Thoughts on Google Plus
Much has already been written on Google Plus. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Mashable: Google Plus Review
- ReadWriteWeb: First Night with Google Plus: This is Very Cool
- NPR: Google Plus Thoughtful Answer to Faceook
- Beth Kanter: Are You Going To Adopt Google+ for Professional Learning/Networking? Why or Why Not?
Right now, the tech community and other early adopters have raved about the new social network. So far, it’s received a better reception than Google’s previous effort – Buzz. But only time will tell whether or not Google Plus will become a success. Here’s what I think:
Positives
- Combines the public nature of Twitter and the private nature of Facebook.
- Strong visually – akin to Tumblr.
- Strong integration with other Google tools, making it more valuable.
- Hangouts seem fun.
- Circles are intuitive, and the privacy controls represent a step forward compared to Facebook.
Things to Improve
- It’s a lot like Facebook.
- No integration with other social networks. It seems clear that Google wants to strike out on its own.
- There’s no visible difference maker. What’s going to be the thing that pulls the masses away from Facebook or Twitter?
- The mobile app has no way to reshare items.
The one big thing I’m a fan of, and that I’ve seen some people do, is using Google Plus in different ways than Facebook or Twitter. What ways are you using it?