On Thursday, December 8th, Google released the newest addition to their social network Google+. Schemer is an activities recommendation engine with invite only beta aimed to challenge Facebook’s event application.
Schemer allows circles within your Google+ network to divulge information about what activities you are doing at the moment such as taking a walk, or reading a book and invite friends to join in the activity with you. Schemer is also programmed to recommend activities based on relevance and personal interest and will learn what you are personally interested in more and more over time.
Schemer also presents a new opportunity for brands to bring their fans together. The creators of Schemer have already partnered with many well known brands such as Bravo, Entertainment Weekly and the Food Network to start creating “schemes” for their fans on Google+ social network.
The obstacle that could possibly stand in Schemer’s way is filtering. Schemer is going to be flooded with different activities from different people ranging in anything from going to get a cup of coffee to going away for a weekend. Schemer is going to have to prioritize which events and activities are the most important to show to a specific individual and then schedule them accordingly within Google Calendar. This is something that Facebook Events already does very well, but if Google+ can find a way to overcome this hurdle, than they might come out on top of Facebook in this respect.
