google+

[baalroo]

So, who else has it, and what do you think?

I'm definitely on the positive side, I've got it pinned on my tab bar right next to FB and definitely prefer it between the two. It's sort of the best of Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail all combined into one system. Plus it integrates automatically with my gmail and my google reader. man, I sound kind of like a spam bot, but it really is pretty cool. Now they just need to add a "pages" type functionality for bands and such and I'll basically jump ship from FB pretty much entirely.

 

[champbassist]

I'd like to know what advantages, in people's opinions, GP offers over FB. I've found it to be very close to FB in terms of general outlook (Stream = wall, +1 = like), but haven't explored too much.

 

[L-A]

I'd like to know what advantages, in people's opinions, GP offers over FB. I've found it to be very close to FB in terms of general outlook (Stream = wall, +1 = like), but haven't explored too much.

The point of the stream is that there's no wall. You can write posts, and you can decide who can read them. This also makes private messages unnecessary, because writing @someone will make the message private between you and that person.

The idea of "I'm talking to one person but everyone can hear" has been shot down by ignoring the concept of the wall.

And that revolves around the circles idea (and the easy privacy control that comes with it), which I find brilliant.

 

[champbassist]

The point of the stream is that there's no wall. You can write posts, and you can decide who can read them. This also makes private messages unnecessary, because writing @someone will make the message private between you and that person.

I see. Are there groups such as there were in Facebook (e.g. my friends had created a group for my department in college)?

 

[superbassman2000]

I think it's pretty cool so far. I could see myself ditching facebook in favor of G+ in the near future

 

[todegard]

Does any of you have an invite to share?
If so, I'd love to get one at [email protected]

Tommy

 

[Chunk-O-Funk]

I think it's pretty cool so far. I could see myself ditching facebook in favor of G+ in the near future

+1

 

[colcifer]

What he said (only send it to colcifermusik).

Grazie.

 

[baalroo]

I'd like to know what advantages, in people's opinions, GP offers over FB. I've found it to be very close to FB in terms of general outlook (Stream = wall, +1 = like), but haven't explored too much.

well, one of the big things is that the "friending" works more like "following" on twitter. You can add someone to a circle without them having to approve you. This way, when you post something as "public" it's basically like twitter, where anyone following you will be able to read it. However, if you wanna post something more specific to close friends or family like, "hey, who wants to grab a beer at Lucky's tonight?" you can just drop it into the circle with people who you want to know you're going out for a beer and all the "public" followers won't see the post.

The circles also means you can widen your net a bit wider and add people you never would have added on FB out of the simple need to keep your feed managable. I've already got a circle dedicated to one particular forum that I frequent regularly... it's filled with people I wouldn't add on facebook and whom I don't want updates from on personal matters and such, but since we've all sequestered each other into a specific circle for that site we all can post in that circle with site related stuff and check it at our own leisure.

 

[tplyons]

Does any of you have an invite to share?
If so, I'd love to get one at [email protected]

Tommy

I think I just sent you an invite. It's not as straightforward as gmail was in the beta stage.

 

[sparktone]

I like that you can edit your posts later.

I also think Google+ does a much better job of segregating people from different parts of your life. Yes, FB has groups, but it's offered as an afterthought. With Google+ you assign people to a circle from the get-go. I've never liked that FB occasionally shares comments of mine to people who are not mutual friends.

Regardless, I think Google+ has a rough road ahead given how entrenched FB is. Doesn't mean it can't succeed (ask the folks at MySpace how quickly you can be taken down), but I think it will be hard for Google to get a critial mass of users. And I don't think the average person is going to use both. People want to spend most of their online life in one place, and both FB and Google understand this.

 

[todegard]

Hey Timothy
Got it. Thank you!

Tommy

 

[fenderhutz]

If Google+ gets rid of duck face I switch RIGHT NOW.

 

[MJ5150]

I dislike it. Somehow I got in on a few people who are using it like a daily blog, and I'm sick of it. Thanks for this thread, this reminds me to go online and remove my e-mail or tell the person to quit letting me know every time they go to the store or have trouble deciding what TV show to watch.

-Mike

 

[superbassman2000]

I dislike it. Somehow I got in on a few people who are using it like a daily blog, and I'm sick of it. Thanks for this thread, this reminds me to go online and remove my e-mail or tell the person to quit letting me know every time they go to the store or have trouble deciding what TV show to watch.

-Mike

lol all the people on my G+ just talk about G+

 

[L-A]

I dislike it. Somehow I got in on a few people who are using it like a daily blog, and I'm sick of it. Thanks for this thread, this reminds me to go online and remove my e-mail or tell the person to quit letting me know every time they go to the store or have trouble deciding what TV show to watch.

-Mike

People who've added you to their circles without you doing the same will only appear in the "incoming" stream, everything they share gets confined there.

I strongly suggest disabling email notification on most stuff – now that it's done, serial networkers can add me all they want, I don't get bugged.

 

[Sizlack]

I'm liking it so far...even though my current circle of friends is much smaller then that of facebook, so it's kinda quiet. Love the edit button, and the different circles and ability to share easily with select groups of people. I use facebook primarily for band promotion anyway and google+ makes it so much easier for me to hold seperate conversations with friends vs. fans.

 

[Sandvich Hero]

Good timing for this thread. I'm going away on a long term trip soon and I've come to the conclusion that the easiest way to keep in touch and update people at home as well as keep a database of newly-met people will be to get back in the social-network scene (I rather enjoyed my life facebook-free for the past year or two).

So do you techy and socialnetworky and twittery people think I should go with FB or G+ ? I won't do both since I certainly don't want to spend anymore time than I need at the computer. From what I see, G+ would be a better platform but I fear it might not be widespread enough by the time I leave (in a month) and most people won't be there. Thoughts ?

 

[L-A]

Good timing for this thread. I'm going away on a long term trip soon and I've come to the conclusion that the easiest way to keep in touch and update people at home as well as keep a database of newly-met people will be to get back in the social-network scene (I rather enjoyed my life facebook-free for the past year or two).

So do you techy and socialnetworky and twittery people think I should go with FB or G+ ? I won't do both since I certainly don't want to spend anymore time than I need at the computer. From what I see, G+ would be a better platform but I fear it might not be widespread enough by the time I leave (in a month) and most people won't be there. Thoughts ?

There's a major chance that your friends will only be on Facebook. I'd use this one for the time being.

 

[Sandvich Hero]

There's a major chance that your friends will only be on Facebook. I'd use this one for the time being.

Thanks for your input. Facebook it will be then. There I was making myself all those sweet promises and enjoying the rewards only to see all my hopes flushed away and go back to the Dark Side once more.