Wednesday, July 10, 2013

LIfe Cycle: Nobody's Exempt. Even Google.

I have a theory on why #Google products' #usability is rapidly dropping, as far as most of people I know and communicate with are concerned.

See, Google is efficient. It kills 35% of its products. And you bet that they "trim the fat" from existing.

What is "fat"? Correct, features that are not used.

Not used by whom? Correct, teenagers that use these products to fulfill their Maslow's pyramid needs and couldn't care less about advanced features or products you and I use.

What happens to those advanced features or products? Correct, they are eliminated. We're moving towards #idiocracy, fast. #FAIL ensues.

How can we be saved? One way way I see now is to make product plugin APIs so good and so open that whoever wants to preserve or improve the outgoing features or products can do so. Chrome with its lack of "open new tab in foreground on middle button" and extensions that fixed it immediately is a good example.

Wonder if Google sees this imminent problem (sliding towards idiocracy) as a problem yet, or still as "optimization". In latter case, we're screwed until Google's replacement arrives, and it'll take a lot of brain muscle to make that happen.

Can't wait.