design
Is Twitter, Facebook or Google The Best Social
Netoworking Site For Your Message Spread?
Although grouped as ‘social networking sites’, when rivalry & peculiarities are considered,
commonality amongst the 3 titans almost ends there. It almost reminds you of West European
principalities competing & cutting each other’s soldiers that enticed exploration of the ‘resterners’ - cut
throat competition between the ‘principalities’ of this network entices exploration of technology &
psychology.
However, unlike resentment of the former, this competition finds no haters.
Forget firms, clash of the titans, because in fact, it has percolated to the lesser mortals. Almost like
scribes orgasmically writing about clashing politicians, endorsing our headline, even bloggers – the
secondary reporters, have joined in the speculative fray. As if uniting all, ‘Which is the best among the
3?’ suddenly emerges as a common query.
With them choosing different dates of birth & boasting avid followers – who are happy with what they
use, & probing almost amounting to comparing apples with oranges, choosing the best isn’t easy. If
trend is anything to go by, while Twitter with 350 million users & Facebook with 800 million can even
make a pivotal shift in Net access & almost govern human behavior. Google+, the newest baby of the
search engine dinosaur, Google, even boasts a growth spurt at 40 million. With it bridging the gaps in
the other two, its facilities amaze me, not the catching up.
Although message delivery, as a way of spread, is offered by all 3, like the making of a superstar,
large follower count gives boost & boast to firms attached to all, & firms crave for a date with 5% of
those followers who really matter in all - it’s the differing services that make the 3 titans distinct, if not
essential.
FACEBOOK: Designed by a few uni geeks in a room, launched in 2004, & aimed at bringing friends &
families above the age of 13 together – not quite clients, Facebook drags both underage kids &
traditional housewives to their PCs. Changing human behavior, this brand challenges mighty search
engines.
PROS: Like in Twitter, messages can be offered to follower's screens or sent to them directly. But
then those aren’t limited by the magical 140 characters. Having the facility to create pages reflecting
aspects, it allows the uploading of person tagged pics & videos to the right page that can be liked or
commented upon in a stream. As if proving ‘picture tells a thousand words,' while intense interest in
family pics brings women to their PCs – even disproves women prefer audio alone, comments on
those & chat almost makes them glued. Addiction isn’t unheard of. When apps & games are added,
even men don’t claim immunity. And when firms show keenness, akin to the glamour of ‘fan’ &
‘followers’, its Fan page that can go viral forms the mum of all temptations there.
Almost reminding body – gut bug symbiosis, Facebook & Obama campaign symbiotically and are
boosted by each other. While enhancing video chat, the addition of Skype has made it even bigger,
and cheaper ads there is making smaller firms larger. Matching counts, firms have made millions
there. Matching counts again, the Google search engine has turned envious, if not silently hostile.
GAPS: This home invading giant has limits, however. Designed to protect privacy of friends & families,
it needs an OK to view contents. Parallel to it not being very user-friendly, errors in texts, which
routinely happens, can be deleted alone, not edited. Strangely, almost as a double tragedy, while
access to followers alone limits exposure, it’s the exposure to all followers that painfully limits
expression. Even if not disorderly, a drunken or wild expression like ‘My boss is fat’ can slim one's
earnings. While uploaded goods are de jure Facebook’s, when spies feast on them they are de facto
company’s too.
TWITTER: Popularized by Iran revolt & taken up by CNN; Twitter has become a major brand –
especially for instant news delivery.
PROS: Unlike Facebook, Twitter is a public forum that knows publicity alone. A 140 character
message can be put on the follower's stream, sent to them as a direct message, or even to unaware
non followers. While the latter makes sending an unasked message to even President Obama
possible, unlike subscription gathered emails, mere search brings @usernames here. Even if not a
follower again, its #word system aids in finding tweets that can be retweeted to bring people together
– as designed.
Parallel to its fame & limits, there are Twitter aiding sites & software that send timed tweets, do
follow/unfollow, calculate Tweet reach, search #word & even dedicate pages for a particular #. Aiding
viral spread, its swiftness, followings, #search, RT, @tweets & recognition by Google search even
makes it a viral king because it epitomizes the viral spread of messages. Firms couldn’t ask for more.