I use to love YouTube, in spite of a few problems it was a great place, simple, and effective. But it didn't make much revenue and needed some help. Along came Google, and I thought this was going to be so awesome.
Well, I was wrong. There, I admitted it, one of my internet predictions, and I have made many over the years, was so wrong I could have lost a bet on it. Google was awesome, at one point. I use the past tense because even though the company as a whole still has a decent attitude, the development online just sucks.
When I first heard of Google+ I thought that was a good idea too, a simple and elegant alternative to the bloated and overrated Facebook. I did not foresee what it would be today. Now Google+ is basically .... Facebook, bloated and overrated, messy, and way too complicated. Then they destroyed YouTube by merging the two.
Here's the thing, the stupid system kept bothering me about "use your real name," well, I don't want to use my real name, my online nickname is my personality, I chose that, let me use that. After trying to update to their new channel layout, which had some good ideas but poorly implemented, I broke it. Yep, I broke their account system. I now have like 4 accounts, 2 emails, and 3 Google+ pages all on account of trying to update 2 YouTube channels.
Great job Google! That was sarcasm, you did a horrible job, you ruined something that was starting off perfect. Now you are trying to do it with everything, even Blogger. I say "no more." I will continue using Blogger, for now, until I either get off my arse and write my own blog site, or you force the lame changes to Blogger.
The things you did wrong:
1. Tried too hard to make it all one system, causing it to become bloated and too complicated for it's purpose.
2. Simplified the wrong things, I mean banners that double as mobile app images? Seriously?
3. You forced software that was obviously not tested onto people who were loyal to the service merely because you wanted to try to stay ahead of the trends.
4. You emulate Facebook and try to force people to use the name you think they should use instead of allowing them to use the creative, and personalized, nicknames. Do you know how many Kristina Herrboldts there are in the world? Do a Google search, there are at least 20 in the US alone. How many KittenKoders? 1, only 1, on almost all websites I am the one and only KittenKoder. I made that name, that name is me.
5. Google+ for comments is lame, really really lame. People want to isolate some parts of their online activities, for various reasons, they don't want it all showing up in one feed that pretty much anyone who knows their name can find. That was one of the biggest problems with Facebook and other social sites. Your circles are nice, but not a solution to the problem.
6. Merging everything into one. If we all wanted one system for everything, we wouldn't be online, period.
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