46
+ ??? What a name is that? They won't make any market share what a ****** name like that, come on!
dwlhot 19 September, 2011 12:51
Maybe the fact that he can so easily make his posts private could be a selling point?@
anonymous 19 September, 2011 13:23
Luke,<br />
<br />
What a ****** little article you have written. It's anything but empty to those of us who can be bothered to interact with the Google+ community (which is thriving, by the way). Try stepping outside your little comfort zone and joining in on some of the debates that happen every single day. I am following loads of really interesting people and throoughly enjoying the service.<br />
<br />
Yet you question whether the service is in decline because Larry Page hasn't posted in a while? What rubbish! Maybe he's on holiday? Maybe...just maybe...he's decided to leave all the formal posting about feature updates etc to the likes of Bradley Horowitz and Vic Gundotra? You know...the guys who are actually running the Google+ project.<br />
<br />
I'm sick of seeing these ******, sensationalist articles. The service is less than 3 months old for Christ's sake! Rome needs to be built in a day before YOU call it a success?<br />
<br />
Try participating instead of standing on the sidelines. Why not try getting involved in a public Hangout and actually talk to the people who are enjoying using the service? Or is that too much like hard work when CNET lets you churn out drivel like this article?
anonymous 19 September, 2011 13:34
"Are you in love with Google Plus? Or does Facebook hold your heart? Let us know in the comments section below, or on our Facebook wall"
says it all doesn't it?
Does crave not have a Google+ profile to post to? (too lazy to look)
anonymous 19 September, 2011 13:45
seeing how you need an invitation to join it its not what i'd call available...also cause its still in its beta "project" phase. right now it's mostly people who love to blog or tech people into anything google. Google did just release their API for the software. Once google believes that the site has enough features and is strong enough to hold its own then they'll let anyone join (just like facebook was exclusive to colleges for over a yer at first then opened up to everyone). Seeing how google is first an advertising company they'll market it like crazy, include it in all there products some how. now the the api is available apps like foursquare and others will allow integration. the average consumer who doesn't spend their time online looking for a google invite and is busy living their lives will be able to join for free along with all their friends. there's so many reviews on google plus out and lately articles saying that google plus is starting to fail. but its not even widely available yet. When it's out of beta it should be huge reserve judgment until its available to the masses
anonymous 19 September, 2011 13:59
Luke, how much are facebook paying you to.... oh, i can't even be bothered
Rich Trenholm 19 September, 2011 15:37
Anonymous at 13.23: I'd love to come and hang out with you. You seem like a real charmer
anonymous 19 September, 2011 16:41
Yawn... Another cnet article showing the organisation to be sitting comfortably on the Facebook side of the fence. As I've asked in a prior comment to another cnet article on G+...just what is this special connection with them and Facebook that always warrants lacklustre support for G+?
Google+ is much better than Facebook on so many levels, aesthetically as well as functionally. And yes, it is in beta, what don't people understand about this point? It's not even officially released and people discuss its demise. Reports about waning posts and activity? Only public posts can (possibly) be measured - how do they measure the hundreds & thousands of private posts? Complaining about not being able to join? Be patient, as there are enough invites out there, and it will one day be made public.
I must say I've tried to get my friends over onto G+, and I get really annoyed when people simply can't be bothered. It takes a few minutes to click on an invite, open a profile and get going. Then the complaints start about it being "empty and void of activity". Well, build up your circles and post stuff so your friends can see!! Add people you want to follow! If everyone followed suit, it would be far from empty. People are quick to criticise yet often overlook the fact that if none of their Facebook friends were posting anything, it would look empty and void of activity over there as well.
Being able to entice friends over to G+ is hindered by the frequent negative press G+ has been receiving. FORGET about member volume for just a while...focus on all the good points that G+ has going for it, because right now the only negative that anyone can come up with time and time again...is the number of users. So come on cnet...how about posting a decent article about G+ and how good it is (no, your cynical article with video review does not count). Can't be done cause you can't build up a sizeable group of G+ followers? Well that doesn't speak wonders for the influence you have on your readers.
anonymous 19 September, 2011 18:38
(Anon 13:23 here)<br />
<br />
Actually, Rich, you'd find I can be very reasonable and welcome good debate. I just get p****d off when I see articles like this.<br />
<br />
Just to reinforce my point, I am looking at Luke's profile at the moment...a single public post; made when he added his profile picture on 1st July.<br />
<br />
And Rich...from you, we have 0 public posts. <br />
<br />
Maybe you guys are posting to your friends, but the lack of public posts shows and obvious lack of willingness to give Google+ a fair go and see what it really has to offer. How much credibility do you really think you have on this one?
anonymous 19 September, 2011 22:36
google + is a better way to avoid people and mass message your circles......with google i would retain more friends and would also maybe meet the frieds that i like more often, while becoming invisible to the major douche bags who some how remember my name
anonymous 20 September, 2011 08:16
How do you expect to get users if you won't let anybody sign up?
anonymous 20 September, 2011 08:50
Anon 08:16 - Um...they are getting plenty users. But that's not the point...if Google wanted to boost the user count right now, they could start up the marketting machine, open the service to the masses and let everyone in. But what would that really accomplish?
