Google's social projects were clones of models that were already successful. Buzz was a Twitter clone. G+ was a Facebook clone. A clone can get traction only if it's better than the original. That they were not apart from other factors.
I don't think it has anything to do with "core competency". Google was just the last (copycat) dog in the social game trying too hard to figure out what the cool kids want.
I don't think it has anything to do with "core competency". Google was just the last (copycat) dog in the social game trying too hard to figure out what the cool kids want.