Recently, Google+ seems to have copied the same mistake Twitter started in 2009 of Suggested Lists of Users for new people to follow (See below).
Paris Hilton is on my list? Jeez Google+ insult me why dont you. There are many prevalent normal people on the list I like with great content, but I dont want to see Google+ copying Twitters mistakes of turning into a Hollywood starf*cker service.
I understand that chasing celebrities might help bring promotion and users to the service but this is a household name GOOGLE. Its not like Twitter in 2009 where no one had heard of them. I knew Twitter was making a horrible mistake of “humping the Hollywood dog” in trying to get every Celebrity on it. People at the end of 2009 started saying to me, “Twitter…oh thats where the Stars talk to everyone? No I dont want to be on that, I want to be on Facebook where I can chat with my friends. Twitter really ruined their image with over focusing on Celebrities.
Celebrities arent bad its just Twitter worked so hard at it and pushing them on the Suggested Users Lists they alienated normal users who felt kicked aside. Lady Gaga can have umpteen million followers BUT if you’re a normal person, screw you, only 2000 allowed. Dont like it and push over it, Twitter suspends you. “Stay down sucker,” is the message. Do you see what Twitter subconsciously said to people about their VALUE there.
On Facebook you can even have up to 5000 friends instead of Twitters 2000, is it any wonder everyone went to Facebook? Even though Google+ is a Twitter-like hybrid, they are smart enough to match Facebook’s 5000 limit.
In studies its been shown that Celebrities dont have as much power or resonance as influential normal people have on Twitter like Guy Kawasaki, Robert Scoble, Chris Brogan, etc. So why hump the Celebrity dog? Besides at least I know every time these guys Tweet they arent being paid thousands of bucks for a “commercial tweet.” Celebrity Tweet ads? Thats just offensive to us. No one wants a service where the Stars talk down to you from above.
Google+, please dont make the same mistakes Twitter made. YouTube was smart, they took normal people with great content and promoted them. Copy their success. If you’re going to have a list rotate everyone through it randomly so they feel a part of the system. Stay away from the starf*cking.
Great this is really interesting thing good advice!)