Google’s New Social Bar: Who’s Using It?

Thursday, February 12th, 2009 by Joe Hall

Google’s New Social Bar: Who’s Using It?

Google’s Friend Connect got a new gizmo, or should I say gadget? Technically it isn’t a gadget because its main purpose is to organize the Friend Connect gadgets that a site uses. The Friend Connect social bar is designed to simplify the process of using multiple Google Friend Connect gadgets on your site.

The 36 pixel high bar runs across the top of a site and contains a site wide activity feed, a comments section, and a list of site members. Installation for the social bar is relatively easy with Google providing a video demonstration. Google also provides an example site that showcases the social bar in action.

The social bar was announced on Google’s new Social Web Blog, which has the motto, “News and updates about Google products that are helping to make the web more social”

Helping to make the web more social. Why does Google care about users being social? Didn’t they learn their lesson with orkut? It’s clear that Google should stick to perfecting what they are known for, Search. Or is all this “social stuff” some type of cleaver plot to perfect its search product? Probably, but that is a topic for another post.

What I would like to know is who’s using this social bar so far? Other than the example site Google created, I haven’t seen anyone use it yet. I think it would be a safe assumption to say that most designers aren’t going to find a blue bar running across the top of a site very appealing. So, If you know of any site that is using the social bar, we want to see it, paste a link in the comments below!

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9 comments on “Google’s New Social Bar: Who’s Using It?”

David King Says:

February 12th, 2009 at 1:42 pm

woahh.. that’s cool..

I didn’t know that there was a “social bar”

will have to check it out!

I’m just getting used to friend connect… using it and connecting!

thanks!

David

David King’s last blog post..Never Be ?BORED? it’s a state of mind that does this?
Asif Anwar Says:

February 12th, 2009 at 2:01 pm

Hi Joe,

I was browsing through http://twitter.grader.com site today and found the bar on the site while searching for Elite Twitter in my Niche, i.e. SEO & SEM.

Asif Anwar’s last blog post..Google Kickout Penalization or Google Sandbox is a Myth Now
Victor Velasquez Says:

February 12th, 2009 at 3:08 pm

This website is using it, check it out:
http://www.yourchippewavalleyhome.com/
Todor Christov Says:

February 12th, 2009 at 3:15 pm

My blog is using it right now, at the bottom.
Joe Hall Says:

February 12th, 2009 at 3:19 pm

Todor, do you find the social bar useful? i would think a blog is already social enough with out any help.

Joe Hall’s last blog post..WhosTalkin.com Moves To Media Temple!
Chris Lang Says:

February 12th, 2009 at 11:50 pm

I am using it on my sites, pulled the side bar widgets altogether.

Got a few tricks to make it better in my post today as well.

Chris Lang’s last blog post..Social Bar – Cures IE GFC Woes and Widget Envy
Todor Christov Says:

February 13th, 2009 at 2:48 am

Hi Joe,

I cannot say right now.

At this stage, Google Friend Connect and its Social Bar are not something of great value to any blog. The features they provide are basically nothing special.

But if we try to take a look in the future, probably we might see that Google is heading towards something with this Google Friend Connect stuff. And I’d like to be prepared and to have a large membership base in 12 months, just in case Google Friend Connect starts giving more value. So, yes, this is why I explore and test Social Bar today.

But if they do the same thing with GFC like they did with Lively or Orkut, I will reconsider my practice, too.
Jacques Seoman Says:

February 13th, 2009 at 8:29 am

Hiya Guys………. http://www.adesblog.com is using it
Vishnu Says:

February 13th, 2009 at 2:43 pm

Orkut is the most popular Social Networking site in Brazil and India. Those 2 countries are among the 6 most populous countries in the world.

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