Yes - I'm being serious they didn't push it hard enough. If you had a Gmail or YouTube account it should have just instantly become a Google+ account in some sort of private mode so it doesn't inadvertently leak your info.

If they would have just pushed it out to everyone, day one, mandatory, no opt out, then we'd still have Google+ today.

Like if they made Google Talk the default messaging client on Android we'd still have Google Talk. I don't recall Apple making iMessage an optional messaging app you don't have to use.

[–] qwertyqwertyqwerty@lemmy.one 7 points 1 year ago

Absolute truth. I was onboard with G+ early. I handed out invites to everyone I could. I pushed my spouse to use it. Ultimately what killed it was it being invite-only, and mainly only tech enthusiasts were on the site initially. When other people got invited by them, and the newer users didn't see their friends and family on the site, they just left and never revisited it. That was my experience anyways. The model Threads used will be the model that all large social media sites use to roll out new social media products, it just makes the most sense.

[–] Baku@sh.itjust.works 6 points 1 year ago

Eh, the whole reason I refused to use it WAS because they forced it on me so hard. Being forced into having one of you wanted to watch YouTube did my head in and I refused to use it. Same reason I don't use Microsoft edge even though it's a little less shit now

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 year ago

They started out like that, but then they tried to force it down everybody's throats and it backfired. It was mismanaged from start to finish, which is a shame because it really was good despite Vic Gundotra.

[–] Opafi@feddit.de 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't recall Apple making iMessage an optional messaging app you don't have to use.

But... it is optional. Opt-out, sure, but optional nonetheless. I have disabled it on my work phone.

[–] magic_lobster_party@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

As far as I’m concerned, barely anyone uses iMessage outside US. If it weren’t for the US market, it would have been discontinued long ago.

[–] CCL@links.hackliberty.org 2 points 1 year ago

To be fair, most Americans don't know anything exists outside of America.

[–] Ktheone@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Nah dude, there's no way that would have worked, the reason why g + backfired was literally because everyone on yt was forced to make a g account to just comment.

[–] Anaphylactic_Gock@lemmy.world 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I think you misunderstand what they're saying. You shouldn't have had to make an account. G+ should've just been a part of your existing Google account.

[–] CCL@links.hackliberty.org 1 points 1 year ago

That's what they did with Google Buzz, and that was even less popular than G+ every was.

[–] elbarto777@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

If they would have just pushed it out to everyone, day one, mandatory, no opt out, then we’d still have Google+ today.

Is this comment for real, or sarcasm? Did the upvoters forget about Google Buzz already?