PR & News Google+ Failed to achieve and is shutting down.

[Staci van Wyk]

Anyone aware what bug could have affected up to 500,000 Google+ Accounts?

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/10/08/google-to-shut-down-amid-security-bug/

 

[Alexander Lau]

They're shutting it down for a number of reasons, the breach isn't really one of them. They can't compete with the others (as bad as that sounds). There's no sense in supporting a product as weak as Google+. They've got bigger fish to fry. The way I see it they'll be throwing resources at GMB, expanding it (great for dealers).

The breach that killed Google+ wasn’t a breach at all
https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/9/17957312/google-plus-vulnerability-privacy-breach-law

 

[Jeff Kershner]

Google sure did make us jump through a lot of hoops for G+ - all for nothing really. Google makes a habit of this.

 

[Alex Snyder]

Google sure did make us jump through a lot of hoops for G+ - all for nothing really. Google makes a habit of this.

Agreed. It sure doesn't inspire much confidence in their products.

Personally, I was toying with the idea of using GSuite for email, but after all the things they fire-up and then shut down I'm going to use Microsoft instead. Admittedly, I've been moving away from Google since 2016.

• Already switched off of Google as my search provider. Using Duck Duck Go.
• Apple powers my mobile world.
• I'm down to Google Voice answering service and one Google Home device that is handy in the kitchen.
• Google Docs are pretty good for sharing even though I much prefer to use iCloud because Pages, Keynote, and Numbers are better for my uses.

 

[Alexander Lau]

Agreed. It sure doesn't inspire much confidence in their products.

Personally, I was toying with the idea of using GSuite for email, but after all the things they fire-up and then shut down I'm going to use Microsoft instead. Admittedly, I've been moving away from Google since 2016.

• Already switched off of Google as my search provider. Using Duck Duck Go.
• Apple powers my mobile world.
• I'm down to Google Voice answering service and one Google Home device that is handy in the kitchen. Google Docs are pretty good for sharing even though I much prefer to use iCloud because Pages, Keynote, and Numbers are better for my uses.

Obviously, Google's core product is Adwords / Ads. Everything else that they've done has been fairly frilly. I will say, GSuite is nice to use (have it set up on two domains) and it's probably one of a few products that earn them profit outside of Ads. Google Docs, I agree with, useful.

 

[Alexander Lau]

Massive breach, causing earlier shutdown
https://blog.geebo.com/2018/12/11/google-shutting-even-earlier-due-to-more-massive-breach/

 

[Alexander Lau]

Upcoming changes to Google+ for your organization
Here are some of the changes your users may experience with the shutdown of the consumer version of Google+:

• Communities outside your domain without at least one G Suite owner will be deleted. Also, your users will no longer be able to create public communities outside your domain.
• Google+ pages, events, and the Google+ profile field for “tagline” will be deleted for both G Suite and consumer users.
• Previously, upon G Suite customer cancellation, certain customers (e.g., edu customers) could continue to use Google+. Going forward, upon cancellation of G Suite, all G Suite customers’ content will be flagged for deletion.
• Content from consumer Google+ accounts will be deleted. Consumer users will also be removed from your circles and communities.
• For additional changes to Google+ features such as collections, circles, search, vanity URLs, and commenting in Blogger and other sites, see the Help Center article.