Hatrack River Forum: Google+

This is topic Google+ in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Pepek (Member # 3773) on :

I Ctrl-effed three pages of forum topics and didn't find anyone talking about it.

Not sure how long it's been in it's field test, but I took the tour and it looks pretty cool.

Did anyone get the invitation before they closed the door?

Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's at least competently designed enough to give google a market share.

I hope it really does hang around and maintain enough of a presence to compel facebook to not be so much of a callous git with people's privacy settings, since (if it hangs on) it gives people something for them to atrophy their market share from due to grumblings and discontent.

I'm also trying Diaspora which I can conservatively describe as facebook for hipsters. It's pretty obscure. You probably haven't heard of it.

Posted by AchillesHeel (Member # 11736) on :

Skynet.

Posted by dabbler (Member # 6443) on :

I don't want to join google+ because I don't want google to know that much personal information about me.

I've been on facebook for years. I got a smugmug account for photos. I have a gmail and a work email account. I like 'em separate.

Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :

samp, but as soon as everyone hears about Diaspora, all the hipsters will have to leave!

Posted by Mucus (Member # 9735) on :

I like how privacy settings can basically merge and handle Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook all in one product.

I'll be a happy camper if as a result I can get rid of one in the near future at least.

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

Got a Google+ invite from someone I follow on Facebook who was offering invitations to anyone. I have a feeling I will try it out and then forget about it unless it really wows me (hasn't yet).

Posted by JonHecht (Member # 9712) on :

I like it. I haven't really been using Facebook much lately, but can see myself using this. I'm still playing around with it, though.

Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :

Remember: Google+ has the default setting on PUBLIC.
Any privacy will have to be created by you every time you post.
Then ya hafta trust that Google+ will follow your instruction every time.

"I don't want to join google+ because I don't want google to know that much personal information about me.
I've been on facebook for years."

There is nothing that Google could find out about you that Facebook hasn't already sold to dataminers. There is nothing that Google could find out about you that hackers haven't already had access to through Facebook.

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

It looks like I have invitations available.

Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :

I've been whinging about the lack of separate groups for different contacts for a while. For me this is the key advantage of Google+ over Facebook.

I foresee a short-term future of having both accounts until I can conveniently sever all ties with Facebook.

As for too much info held by Google, I think it's inevitable. I already use Gmail so they have all my personal comms. I have only minor qualms about their social networking site. At the end of the day, you don't *have* to post everything...

Posted by anti_maven (Member # 9789) on :

Except when you post twice [Wall Bash]

Posted by El JT de Spang (Member # 7742) on :

quote:
Originally posted by anti_maven:
I've been whinging about the lack of separate groups for different contacts for a while. For me this is the key advantage of Google+ over Facebook.

You know you can do this on facebook, right?

Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :

You can't truly turn them into separate groups. What segregation abilities exist are poorly implemented, greatly incomplete, and hard to use. There's no really effective way to cordon off groups of friended people from submissions to your wall, certain tags, etc.

It's why plenty of people my age either have multiple facebooks: the one with their real name on it for their needlingly obtrusive Aunt Mabel Pentecosts and the conservative farts swapping links to today's NO-BAMA chain mail. And then their real facebook. So they don't have to worry when someone uploads and tags all the pictures from the parties they went to [Smile]

Posted by Parkour (Member # 12078) on :

Yeah that's always hell. I hope google takes over this field.

Posted by Steve_G (Member # 10101) on :

quote:
Originally posted by CaySedai:
It looks like I have invitations available.

CaySedai, are you willing to give out invites? I've signed up for an invite on google+, but haven't gotten anything from them yet. I made my e-mail visible on my profile, if you are willing to send an invite.

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

Sent you one, Steve.

Sorry that I wasn't clear. Yes, I will send invites to anyone as long as I have them. My email is my username at gmail.

Posted by Steve_G (Member # 10101) on :

Thanks Cay, I didn't get anything in my inbox, so they've probably turned off new users for a while. I'll post an update if I can get in.

Posted by CaySedai (Member # 6459) on :

Ah, I think I messed it up the first time. Tried again.

Posted by Steve_G (Member # 10101) on :

I got my invite this morning. Thanks so much.

Posted by Darth_Mauve (Member # 4709) on :

I'd take a invite too, if someone happens to have an extra.

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Sent to the email in your profile, Dan.

(Invites appear to be unlimited.)

Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :

So how many people are using this now, and does anyone wanna circle up? (I should be pretty easy to find. My profile pic is an eyeball)

Posted by Pablo Pavlovich (Member # 12617) on :

I like the format, it seems cleaner than Facebook, and I like the circles. And I'm certainly hoping it takes off, because my wife's Facebook account was disabled a few months ago, no one knows why, and Facebook's customer service in this area is beyond awful, so, frankly, she's missing out on all the good family and friend news.

Obviously, a social network app is only any good once your whole social network is using it. And unfortunately, I think too many people will say "wait a second, I had to create and manage a Facebook, and then a Twitter, and now you want me to create and manage a Google+ as well? I have a job and a life, you know." and not do it. I hope I'm wrong.

Posted by Samprimary (Member # 8561) on :

quote:
Originally posted by Pablo Pavlovich:
Obviously, a social network app is only any good once your whole social network is using it. And unfortunately, I think too many people will say "wait a second, I had to create and manage a Facebook, and then a Twitter, and now you want me to create and manage a Google+ as well? I have a job and a life, you know." and not do it. I hope I'm wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9MtttXI2q8&feature=player_embedded

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

Rather early to say if that's true, but funny video in any case.

Posted by Anthonie (Member # 884) on :

[Big Grin]

Great video, Samp. I hope it's true.

Google+ finally seems at least a reasonable fit for me for social networking. First one I'm ever trying out. (Never had a myspace, facebook, twitter, linkedin, or whatever else is out there.)

*holds breath, and takes plunge*...

Posted by 0Megabyte (Member # 8624) on :

*twitch* I... I just finally got into Facebook for real, in social reasons. It's finally become important in my whole social thing, as a convenient method to contact a large number of people I know.

And now they have something that might arguably be better?! It's Myspace all freaking over again!

Posted by MattP (Member # 10495) on :

So far my experience is that everyone is signing up for Google+ but almost no one is actively using it. Even within the circle (heh) of friends that are on both, Facebook is still where they post everything. G+ is where they say "Hey, look at me! I'm on G+" or ironic stuff like "How do I poke someone with this thing?" or "Where's Farmville?"

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

You need better circles -- or just to follow more interesting people.

Will Shetterly, Diane Duane, and Bill Gross are all quite interesting to follow. And Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day can fill up anyone's Stream all by themselves. [Wink]

Posted by Raymond Arnold (Member # 11712) on :

I didn't actually care much for Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day - most of their stuff reads like, well, stuff my friends would have posted that I barely cared about anyway, except their my friends, except Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton are not my friends, so I don't care at all.

But I agree with the general sentiment - the point of Google+ is you can follow whoever you want, AND you're not limited to a silly 160 character count, and it has all the social network benefits that Facebook has.

It's also a lot easier to find new interesting people on your friend's streams and start talking to them and then friend them because they're interesting rather than because you know them.

I read Ferrett Steinmetz and Randal Munroe, although Munroe doesn't post that often.

[ August 07, 2011, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: Raymond Arnold ]

Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :

I'm interested in about 35% of WilW's G+ posts and 20% of Felicia's -- but I just mute the ones I don't care about.

Posted by Pablo Pavlovich (Member # 12617) on :

Nice video. Hope it comes true (or at least true-ish).