Google Engineer on Google Plus: "We Should Wise Up"
Commentators seem to be covering this story with the headline, Google engineer on Google+: 'A pathetic afterthought', but that underplays entirely what is involved here.
It is all about a Google engineer Steve Yegge who inadvertently published to the world a long rant about his convictions on the shortcomings of Google Plus. He published this on Google Plus itself and had intended that it be seen by a circle of his peers and friends. As he acknowledges, he is not a frequent user of Google Plus and by mistake sent it out to the world.
Criticism of your employer is normally seen as a reason for dismissal or for being sent off to the company's salt mines. Perhaps in a company like Google this is less likely to happen. Indeed the long rant has much to recommend it as a prescription for a rethink of Google Plus.
It was taken down by Steve Yegge shortly after publication but has now been republished by Rip Rowan and apparently this is will remain. If you read the many comments to that republished rant, you would see an almost universal acclaim for its existence and for its content.
In many ways it represents a significant call to action for Google. It probably is a sentiment that is shared by many other Google employees who have not chosen to express their views.
There are many points to consider in this tirade, but using Steve Yegge's terms, it is essential that Google adopts a different mindset on building platforms, which he feels that Facebook has done successfully.
That is somewhat surprising given that Facebook itself is the subject of many criticisms. Speaking personally I would encourage them both to consider making their applications more user centric. In other words developing applications that users are enthusiastic to use and find meets their every need.
I hope that Steve Yegge has not just dropped a pebble down the well without trace but that this missive will be sufficient to rock the Google boat.
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