Google+ will shut down again in 2023

[Polycount]

The big picture: Back in 2018, Google announced plans to shut down its controversial "Google+" social network, with shrinking user numbers and a series of data breaches being the primary reasons for the decision. However, the company felt there was a place for Google+ in the business world, so it rebranded the service to "Google Currents" and left it open for enterprise users for years to come. Unfortunately for those users, the Grim Reaper has returned to finish the job, and this time, Google+ won't be spared.

If you've never heard of Google Currents, it essentially gave every company that signed up a private social media network for their workers and executives to interact in. They could have casual chats, message each other, and publish important (or unimportant) announcements as desired. Given that Currents managed to survive four years under Google's watchful eye, it probably saw some limited amount of success.

Either way, though, Google feels the platform has become entirely obsolete now. In a recent Google Workspace announcement post, the company revealed that Google+'s business incarnation will wind down in 2023, and effectively be replaced by Google Spaces, which launched last year. Google Spaces is available across the entire Google Workspace suite, meaning G Suite customers can access the feature from Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and more.

Spaces are essentially mini Microsoft Teams or Slack chats. You can create spaces focused on specific topics, upload files, set and check off tasks, pin posts, chat, and use emojis just as you can in most other business communication apps. Google does plan to add "new capabilities" to Spaces before fully shutting down Google Currents that will better ease the transition, but we don't know much about them; only that they'll help you "communicate and collaborate" more effectively.

If you or your organization currently takes advantage of Google Currents, note that some of its lesser-used features (no examples have been provided) will be switched off in the lead-up to its eventual shutdown.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/93375-google-shut-down-google-business-spin-off-2023.html

 

[MarkHughes]

>If you've never heard of Google Currents

That might be the problem, The software/hardware company I work for with 11,000 people uses gmail and google docs/sheets etc and yet I had never heard of this nor do we use it. I was under the impression it was all shut down with Google+.

 

[seeprime]

>If you've never heard of Google Currents

That might be the problem, The software/hardware company I work for with 11,000 people uses gmail and google docs/sheets etc and yet I had never heard of this nor do we use it. I was under the impression it was all shut down with Google+.

It does seem a bit ironic that Google makes billions selling advertising but seems to be clueless when it comes to marketing it's own products. It's like they look forward to killing off stuff instead of effectively promoting them.

 

[MarkHughes]

It does seem a bit ironic that Google makes billions selling advertising but seems to be clueless when it comes to marketing it's own products. It's like they look forward to killing off stuff instead of effectively promoting them.

Absolutely, The first time I have heard of many of their products is when there is an article stating it's being shut down, And I am surely not alone in this. I look at the page with them all listed and I have heard of almost none of them.

My company bought Sketchup from them which might have saved that from the graveyard too.

Here is the page for anyone interested in looking https://killedbygoogle.com/

 

[Uncle Al]

If google would make "self-standing" apps I think it would be a lot better received by the public. With general knowledge showing that Google has their hands on all of your data, people certainly arn't going to accept a social app from them Bad enough everyone else is doing it but google could really establish themselves if they started moving away from that philosophy .... yes I'm a dreamer, but I'm old enough to remember how it started out and how it's run downhill .....