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New Google Groups in Beta
qwe writes "Google has apparently launched a new version of their Google Groups, currently in beta. It looks a lot like Gmail. One can attach a star to message threads. One can even create new groups, although they aren't actual Usenet groups."
While the idea of a GMailish like system for newsgroups is a good thing, the whole thing seems limited by the fact that new groups can only be viewed using Google Groups, which gives them less readership.
How many Google Accounts does one need? Google presently maintains unrelated signons for...
- Google AdWords (to buy ads with Google)
- Google AdSense (for webmasters who want to show Google's ads)
- Google Answers (their rather obscure paid researcher solution)
- Free SiteSearch (for webmasters who want a custom colorset when users use a Google box on their site)
- Google API (for programmers who want to use Google via SOAP)
- GMail (the hot webmail beta test)
- Google Groups Beta (the new service we're talking about)
- Blogger (the blog site they aquired)
Yahoo and MSN/Passort of course have the privacy implications of there being a single-signon accross a wide network of websites some of which are operated by partner companies... but Google is developing the reverse problem. As you move from one service of Google to another, and the user may very well have different passwords at each of the logon points. Very confusing, and an annoyance to users.
The good news is that Google appears to be in the process of merging these databases for the free services and an account created today for one free services now gets access to all of them except GMail. They are showing signs that they intend on getting AdWords and AdSense into that system as well. Hopefully we'll just need one google.com cookie to get everything Google has soon...
Maybe it'll take time to get used to, but I don't really care for it. Reminds me of Yahoo Groups and the Usenet subjects' font are too big, thus not a lot of subjects displayed on the default view.
Google's Search interface hasn't changed at all. If you don't want a free e-mail account from them, they don't force one on you... in fact they've taken the opposite tact of baring the doors so that some people who want in can't get into that right now.
This makes perfect sense from a business perspective. They're expanding into becoming a full-service portal, but making search the main focus throughout all of their offerings.
Of course, they still haven't done anything to fix the problem of breaking threads that shouldn't be broken or reassembling threads that aren't related, other than by having the same title.
Wouldn't this give your email address to spammers? Gmail's spam filtering is nice and all, but I'd rather just not get the junk in the first place.
I know, I know, just set up 2 different gmail accounts, but I don't want to pay another $20 on Ebay just to be able to post to Usenet without being spammed.
Hear recorded Slashdot headlines on your phone! New service beta testing. Just call (248) 434-5508
Actually, it seems to me that they're still focusing on doing just one thing, well: search. Just because they're searching email and discussion boards now doesn't really change that.
Not quite sure how blogger fits in, unless they come up with a particularly cool way to index and search blogs.
"[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz
I don't think so. All of Google's spin-offs use search technology as a key part of the product.
Yahoo! was a portal that grew to do pretty much everything unrealted to what a portal does. They deviated from their core idea.
Unfortunetly, you can't post on usent using google, unless you're willing to post your shiny new gmail address for all the world's spammers to see :(
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
In other words, google takes a step towards the darkside with a proprietary and closed psuedo-usenet. If MS was doing this, everyone here would be screaming for vengence.
Keep your eye on google, they have the potential to do a lot of wrong.
I just tried to subscribe to some groups, read some threads and have google groups keep track of it. I'd say it is 10 times as slow as using a good usenet client. IMO the main advantage of usenet over webforumes etc. is the availability of efficient clients, filters, scoring systems, kill-files etc. that allow you to scan through a large number of groups/threads in minimal time. No web interface will ever come close to that.
One thing I've always admired is Google Groups' user interface -- the pane along the left-hand side makes it very clear where you are at in navigating a thread.
/. is better the way it is?)
Contrast this to Slashdot, where navigating the comments threads can be very confusing. I wish Slashdot could be re-written to something similar to GG. Anyone know the correct address for submitting this kind of suggestion?
(Or, on the other hand, any good reason
- Alaska Jack
Nor do Orkut accounts.
It is clear that Google are attempting to start a single "Google account" system, which Gmail and now Groups 2 uses, but they still have a long way to go.
It is now going to be a competitor. Read that again until you get it - this is a BIG, BIG change.
> see lots of replies to several-month old posts in the groups I frequent.
Did it occur to you that they were done with a normal usenet client?
It seems like all the suggestions given in your email could be made into options in the Google Groups interface. I think some people might prefer the way Google handles these features, so I wouldn't consider them bugs per se, but simply that they need to add functionality to change a lot of things in the display method, these being some of them.
Google has to be very careful in their pre-IPO service expansion, as they are walking a fine line between whetting potential investors' apetites and keeping to their angelic perception by the public.
Knowledge is just opinion that you trust enough to act upon. -Orson Scott Card