Matt Soreco » google

I’m Using Google Drive and Dropbox Together

Matt Soreco — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:06:49 +0000

Rather than choose one over the other, I found a pretty cool way to use them together. It suites my needs and preferences perfectly.

What did I do? I put my local Google Drive folder IN my Dropbox folder. So, things added to Google Drive (from web, phone, desktop, etc) are automatically synced to Dropbox too.

For now, everything in Google Drive is backed up in Dropbox, but not the other way around. I still have all of my videos, pictures, and music on Dropbox only as I paid for extra storage and don’t want to pay for extra Google Drive space too.

The way I’m visualizing it is Google Docs is for everyday things, new uploads, etc, where “Dropbox only” files are not frequently (or ever) edited files.

This solves several things for me.

I like having a double backup
I like things synced automatically. Very little setup.
I like multiple ways to access and interact with files.

Google Chrome is Slow and Crashing

Matt Soreco — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:51:06 +0000

I thought I was alone until I saw posts on G+, Twitter, Blogs, Google Help forums… The latest release seems to be a disaster. It’s been crashing both my home and work computers–not just the browser, but the whole computer. I’m not nerdy enough to find the exact reason why… What gets me mad is the glass house thing. As much as Google employees, PR efforts, and fanboys go on an on about it being faster and more stable than IE, the more aggravating it is when all that bragging turns hypocritical. I don’t even care if they fix it soon. I’d like to see some mud slung back at them.

Another hint to the usage / popularity of G+ vs. Facebook

Matt Soreco — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:39:26 +0000

Ok, so I was challenged in my last post about this over the word “proof.” I agree. This isn’t proof, but I do think it’s a strong signal.

Take a look at this article. See how may facebook likes it got vs google +1s? More than 10x more Facebook likes.

Only time will tell if G+ ever gets to Facebook popularity. Right now, I think the heavy users and evangelists are all in one giant echo chamber.

Some Proof Very Few Using Google+

Matt Soreco — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 02:30:11 +0000

Something hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve always been very skeptical of what Google considers a user. For example, they touted so many millions of Buzz users, when in fact many of the “users” were simply gmail users who turned it on (probably unknowingly) but never really USED it. So ACTIVE users are never mentioned when Google brags about any of they new initiatives. Google+ fails the same sniff test to me. Many big names I see active on Twitter, Facebook, Blogosphere are either not on Google+ or their usage and interaction is very small. Google is always bragging, but I see very little evidence. In fact, most of what I see is G+ power users complaining why so many others aren’t using the “wonderful” service.

So how does a lay person cut through all of the BS? Well, whilst viewing some YouTube videos, I noticed that extremely popular videos (millions of views) had only hundreds of +1s. All while having tens of thousands of YouTube thumbs ups.

Here is an example. Jeremy Lin video. Almost 7 million views and only 277 +1s. I checked and other very popular videos are the same. Granted the +1 button does not always show (in the Android app or online), but that might be another telling sign. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see the +1 rate is extremely low.

Google Analytics Bug – Down?

Matt Soreco — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:28:42 +0000

Anyone else getting this error today? It doesn’t give much information on what to do.

Two Google Things that Baffle Me

Matt Soreco — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 15:32:32 +0000

1) There is no Chrome browser for Android, with integration of Chrome sync for bookmarks and other settings.
2) Chrome bookmarks (with sync) doesn’t sync with Google Bookmarks.

You see, I hate having to maintain multiple bookmark lists.

Google Plus, continued

Matt Soreco — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:08:10 +0000

In my last post about Google Plus I predicted a flop. I’m sticking with it.

The post, Google’s Management Doesn’t Use Google+ highlights one of the reasons why.

But also from my observations…

It’s been reported that traffic to Plus is down considerably from when it was newly launched.
Traffic and usage is down even given the tremendous push by Google.
I know very few people who use it. And “use” it is putting it nicely. Even fewer people I know actually USE it at all (as opposed to just having a profile).
I think I mentioned this in another post. Being in internet marketing I can sniff BS like this out. Google sometimes uses tricky figures when they brag. So while they brag about x million of users, like my previous point, how about usage? I bet most signed up and borderline abandoned, like me.
I was at a Google Learn session Wednesday about Google advertising opportunities. When the topic of Plus came up, I got a good sense from the room that attendees didn’t want to be bothered. I think that sentiment was felt by the speaker, who then switched gears to another topic. I think it’s telling.
It doesn’t look like even the active Googlers who I’ve followed on Buzz, Twitter, etc are eating enough dog food.

I know it’s a high priority, and Google is trying very hard to make Plus work. I just don’t see it happening.

Google+, My Prediction

Matt Soreco — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 19:59:17 +0000

It’s another flop.

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity.
-Charles Mingus

From day 1, most of the posts on there are people figuring out how to use it. Tons of posts on how it’s sooooooooo much better than Facebook and Twitter, only if we can just figure it out some more.

Google has a sneaky way of bragging about things. How it’s the fastest growing social network. Ummm, both Facebook and Twitter didn’t have the clout Google has to begin with. They grew from nothing. I’ve seen this misleading hype from Google when Buzz launched and during the growth of their Chrome browser.

Google+ right now is an echo chamber. Early adopters (who all seem to hate Facebook and Microsoft) figuring out what to do with the new shiny object. Something that struck me with Buzz is my less tech savvy friends and family asking me “what’s this for and what do I do with it.” Exactly! I get the same vibe with Google+.

Supposedly Google+ is looking beyond simply a social networking tool and into an integration of tools like Google Docs, where collaboration is revolutionized. Sounds like Wave to me. What ever happened to that? Plus, again just by polling my non-tech friends and family, very few use Docs, Calendar, Reader, etc. Mostly all only use Gmail and search.

I’ll wait and see. I’m not very impressed so far. I think it’s going to end up on my list one day.

tsk-tsk, Google displaying their own duplicate content

Matt Soreco — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:22:12 +0000

I did a vanity search today and lo and behold, Google is displaying duplicate content (2 versions of the same Google profile).

Why are they not following their own advice?

Duplicate Google Profiles

Google Failures

Matt Soreco — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:34:00 +0000

I love most things Google, but they have had their share of flops. I think my uber-love of Google is starting to lessen. I’m not sure I would say they are abandoning their “don’t be evil” mantra, but they have been childish and borderline deceptive in some of their recent PR. They seem to be overly-celebrating minor innovations to their suite of services–most of which have been available on other services for years. Also the accusation of Bing copying their results leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I’d like to expand on the list at some point and add in my layman’s reasons why these have failed. Some are newer, and are predictions as well:
Wave
Buzz
Latitude
Latitude Check-In
Notebook
Orkut
Knol
Google Video
Google Answers
SearchWiki
SideWiki
Google Catalogs
Print Ads
Page Creator
Audio Ads
Friend Connect

6/24/11: Google Health
6/27/11: Google PowerMeter
7/29/11: Google TV (prediction)
10/14/11: Google Buzz was a prediction (above), confirmed today.
11/2/11: Google Sidewiki was a prediction (above), confirmed today.
11/22/11: Google Bookmarks Lists
11/22/11: Google Friend Connect was a prediction (above)
11/22/11: Google Wave was a prediction (above)
11/22/11: Knol was a prediction (above)
11/22/11: Google Gears