Danny Sullivan of Search Engine Land writes:
Google’s announced they’re closing or ceasing development of a variety of products as part of analready continuing move to keep efforts focused on other products with greater usage. These include an end to video uploads to Google Video, closure of Google Catalog Search, Google Notebook, Dodgeball, the microblogging service Jaiku and the Google Mashup Editor.
The closure of uploads to Google Video is no surprise, I’ve wondered what would happen to it ever since Google bought YouTube and it’s role as a video search engine seems to be a better fit with Google core search service.
Interesting to see that Jaiku is being shut down, in my opinion, after the closure of Pownce in December, Jaiku was the next best direct competitor for Twitter. Another victim of Twitter’s popularity and phenomenal growth, it makes more room for the Twitter guys to start working out how to make money from the service.
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I’m surprised about Dodgeball and Jaiku, especially the later. I thought Jaiku had a large/steady user-base, (not on the same scale as Twitter obviously).
Dare I suggest that Google could be looking towards acquiring Twitter? Massive user-base, plenty of room for AdSense!
I wonder if Dodgeball is a bit backward facing, SMS based services must surely be suffering from the growth of XHTML capable mobile devices. BrightKite seems to be doing OK – not sure whether it can be properly monetized unless they hook into local search and some sort of affiliate/referral marketing scheme.
It’s a shame about Jaiku but Twitter has become the 800 lb gorilla of microblogging – I blame Robert Scoble (the other 800 lb gorilla of microblogging)
Thanks, I enjoyed reading your post. It