Despite grossly exaggerated rumours of Google’s only social networking efforts in recent years being dead any time soon, the platform has lived to mark its third anniversary. Silently and without a lot of pomp and colour, Google+ turned 3 even as opinion is divided on what the future holds for it.
There was no mention of Google+ at the just ended Google I/O 2014. Just the other day, its father, the then SVP Social for Google Vic Gundotra, announced that he’s leaving. At that point, many rushed to conclude that it was the beginning of the end for the social network that was once billed to be the middle ground between the dark sea of updates and ads that is Facebook and the very fast Twitter. There is no concrete proof that Google+ is going anywhere soon but coming months will likely tell us what the future holds for it.
Google came under fire when it made Google+ the mandatory commenting platform for YouTube comments with many saying that the search giant was becoming high-handed in its Google+ everywhere integration campaign across its web properties.
This is the photo Google’s VP of Engineering for Google+ Dave Besbris posted on Google+ to mark the 3rd annversary of the social network 2 days ago: