Did you guys notice this...Bing & SoCL

[X0LARIUM]

MSFT is smarter than we think.

Why? Ok...What are the two things that people can't live without today, online.


Google and Facebook. At least a majority, if not all. Right?

So...here goes MSFT's answer...

Google ---------- >> Bing

Facebook ------------>> SoCL


So what do you guys think the next move is? They are already planting the seeds for a future war between the two giants. Bing has already taken the big step by being a part of iOS Ecosystem. So.CL is being tested, but who knows, if MSFT wants it big, the hell they can make it big.

Comments?

 

[mase123987]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

So.cl, I believe, will never be big. The thing I have learned about social sites is that you can't buy your way into being popular. No amount of advertising is suddenly going to make something bigger than Facebook, Twitter, etc. Also, I don't even know if Microsoft wants to compete with Facebook or use So.cl as a testing ground for other things.

 

[X0LARIUM]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

So.cl, I believe, will never be big. The thing I have learned about social sites is that you can't buy your way into being popular. No amount of advertising is suddenly going to make something bigger than Facebook, Twitter, etc. Also, I don't even know if Microsoft wants to compete with Facebook or use So.cl as a testing ground for other things.

May be. But I am sure people said the same thing about Bing. Look where it is now. And I think Bing will only grow from here. I use it on my phone and it isn't actually that bad. never used it on the PC TBH. Let me try doing it for a change...

 

[Coreldan]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

I've been using Bing pretty much exclusively since moving into Windows 8. While I'm a bit of a MS ****** and would probably use it even if it gave me a bit worse results than Google, but even my fiancee has found that she actually gets better results here in Finland using Bing than Google.

As for So.cl, I don't think it'll ever get big, but I also don't think MS will even really try pushing it.

 

[joe_easton]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

Bing is legit and is a strong #2 and offers many other features that are getting more attention. Example, Bing translate.

I use Bing exclusively and have no issue finding what I'm looking for.

So.cl is cool and has some nice features but its not mobile and I don't see it being easily used on a cell phone. It may work well on a tablet. Either way, social networks grow organically and so.cl didn't catch on, yet.

 

[Coreldan]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

This topic just reminded me about how Google is trying to push Google+ now. I tried the service back when it was a closed invite-only beta, and it had some nice ideas, but it really didnt have much that would warrant people coming over from Facebook. Well, I havnt had any interest for the service for a long time now and I disabled my Goolge+ account, but now they are force feeding it to apparently anyone with at least Youtube accounts. I guess they are trying to just force it down to people and hope that few of them actually start using it since they happen to have such account anyways, but I suppose majority of the people will never touch it and only have it around cos it was more or less forced on them.

While I like YouTube for the most parts and it has no real competitor, I'm starting to get pissed off at that too and how it tries to force me to other Google services so hard that I moved away from last fall when I started using pretty much every Microsoft-equivalent out there (naturally excluding YouTube).

 

[Rhody#WP]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

For so.cl to be the next Facebook, it would require Facebook to be the next Myspace. It's not impossible. Many people moved away from Myspace because it was becoming annoying. More and more lately, people are becoming annoyed with Facebook. With adds appearing in the newsfeed, apps spamming all your friends, constant privacy rights issues, etc., there could come a day when people start to flee Facebook for the next big thing.

 

[TonyDedrick]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

I tried so.cl and found it to be unnecessarily convoluted and complicated.

Granted, this was last year. So maybe things have changed. But there was just way too much going on and didn't seem to have much focus on what it wanted to do

 

[berty6294]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

For so.cl to be the next Facebook, it would require Facebook to be the next Myspace. It's not impossible. Many people moved away from Myspace because it was becoming annoying. More and more lately, people are becoming annoyed with Facebook. With adds appearing in the newsfeed, apps spamming all your friends, constant privacy rights issues, etc., there could come a day when people start to flee Facebook for the next big thing.

half my friends have stopped using facebook for twitter. People are just looking for something different all the time. I think SoCl can attract a good crowd

 

[Chregu]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

Bing is legit and is a strong #2 and offers many other features that are getting more attention. Example, Bing translate.

I use Bing exclusively and have no issue finding what I'm looking for.

In Switzerland, Bing is officially still in beta (and much worse than Google).

