Google takes a swipe at Facebook

Google's social vice president Bradley Horowitz has taken a few swings at Facebook, as part of his suggestion that the time is ripe for Google's + service to become the dominant social network, citing what he considers to be a general distaste for Facebook's advertising practises as a major reason why.

He focuses in on the recent accusations that Facebook doesn't allocate adverts very well, with many businesses and independent advertisers complaining about the way they are distributed. In comparison, Horowitz highlighted that Google + wasn't inherently filled with adverts, making the impact of individual ones far more effective. Citing a somewhat surreal example of Facebook's advertising style, he said (via Wired): “When I'm having a conversation with my daughter, if a man with a sandwich board came and ran between us and danced around, that's a bad experience,” Horowitz says. “It interrupts my connection to my daughter. And yet that's the way that many of the social networks are monetising. They're basically injecting the monetisation agenda into the least appropriate, least useful, most intimate moments when I'm trying to look another human in the eyes and create a connection of the heart… We don't have to do that.”

While some might argue that he's overestimating what people consider social networking to be, it's something to consider if you're getting a bit tired of Facebook – Google's service does have less adverts. Of course, part of the reason people use Facebook is because everyone they know uses it already. While a few years ago, it was common for people to move between networks as the flavour of the month hit, it's been far less so recently since Facebook became the essential face of the online practice.

Other points Horowitz made included the fact that Facebook likes were losing their intrinsic value and that companies were weighing up if having more of them, really leads to more traffic and sales. He also mentioned that there was little control on the site about who sees what you post.

Of course the mere fact that he has to make these points, tells us that Facebook is still the dominant platform, but its grasp on that position might be slipping.

KitGuru Says: Does any of what he says make you guys more interested in using Google +? Let us know below.

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