When Google announced Google+, the web was frantic for information and an exclusive invite to use their new service. Google has never been one to announce a new tool and make it accessible to everyone. Oh no. They make you work for it. Yours truly was able to snag an invite on the day of the launch and here are a few of my thoughts on Google+:
At first glance, Google+ is a clean interface. I can’t quite call it the “Facebook killer” just yet but I will say that it isn’t cluttered like Facebook. There’s a main wall where you can share links, photos, etc and select where they will go. Facebook has lists; Google+ has “circles.” As you add people to your Google+ profile, you can specify where you want them. Google+ has automatically created a few circles for you – family, friends, and acquaintances. You can rename these or add a few of your own and name them however you choose.
A slight advantage for Google+ is its profile feature. Links to your social sites, blogs, QR codes (yes, QR codes!), etc are prominently displayed on your profile to the right instead of being buried in your info section as seen on Facebook. It’s also very similar to Google Buzz which I despised luckily, it’s the opposite and won’t invade your inbox. Hooray! Instead, you’ll get a notification in the right hand corner of your gmail if you have something going on in Google+. You can address it or ignore it.
A few more take aways:
-Your Google+ account allows for unlimited photo sharing via Picasa. Goodbye Flickr?
-There is an Android app for Google+. Other platforms will be announced soon. Rest assured fellow iPhoners.
-Google+ is crowd sourcing at it’s finest. Goodbye Quora and Formspring. Ask detailed questions within your circles or share them with the public.
-Google+ has a great live video feature called “hangout.” You can chat with multiple people at any given point without any issues unlike those seen on Skype and Facebook’s new video feature
-The +1 button seen on most blogs now has a purpose and is integrated with Google+.
Google+ continues to impress me but as mentioned earlier, I can’t quite call it the Facebook killer, yet. Can Facebook learn a thing or two? Yes. Will I make a switch? No. Google+, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and all the beloved social media sharing sites bring different components to the social sharing world and work in harmony with each other. If you haven’t yet jumped on board, don’t worry. Google services don’t remain exclusive forever and soon the doors will open to the public. We’re excited to see where this will go. Stay tuned on our blog and Facebook fan page.