 

[X0LARIUM]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

To the person who mentioned G+, I just didn't like it. I don't know. FB was simple. And first. After may be Orkut. But SO.CL could be a game changer if they have something major up their sleeve. Yes, sadly the similarities between G+ and SO.CL are striking. Rightnow its all about same colour clothes, different color rooftops, random people discussing a bizarre topic. It is like an underground shaft where cops wont come. So people can do anything they want.
Bit crazy if u ask me.

PS: They need to "invent" something more than Follow and Like to be big. And G+ failed exactly here.

 

[ejb222]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

It will be tough to take over FB...or at least a long process. People are pretty well invested in FB and even other companies as they've geared OS's around FB...integrated it into the OS. It would take a really good piece of software to do that...and a huge support from consumers...who wants a social network of 1 Having said that, I've never used So.Cl so I'll have to take a peak and see.

 

[Guzzler3]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

FB is loosing members lately. It's no longer the "in" place for the teen to 25 demographic. "To many old people on it" (seriously, that's the major complaint from people leaving FB) or "Interface changes to much, have to relearn how to quickly post updates".
Twitter is gaining, because it's just "simple and instant".

If you want to know what's the next big social place is (or anything), go to middle school to college and see what everyone is using. Kids follow kids to sites and products. Simple as that. You can do marketing up the wazoo, if kids don't use it, it will die. And kids don't listen to marketing, they listen to other kids.

Google and MS with their social sites are somewhat doomed if kids don't use it. The best way to get kids to use it, is tell them they can't use it. Example: Post minimum age requirement for usage, but don't enforce it. Forbidden fruit concept.

Microsoft made an error in it's marketing for WP from the beginning. They showed ads of parents using the devices. Remember the ads of comparing parents looking down at their "other" phones and missing their kids memorable moments, with the parent of WP were watching their kids. In a way that took WP backwards. It's only now, MS and Nokia are getting into the teen, young adult ads (night shots on streets, clubs, concerts, etc.) But they have an uphill battle now.

Google and Android has always targeted young adults for their devices, but not for their social network, and you can see it in membership.

P.S.
Another good indicator is ME. When I finally sign up for something it's at it's peak, soon to go down (so don't follow my suggestions on the stock market either). I'm always late to the IN thing.

 

[LeLee092]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

I didnt save the article but either forbes or CNN reported that most middle schoolers and high schoolers were actually leaving facebook for tumblr...mostly for the same reason Guzzler3 was talking about..kids thought too many 'old people' are on facebook and prefer to use something young and hip, and that they only use facebook more as 'chore' like for uploading pictures of prom, and checking in to the movie theaters..kinda like a internet 'desktop' or 'documents' folder..something to post about your actual life so people dont think your a loser and dont go out

Yahoo! might still be in the competition guys!

 

[derDaniel]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

bing is too lame in germany

the results of google are still way better here



I hope socl will never be like facbook
I give facebook around 5 years until nobody will care about it anymore

facebook the most boring social network of all

 

[IrRevd]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

I'm losing patients in Facebook but doubt MSFT will take their crown. Bing/Outlook.com and Win Phone are great products but MSFT can't seem to make much inroad into Google/Gmail and Android.

What makes you think they will be any better at social networking?

 

[IrRevd]

Re: Did you guys notice this...

Excuse my typo.

 

[Ted Ritsick]

Bing is pretty good. Like 9 times out of 10 exactly what I'm looking for I'll find. It's also awesome to get a $5 WP store credit thrown my way every once in a while with the rewards thing.

 

[Guzzler3]

Honestly, Google has a GREAT concept of circles. Post info that is only viewable by those in a particular circle or circles. i.e. Close friends see intimate/stupid stuff. Parents and public see the non-embarrassing upstanding citizen stuff, etc. The downside is that you have to think while posting and make sure stuff goes in the right circle. That doesn't go well with kids, they want quick and simple (actually everyone, not just kids). They want "click, post", not "click, assign, post".

But oddly, kids don't like "all in one" sites. For some reason they prefer to have multiple accounts to multiple sites that do specific things (and do them well). I know when I was younger, the idea of one site holding all my stuff scared the crud out of me. Didn't like having all my eggs in one basket. But now that I'm older... Meh.... I could care less.

If Microsoft want's So.Cl to take off, they need to rename it. Seriously? Socl it took me 15 minutes figure out the address to check it out. I created an account in 3 clicks (nice), but when I got in, WTH?!?!? Makes no sense.

Also, I may have been wrong about where kids are going. Twitter, Tumblr, both begin with T (getting old sucks).

 

[Coreldan]

That said, Facebook has that available nowadays too, if you bother to sort people into certain groups of people.