The Google+ Project

The two Internet giants are going head-to-head in a social networking battle, but cooperation could be the key to their survival.

Theory 1: They Can Coexist Independently
Theory 2: They Can Coexist Only If They’re Willing to Work Together
Theory 3: There Can Be Only One Survivor

Here's my prediction: Google+ won't usurp the throne from Facebook. It will instead grow into a strong, competitive player and much-needed alternative, much as Google's Chrome has with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. That would leave Facebook as the largest player, but one without a dominant share of the social networking market.
I predict that when this game is done playing, there will be no more thrones.

In short, the 750 million Facebook users could be easy pickings for Google + if it is offering better service, better features and some straightforward privacy promises, he says.

People are also beginning to focus on Twitter as another likely – perhaps more likely – candidate for Google + victim.

Bottom line is, Google + is clearly going to impact someone when it truly gets going. As Rob Enderle put it, “Another MySpace moment is coming, thanks to Google +.”

Facebook remains a behemoth, but G+ has actually succeeded in exploiting a couple weaknesses of FB that I didn't really notice until an alternative was presented:
1. Poor handling of friend lists
2. Friend decay
3. Confusing privacy controls
4. Facebook groups

Ultimately I hope that Facebook pays attention and improves its own services -- that'll be great for consumers.

Bill Gross is the founder of prolific business incubator Idealab and its Twitter app builder and buyer Ubermedia; he's wrangled with Twitter headquarters over access to the Twitter API and reportedly tried (unsuccessfully) to outbid Twitter to acquire leading desktop Twitter client Tweetdeck.

But can you guess what Gross is hot on now? Google Plus - the new Google social network launched late last month that's been stealing the hearts, minds and time of many Twitter power players. Today Gross wrote that he believes Plus may be the fastest social network in history to hit 1 million users and he predicts it will become the fastest network ever to hit 100 million. That's a bold prediction that if accurate could point to some serious social networking disruption.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner raised a few eyebrows Monday when he forecast the demise of Google+, which has been attracting attention and gaining momentum.
Speaking at a Churchill Club event in Santa Clara, Calif., on Monday, Weiner was reportedly asked if there is a limit to the number of social networks that can successfully exist. He said there is a limit and predicted that Google+will fail in the shadow of Facebook.

LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner sees no way Facebook and Google+ can both exist, and says it's likely Google+ will come out on the losing end of the battle.
Weiner obviously has a slanted view on the social networking market because in his mind, no matter what the other players are, LinkedIn will always be relevant, which certainly can be disputed.
But, on a meta level, he had a pretty salient observation of social network functions in a recent Business Insider article.
There are three main, distinct purposes for a social network: "microcasting" all the latest goings-on in your life (Twitter), managing your professional life (LinkedIn), and connecting with friends and family.

Put it bluntly: if Twitter Is batshit crazy enough to implement even half of the things that Robert Scoble lays out, they will effectively kill their own product.
Of course, we can rest-assured knowing that Twitter is very likely not[/i] this foolish. After being in business for a full five years, they must know by now that their strength is not to mimic every just-launched and hot-right-now new social network (in this case, Google+). Their strength is to remain true to what got them to where they are now: simplicity.