Attempts at Social Networking by Google

Over the years Google has made several attempts to enter the social networking space with varying degrees of success Here’s a detailed look at the social networks Google has tried to launch

Orkut 2004 to 2014

Launched in January 2004 Orkut was one of Google's earliest attempts at social networking It was initially popular in Brazil and India becoming one of the largest social networking sites in those regions Orkut allowed users to create profiles connect with friends and join communities based on interests Despite its early success Orkut struggled to compete globally with Facebook and other emerging platforms Google eventually shut down Orkut on September 30 2014

Google Buzz 2010 to 2011

Google Buzz was launched in February 2010 as an integrated social networking and messaging tool within Gmail It aimed to combine elements of social networking with email allowing users to share updates photos videos and links with their Gmail contacts However Google Buzz faced significant privacy concerns and backlash leading to its discontinuation in December 2011

Google Wave 2009 to 2012

Introduced in 2009 Google Wave was an ambitious real-time communication and collaboration tool It combined aspects of email instant messaging and wikis allowing users to collaborate on projects and communicate in real time Despite its innovative approach Google Wave was criticized for being too complex and unintuitive Google stopped development on Wave in August 2010 and fully retired the service in April 2012

Google Plus 2011 to 2019

Google Plus was launched in June 2011 as Google's most ambitious social networking project to date It aimed to compete directly with Facebook by offering features like Circles for selective sharing Hangouts video chat and Sparks content discovery Despite initial excitement and integration with other Google services Google Plus struggled with user engagement and faced several security issues The consumer version of Google Plus was shut down on April 2 2019 though it continued as Google Currents for enterprise users

Google Spaces 2016 to 2017

Google Spaces was launched in May 2016 as a group messaging and content sharing app It allowed users to create spaces for specific topics and share links videos and images within those spaces Despite its potential for facilitating group discussions and collaboration Google Spaces failed to gain traction and was discontinued in April 2017

Shoelace 2019 to 2020

Shoelace was an experimental social networking app launched by Google's Area 120 incubator in mid-2019 The app focused on helping people find and plan local events and activities based on shared interests Shoelace aimed to connect users in real life rather than just online However the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted its usage leading to the app's shutdown in May 2020

Google Currents 2020 to present

Following the shutdown of Google Plus Google Currents was launched in 2020 as an enterprise-focused social networking tool It aims to facilitate communication and collaboration within organizations providing a platform for employees to share updates discuss topics and engage in company-wide conversations Google Currents is integrated with G Suite now Google Workspace helping organizations maintain internal communication.

As of now, Google Currents is still around but is in the process of being phased out. Google has announced that it will replace Currents with a new product called Spaces. This transition is part of Google's broader strategy to integrate and streamline its collaboration tools within the Google Workspace suite.Google Currents was initially launched as a replacement for the defunct Google+ for enterprise users, aiming to facilitate internal communication and collaboration within organizations. Despite this, the platform did not achieve widespread adoption. Google is shifting focus towards Spaces, which aims to provide a more robust and integrated collaboration experience, combining elements of Currents with additional features to enhance productivity and teamwork within Google Workspace.For more information on the status and transition, you can check out the updates from Google Workspace and other related announcements.

Despite the mixed success of its social networking endeavors Google has continually explored ways to enhance social interaction and collaboration Each of these platforms has provided valuable lessons and insights contributing to the development of other Google products and services While not all of Google's social networking projects have thrived the company's willingness to experiment and innovate remains a key aspect of its approach to the digital landscape