I understand what you are saying, but I think a lot of people (including myself) are assuming that when Google Me goes live many people will be members of the network. The main assumption is that people using Google accounts in some way, GMail, Reader or anything else, will be automatically added as well as all of their contacts being linked or prompted to be linked.

To your point, if Google builds something but does not automatically add users based on things like GMail, it will fail. As you said, in that case there is no reason to leave Facebook.

I think this is a BIG mistake. I posted about it yesterday. Social networking has entered the mature phase of the product or business life cycle. There are few “new” users for Google to go get. Only late majority or laggards are left. Google will have to get users to switch and the problem with that is the value of a social network IS the network.

No one is going to leave Facebook for a Google Me when none of their friends are there and they’ve got so much invested in FB.

The value of FB is the network. Google can’t control that so the value they bring is VERY low. No amount of “technology” or features and functions will change that.

My thoughts on this: http://bit.ly/bGzHtA

Yes, Google does have most of the foundation in various applications, and they do just need to pull it all together. It just isn’t that easy though.

They do have a trusted brand, and they will get a ton of people trying it out. However, Google has had privacy concerns of their own in the past, so we can only hope they will do a better job this time.

Basically we seem to be agreeing for the most part, and just disagreeing on some timing. I do see your point though.

Also with the trusted brand they should have no problems getting people to try it out and maybe do a better job at managing privacy and other issues that facebook struggles with.