Not many people know about it now, but internet giant Google once did throw its own hat into the ring of social networking. Their shot against the likes of Facebook and Twitter was called Google+ (Plus), which was first debuted on 2011, in the wake of Google Buzz which barely lasted a year. Unfortunately a double whammy of software design bugs and lack of interest even among Google regulars led to a gradual phasing out of the platform, which escalated last year. As of Monday this week the final nail on the Google+ coffin was nailed shut to make way for a successor of sorts.
The Verge reports that the final vestiges of the failed Google+ social network gave way on July 6 to Google Currents, itself only a component of the G Suite app package that is primarily used by enterprise owners on Google. To reflect that change, all instances of the old Google+ app on Android Google Play and iOS App Store have been replaced with the new Google Currents app. As already stated, Currents is mainly geared towards Google-based enterprise owners, a far cry from when the internet search engine powerhouse tried to push Google+ against Facebook.
On its new incarnation, Currents works to connect members of a business organization on Google. There is a Home stream that lists all available content discussions opened on the app that are posted by Currents users connected with the enterprise on G Suite. Play Store screenshots of Currents in action boast that Currents will help users keep relevant discussions, stay in touch with coworkers and their bosses, and stay abreast of topics relevant to the organization. Company admin users will of course have moderation capabilities when using currents such as sending topic discussions to specific employees and track user engagement.
It all seems to be quite the good start for Google Currents even from its smaller and more business-focused scope compared to its prior incarnation as Google+, the social network that never took off. Then again, Google simply reused the “Currents” app name from another long-discontinued app of theirs, an online media hub featuring digital versions of magazine articles. The original and unrelated Google Currents (after “current events”) ran only from 2011 to 2013, when it was merged with Google Play Magazines into Google Play Newstand, itself folded into Google News in 2018. One only hopes the new “Currents” iteration of Google+ will have better fortune in staying relevant online.
Image courtesy of PC World
Morgan Magazine 