Orkut, QuickOffice have officially received the axe from Google’s roster
A couple of services and apps have been added to Google’s chopping block. Both of these aren’t quite that surprising, though it always does make us take a step back when it happens.
First up is QuickOffice which we figured would be happening any day now. Google revealed at IO that they would be adding Slides editing to their Google Docs for Android app and that native document editing would be customary from here on out. That means QuickOffice quickly became redundant and there was no longer any need for its presence. Expect it to be whisked away from the Google Play Store in a matter of weeks.
On the other hand is Orkut, a long-standing social network that just hasn’t been able to catch on. Orkut was Google’s first social network, though its huge Brazilian community caused them to repurpose it more for the locals of the 2014 World Cup’s home. Engineering director Paulo Golgher had this to say in a farewell letter:
Ten years ago, Orkut was Google’s first foray into social networking. Built as a “20 percent” project, Orkut communities started conversations, and forged connections, that had never existed before. Orkut helped shape life online before people really knew what “social networking” was.
Over the past decade, YouTube, Blogger and Google+ have taken off, with communities springing up in every corner of the world. Because the growth of these communities has outpaced Orkut’s growth, we’ve decided to bid Orkut farewell (or, tchau). We’ll be focusing our energy and resources on making these other social platforms as amazing as possible for everyone who uses them.
Fast forward many years later, of course, and Google+ has completely drenched any chances of Orkut being useful for Google’s long-term plans. It’s not that the site wasn’t good, but it just didn’t do anything special — not then, and certainly not now. Those affected will likely be urged to find a new home on Google+ and for the rest of us, well, the world will just keep on turning.
The service will stay in-tact until September 30th of this year to give folks to transition. You’ll be able to get all your content using Google Takeout for up to two years after it sunsets. Google also mentioned they will be making the content posted to the social network’s vast communities public for anyone to stumble upon, though don’t expect any new content from the moment the blinds are shut.