Define forever, becuase in my books Google+ is only a month old... and I use have used other Google services for a long time with fake names for online gaming... as do many others I've gmaed with (giving out personal information isn't desirable at all when gaming online). The first I heard of accounts banned was people trying to activate Google+ for gaming accounts.
If I buy a pony I expect to be a pony, not to be a donkey.
Its definitely a total cop out because no one is taking responsibility on the matter, bugs are being ignored, and Google has made a history so far of passing blame and not addressing issues with Android.
Lastly thats a moronic statement "The person who wants the software fixed should fix it". Android tends to attract lower income people who tend not to be IT orientated. If you told any of these peoples the dangers of identity theft they would want this changed, but its out of there capability to address. TBH I don't know how you can even have such a stupid stance.
Except for the obviously flaw where Gmails isn't as popular as you suggest. Having a lot less users than either Yahoo mail or Hotmail. Heres two links to verify that statement (second from google itself):
I'm not saying change isn't coming. I just don't think a Google social network will be it. Hell even there 18 million user announcement is quite average... thats under 10% of gmail users.
Considering MS has been spotted toying with implementing Social networks directly in Windows 8 (and with their share of FaceBook + Windows Live + Desktop OS we are talking massive users base).
A decent implementation could destroy all competition. The only ray of light there is MS history of failure.
It lacks the fact that I can't communicate (even with Facebook's penetration) to probably a 25% of my friends.
Atleast 50% of my friends don't really get into the social networking. Either not having accounts or checking it once a week/month. I would say 95% of the people I now have email addresses and I can communicate with them.
When ever I see stats its always x amount of people use this per month. And I thinks for the same reason that exists in my friends. They don't care to much for that much about these sites.
I would guess over 90% of the content on FB is from 10% of my friends. The rest aren't so excited about it. So far none of my friends are really using Google+, and the ones that are I could say less about the content they are posting.
So I think you are misguided, and are under estimating how little interest a business is going to have towards storing there business data on what for many (including several of my own products) is a competitors system.
The lesson here is the Google is a corporation with a corporate agenda, with an allegiance to share holders and not users. I think this is the 3rd such story I've read in the last week.
The other complaints I have seen are from gaming communities. I can understand anon getting banned as they probably breached TOS by supporting criminal activities. But it hasn't been the case for other instances I have read about.
Anyone who thinks Google+ is a social network designed to improve the world is sorely mistaken. Its purely designed to harvest consumer to increase profit margins. If your data can't be sold to 3rd parties via Googles ad netowrk then you aren't welcome.
Whats the saying? "If they aren't selling you something then you're being sold"? no idea who to attribute that quote to.
Hefty competition on all fronts, I'd probably try looking for another not so congested market if I was you, unless you have some marvelous mechanism big players won't be able to implement.
But if you must I'd possibly look at the social networking reporting for a couple of reasons.
- The market is hot and you might be able to get funding or flick it easy
- It looks like all the other projects are going to need an decent advertising base, and (as long as you build carefully) you'll be able to re-purpose parts of the social networking... so can look at as an investment
Sure they revolutionized search, but I feel they glory for other peoples hard work.