The Area 120 team of Google has recently launched a service and App, called “Google Keen”. It is an experimental app from the Multinational behemoth which is rooted in Google’s expertise in Machine Learning, for the curation of topics. Keen gives Google a way back in the Social Networking Sector.
Keen uses Google’s Artificial Intelligence for the creation of interest boards. Keen can definitely be called a direct competitor for the well-known website “Pinterest”, but has a major differential factor – Google’s Machine Learning Expertise. The App’s smooth User Interface, only brings you information that you will find useful.
| Benefits of Google Keen | Drawbacks of Google Keen |
| Minimalistic Design | Life span may be limited |
| Finding the patterns | Google stores all your data |
| Google’s Machine Learning Expertise | Too much personalisation |
| Keen is Proactive | |
| Simple to use | |
| Use in Marketing Strategies | |
| Smoother User Interface | |
| You are in full control | |
| Follow and be followed | |
| Not just recent items |
Advantages of Google Keen
- Minimalistic Design :
Google Keen does not overburden your screen. It has a simple and minimalistic design. With lesser things crowding your screen, you can focus far better on the content that you want to, rather than on a host of unwanted advertisements and/or friends’ posts. Keens give you some great suggestions, making it perfect for keeping all your interests, organised.
- Finding the patterns :
Google Keen has the ability to allow you to control all your recommendations. It does so by assisting you in the curation of the content and/or information that you love, helps you to share your collection(s) with other people and finally also searches new content for you on the basis of what you have saved.
- Google’s Machine Learning Expertise :
Machine Learning is something, Google has great expertise in, and this Google Keen brings you content that will be related and helpful to all your interests. You don’t need to be an expert on any topic but still be able to start to curate a “Keen”. This allows you to save some interesting links that you might find helpful.
- Keen is Proactive :
Google Keen, unlike Search Engines(which waits till it is asked a question, to function), is very proactive. It does not just suggest some content passively, in response to your search queries. Keen recommends content actively that it has deduced you will enjoy. Thus it can be a great way for you to increase your traffic and grow popularity.
- Simple to use :
Anyone can create a “Keen” for anything they want and all they need to do is, give it a title and save the web searches, related to the subject on which they created the “Keen”. Google Keen is going to give them a feed with newer things for them to explore, based on what is in the saved “Keen”.
- Use in Marketing Strategies :
Search Marketers and Web Publishers and even Web Stores can find it beneficial to incorporate Google Keen into their Marketing Strategies. They get to save their links while adding to their content. With Keen they can also collaborate with other people, by sending them an invite. Thus they can easily share ideas and even quickly build up a community.
- Smoother User Interface :
For Keen, Google decided to completely overhaul the way it looks. Giving it a user interface that is slicker and smoother than before, has given Google Keen a brand new look. Google’s Area 120 Team wanted Keen to stand apart from it’s closest competitor, Pinterest. For that, they have leveraged Content Collection Creation along with Manual List, with ML.
- You are in full control :
Once you have made a “Keen”, the site will ask you automatically to provide it with a few search prompts so that it can bring to you useful and/or relevant content. However, if you want Keen to do all the work, you can simply not give any prompts, as Keen will then auto-generate the prompts and find content.
- Follow and be followed :
With Google Keen you have the ability to follow “Keen”s, that others have created if you are intrigued by them and want to know more. You can set your Keen audience to either public or private. This allows you to control who gets to see your keens and who do not, in addition to curating all your keens.
- Not just recent items :
A major feature of Google Keen is that the content you get based on your Keen and saved items, is not just focused on recent items. You can get back any kind of information that can be informative and helpful about your “Keen”. This information can include Relevant Events, Products and Videos that might be related and even websites.
Disadvantages of Google Keen
- Life Span may be limited :
Google Keen has been designed only as an experiment. The majority of the Area 120 Projects have started to shut down completely. Even though a few features from these projects have found their way into other products, Keen still has a long way to go to establish itself as a stand-alone service, or it may also get shut down.
- Google stores all your data :
Keen has zero privacy controls and falls entirely under the General Privacy Policy of Google. So basically Google keeps a note of Keen categories you follow, or every content saved on your “Gems” List. It is almost like handing over a form to Google with all your interests, hobbies, etc. which Google can use in any way they want.
- Too much personalisation :
Unchecked personalisation severely limits a person’s exposure to a different opinion or to new information. This creates Echo chambers and/or Filters Bubbles, narrowing the person’s worldview. Algorithm-based recommendations might send a person looking for as much fringe content as possible, down perilous “rabbit holes” and possibly even radicalise them. In extreme cases, these radicalised individuals can become terrorists.
Google Keen is an experiment by Google, which is neat and clean does offer it’s user a host of benefits. You can get all the necessary information that you were looking for and you can organise everything precisely.
However, from the point you log in with your Google Account, you give Google access to every step you take. It’s the most important one of Keens several drawbacks. So make sure to take everything into account before trying to use this experimental app.
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