If you didn't know then Google Plus launched as a beta or 'field test' recently. It's a new social networking system/site to rival Facebook.
So I've been on Google Plus, or Google+, or G+, for a few days now. I've read lots of reviews and articles about it but none seem to really sum it up for me; or more to the point they don't provide a valid reason for switching to it from, say, Facebook, for example.
I've been enjoying the clean interface and, as a bit of a nerd, have been happy fiddling about with the settings, sparks and all sorts of other things. On the surface it's just like Facebook with a different look but, because of the way it's been written, I think it has the legs to take over from Facebook although don't expect Facebook to go quietly, although I expect a lot of people said this of Myspace...
I've been enjoying the clean interface and, as a bit of a nerd, have been happy fiddling about with the settings, sparks and all sorts of other things. On the surface it's just like Facebook with a different look but, because of the way it's been written, I think it has the legs to take over from Facebook although don't expect Facebook to go quietly, although I expect a lot of people said this of Myspace...
A lot has been made about the main feature that distinguishes it from Facebook; 'Circles', essentially this primarily seems to be a way of filtering who you share what with; a way of keeping groups of contacts separate. It's pretty self explanatory, I won't go into it here as, although useful and very refreshing compared to Facebook, I don't find it very interesting, so far I've posted everything to all my circles and haven't felt that there's anything (or indeed anyone in any circles) that I don't want all to know; I expect this will change as my other contacts from Facebook (the old school and work friends I don't really know anymore) sign up and I want to filter the updates.
I'm really interested in the bridging or integration of other Google services:
I understand that Blogger will be renamed and integrated into G+. I would like to have my blog posts automatically added to my Google+ stream, at the moment I have to share the link (unless there is a way and I haven't noticed it). I presume that, at some point in the near future, when posting to blogger I'll be able to choose to post it to Google plus and choose which Circles to share the post with. Right now it seems really cumbersome as in Facebook I have it set import the blog posts into my notes so my Facebook contacts, who don't know the blog address, can still read our news from Somerset.
Other Google services such as Latitude and Buzz don't, at the time of writing, show up in Google+ when you use them. For example you can check into places, and indeed buzz about them, from Google maps but you have to manually reflect your check ins from one service to the other; which is less than ideal. As I use my Android phone a lot I'm looking forward to G+ integration so I can use Google Maps in the same way that I can, at present, with Buzz.
Other targets. I felt that, when editing my Google profile (which you're expected to on G+), they have made it easy to list where you've lived, studied and worked; this to me feels like they're after linked in too. It makes sense; it's easy to keep your personal and work lives separate thanks to circles so why not.
Ah well, I'm enjoying a 'new toy' for now and hope that it will mature into the panacea of tools I expect it to....
I'd better post this on Google+ then ;)
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