I totally agree with the approach they are taking...building up the service carefully and considerately. If you follow any of the Google+ team members, you will know that they are interacting very closely with the users to find out about things like bugs and feature request. In the end, it means that we get the service that WE want...which is the opposite to how Facebook runs things.
I've said this before and I'll say it again...there are plenty of invites available on the internet via invite links. It wouldn't be that difficult to find one so anyone complaining about not being able to get in just isn't trying hard enough.
anonymous 20 September, 2011 15:37
Facebook should hire Google's interface designers and make it a win-win situation for everyone.
anonymous 20 September, 2011 17:39
OK one argument is now truly invalid...G+ is now in OPEN BETA!! No more invites needed...
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/09/google-92-93-94-95-96-97-98-99-100.html
anonymous 20 September, 2011 18:10
They may have opened up invites, but they still doesn't allow those of us with Google Mail accounts to register using our Google accounts. Makes no sense. Sticking with FB until Google lets us use our Google accounts on Google Plus.
Too annoying, and messy dealing with multiple accounts for one organization, suite of products.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 07:41
The only reason I think Google plus will fail is because of its name. They should've shelled out millions (if neccesary) for a premium name that sounds as catchy as 'twitter', 'facebook' and 'google'. Features and UI are only half of the equation. A better product doesn't neccesarily win.
anonymous 21 September, 2011 17:05
Youre going to call G+ a failure after its only been online for 2 days? I hope Facebook is paying you a lot, pal. Besides, I'll gladly ditch face**** at the drop of a hat as soon as all my friends join G+, I feel like facebook is too invasive, and I know google will offer me a better experience in the long run, better integration with my phone and Gmail etc. There are things to think about besides "oh its not facebook so it must be dumb", google is where its at.
anonymous 26 September, 2011 03:02
Wow! A lot of angry folks on here (for some bizarre reason)...
this isn't a "sensationalist" article, they're actually reporting whats been happening with G+. There have been other articles discussing the same thing as these guys...even saying that of the 10 millions users on G+, they don't spend nearly as much time on it as people still do with FB.
And I love how some of the posters here are acting like they're so angry at FB, but have used it for years to conveniently connect with just about every person they know for free.
If you don't want FB to know too much about you, it's pretty simple to just stop posting your private info.
anonymous 26 September, 2011 07:39
G+ will end up living but won't over take facebook, no one who uses facebook and I mean really uses it to it's full extent is remotly bothered about G+, and that is the real problem for G+ you can have as many tech people on G+ but it's all means nothing if the general people aren't on there as well.
I invited 30+ people and only 2 have taken up the invite of that 1 person actually likes and prefers G+ over facebook simply because the app for the mobile is better than the facebook mobile app.
He's posted on facebook telling them to make a G+ account but he got 5 people telling him G+ is a waste of time and why bother with it.
If you have a G+ account and you need to be signed up to people who you don't even remotely know like people from tech sites then the whole site would have failed as your meant to have real life friends as well as other people mixed up together but sorted via the circles.
I think G+ is lacking far too much once you have invited people who'll never take it up, and try to sort your circles just in case one day they might sign up and end up in a circle you both have to agree to being in the circle and stuff it's just 1 mess going onto another mess, so I can see that causing people to give up as they don't really want to be sorting over 500+ people into all sorts of circles just so they can be signed up to your account properly.
I will say the mobile app for G+ is pretty good, but with no one on G+ and tech sites dropping it... well what was ever the point in starting it up.
anonymous 5 October, 2011 17:13
anonoymous at 7:39 actually got it right. G+ isnt worth my time. i have a profile built on facebook and its how i like it i dont want to go on G+ and have to recreate my entire profile. its like if there was suddenly a youtube rival ive already got videos on youtube why would i want to move all my videos to this new site. and on facebook it is possible to put ur friends into different groups i dont do this not because its combersom or difficult its because i have no need everyone on my facebook is someone i have met in person with a couple of exceptions and i just dont see why i would want to group them into different groups. i mean id have maybe 3 circles max those i talk to often those that i dont cause they dont go on facebook often and possible one other one. one person said g+ keeps u from interacting with te douche bags that some how remember ur name. facebook allows u to do that too its called the block button quick and simple. one thing i would say is if G+ had come out the same time as facebook i would have made an account on both and eventually decided which one was superior. but i already have an established facebook profile so why should i start over from scratch. too me G+ is no more useful to me then twitter. all they r, are other social networking sites that i dont have the need nor the want to use. facebook takes up enough of my time if i jumped onto every social media site i would never leave my computer. i have a life and part of it is spent with my friends IN PERSON u ppl should try that sometime a little fresh air and sunlight might do u good
anonymous 17 October, 2011 13:04
I have had several requests for google plus. I am, more than willing to get involved. The issue I have had is when I access it none of my email logins either google or personal e-mails are accepted. It's that "google Plus is not available for yourname@website.com" I get it a lot. I am a programmer and quite computer savvy but google's attempts to make it "easier" for me by linking emails for youtube and developer accounts etc has instead confused the heck out of me! They have put up massive walls and if I can't get in, what about average user?
anonymous 18 October, 2011 10:42
Google plus might be better on so many levels but who is still using it? Is it dead/dying? I know many many people who tried it but have now dumped it. I don't use it anymore either. Shame, as it's quite good but I think that Facebook has won this battle.