Russian bloggers go on Google+?

Let's start with a well-known fact: LiveJournal is "lying" again for several days now. A disabled LiveJournal is perceived by many as a matter of course. Everyone was already tired of the two-faced behavior of the SUP, on the one hand, informing Russian users about grandiose hacker attacks, and on the other hand, explaining to users non-Cyrillic “oh, sorry, we did something about it” .

Let me remind you that the April DDoS caused a mass hysteria that ended with a statement by President Medvedev about the inadmissibility of such situations. However, apart from political, in essence, battles, and moving to elementary marketing laws, it becomes obvious: Livejournal is uncompetitive, and sooner or later, users will begin to leave it. Can you imagine a bread shop not working week? Regardless of the popularity of the store, buyers will go for bread in another, and will not finish eating crackers.


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Attentive analysis of the events shows: LJ audience flows on Google+ . It is the social network from the largest search engine that becomes a haven for weary bloggers, not Facebook, not VKontakte, not WordPress. About why so and not otherwise - a few considerations under the cut.

Hamster Games

The main parameter by which it is necessary to evaluate the success of a particular platform is the activity of its participants. A unique atmosphere has developed in LiveJournal, in which activity is determined by the symbiosis of top bloggers and commentators. The first page of comments in the top blogs is traditionally clogged with “first lines” and “second level comments” within a few minutes, while the content of the post is of little concern to anyone. The main thing is to be noted, - nobody reads the second page. It looks like a fun game.

Conclusion: the only way to keep the weight of the blog - to save their own "hamsters". The July fall of LiveJournal made it possible for top bloggers to reserve a site on Google+, it allowed them to transfer their viral audience there. Hackers (if they were) rendered LJ leaders an invaluable service.

Of course, the number of “rounded off” top bloggers is not yet comparable to the number of friends in their LiveJournal profiles, but this number increases with every hour of idleness the pace of which any marketer dreams:

Artemy Lebedev - 11926 people
Anton Nosik - 8061 people
Alexey Navalny - 7853 people
Ilya Varlamov - 6046 people
Maxim Kononenko - 842 people
Technomad - 703 people

The most important thing is that in the comments all the same trolls, familiar to LJ, flash: waaaagh, dikaya_lapka, edvvvard, pinky_pig, luidgy, sinsimit and others. It is these users who carry information about where the party is taking place, at least they are an indicator of a successful broadcast.

Another indicator of success is the aggressive spread of viral content in the resulting environment, expressing sympathy for Google+ and mistrust of other social platforms.

The spread of access to Google+ through invites allows bloggers to provide a smooth relocation to their commentators. By giving readers an invite, bloggers can be sure that they will keep 95% of their audience. So, strictly speaking, does Anton Nosik, for example.

Mood

I would like to once again note the significant difference in the mood of LJ activists between the April DDoS and the July one. Spring was just a panic: what to do, where to run, what to expect? Now, many are not shy about using alternative ways: they are actively following on Twitter, from which links are eventually moved to Google+, where they find “all of their own”.

Most of the “migrant” content consists of arguments on the topic of how we can continue to live and how to adapt to the new environment. The range of emotions is extremely high: from

“Googleplus is a hotel. A LiveJournal is a private apartment. Therefore, as soon as the apartment is given electricity again, we will go back ” (Lebedev)

to enthusiastic screams

“Well, we are getting bigger! Soon we will establish our own zhezheshny order here! ” (Varlamov)

Here is an approximate list of Google Rules and Google Rules, causing bewilderment, and sometimes outrage of LJ users:

1) the absence of a hierarchical system of comments. The main problem that everyone faces is a lack of understanding of how to respond to a specific user (you need to type "+" and the first letters of the recipient's name, and then Google itself prompts)

2) the inability to insert html-tags into the body of the letter (especially annoying Alexei Navalny)

3) misunderstanding how to give a link to the post (you need to either select in the drop-down menu, or click on the post time - exactly like VKontakte)

4) inconvenient work with video

5) the inability to insert at least somehow the podcast

6) Google’s already initiated sanctions against anonymus . Let me remind you also, Google does not allow to create business accounts online

7) dissatisfaction with the inability to spread nudity (guess three times which of the aforementioned bloggers is the most annoying)

8) dissatisfaction with the restriction in the expression of homophobic and nationalist slogans (because of which, according to one of the versions, the Zheshka was inundated; insiders report that the publication of Anders Breivik’s diaries and open sympathies to “conservative terrorism” were to blame)

9) the absence of groups and communities (a typical complaint: “I want to read the post from the community“ One My Day ”, where can I do this on G +?”)

In general, most correctly perceive Google+ as an “improved Facebook”, rejoice at the opportunity to chat with friends, use the new service, but nostalgia for tree-like comments and animated avatars interrupts any arguments of the “modernist party”.

What's next?

It is quite obvious that LJ will not die either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, despite all the obsolescence of its software kernel. In the end, LiveJournal is valuable to mother history, not by its technical characteristics, but by the unique community established on its basis. This community can be accommodated on a different platform with minimal losses, and today's events confirm this. You can kill the site, but you can not kill the freedom of speech.

It is also clear that there will be no mass escape on Google+. Leave only the most battle-hardened part. Housewives and fans of Harry Potter will find their place on lilishechkakh and yarushechkakh.

Much more important is the answer to the question of whether Google+ can satisfy the aesthetic needs of "those who stayed at the Living" (sorry for the pun). Google+ is not a blog platform, but a social network. A social network, by definition, is simpler, simpler, or something. A blog suggests a more complex, more intellectual work; a social network is a solid “content sharing”. I can not quote a remarkably remarkable sarcasty remark about this about Anton Nosik.

“I wonder how they imagine this process - sharing materials in real life. In my opinion, this is something from reproductive biology. ”

In conclusion, I would like to answer the question posed at the beginning of the article: why is Google+?

First, Google+ is still very young. This is a new planet, which can be settled by anyone: people, trolls or pink piglets. Of course, Google’s management will be much stricter at war with pornography, fascism and virtuals than does the weak-willed SOUP. But something tells me that people are sitting in Google, smart enough to watch out for the golden egg, which itself rolls into their hands.

Secondly, Google+ is beautiful. He replies (may Habragospod forgive me!) To the concept of “nursery.” In terms of aesthetics, I know only one site that can compete with it.

UPD The author of the photo posted in the topic is Alexander Belenky, LJ user macos.