Google+, which launched last week via incremental field trials from Google, is a social media service based on circles of contacts and the ability to share information with selected circles. After familiarizing myself for a few days, I was drawn in by the pleasant user interface and became curious about the features. But why would I invest time in a platform that looks somewhat redundant with other platforms I’m using?
I studied the tech reviews on Google+ to understand how it was being received by the early adopters, and found a variety of favorable opinions. I concur with the review on CoolMomTech about how it feels like a natural transition if you are already using Google products. Maybe that’s why I eased into it so casually, kind of like a pair of old 501 jeans.
The more I read, the more I felt uncomfortable about the comparisons between Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. If we take a step back to the early 1990’s (right around when we were calling the Internet something like the “Information Superhighway”) it might be easier to put the technological progress from two decades in context and ease off on the boxing match.
First, we focused on getting everything connected. Computers talked to other computers. Networks talked to other networks. Telecom companies invested in big pipes to carry to data. There were computers on many desks in many homes, with access to information all over the world.
Then, we focused on communicating. We liked the sound of our own voice. We built websites and wrote blogs and Skyped. We got Facebook accounts and iPhones and apps. We shared what we were eating for lunch, even though nobody cared. We planned our high school reunions. We grew our audiences with lots of friends and followers – and got advertisers interested in what was happening online.
Now, the technology is in place to use all of these tools to get creative. Universal, impromptu, online communication is not limited to linear interchanges of share and respond. Now, we’re operating in 3D, sitting at a roundtable and ready to jump into real conversations in real time with multiple people. We can “Hangout”. (Sure, we could do that before with WebEx, but that involved passing balls and paying a monthly fee. Now, we can just “Hangout” because we have a gmail address.)
The new phenomenon isn’t that Google+ is “social media”, because we’ve been going-for-social ever since those engineers got the first two computers to talk. The cool factor is that we are continuing to progress into real-life emulations online. We can build companies easier, share ideas easier, and express ourselves as individuals right alongside traditional media conglomerates.
Google+, you just validated that the online socialization being demonstrated by Facebook and Twitter is a really powerful movement. I look forward to continued participation in all of these exciting innovations.
Lorraine Akemann | Editor | Moms With Apps
While I haven’t used Google + myself, I am excited about the basic premise behind it – circles of friends. I have so far been a relatively passive user of Facebook, in part because I don’t like sharing the same content across all of my “friends” – many of them are indeed friends, but the list has gotten complicated, with work acquaintances, non-friend people I have met, and somewhat random passers-by. We’ll see how Google + solves this ultimately, but our real-life social relationships have nuance, diversity, and degrees of proximity in them, and I believe the on-line tools could – and should – reflect that reality. Maybe Google + is onto something.
Good to hear from you Manuel! It’s interesting, because I know people like yourself who have hesitated or have been passive on Facebook in terms of sharing. My own husband is one (has an account, but doesn’t do much on it, isn’t the “sharing” type). I wonder if Google+ will be a pathway for this audience given 1) more flexibility with share options and 2) how it’s like a natural extension of existing Google products.
Lorraine, interesting point. I think for those who are “non sharers”, G+ gives them an opportunity to just use it as a great way to stream content they’re interested in. Just follow those who’s writing they admire, and get a personalized feed… like Twitter, but much more fun to read (since there are images, videos, and very interesting comments of others). I’m loving my experience so far, after about a week. If anyone wants to find me there, I’m at http://gplus.to/DavidBFox