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Will Google+ be the next big thing?
2011-07-25
At this time it is tough to see how Google+ is adding worth to my life. If anything it's making my life worse. Not only do I feel responsible to test my Twitter, Linked-In and Facebook accounts, but I'm now also anticipated to create some time for a growing Google+ network. I know That I do not need to use Google+ but I do have to give it a try at least. Often it feels like I am developing social network fatigue. I am all tweeted out ; I don't have any more smart jokes frantic to be shared with the world ; I have snapped ( and shared ) almost all of my daily hum-drum surrounds ; and I am dissipated by the concept of finding yet more links that I definitely must not miss. Notwithstanding this, the instant Google+ was released I enrolled. I was enthusiastic to work out if something new had been added to the mix. The solution to which is a definite yes ; and no. On the other hand, Google+ is not so different to Facebook and Twitter. Long streams of in-going posts from chums, associates, folks you hardly remember and many that you have never really met. It's perfect if you are feeling desperate for some time wasting opportunity, though not that great if you are susceptible to being simply distracted from work to hand. Being new to Google+ nevertheless, I dutifully added all kinds of folk to my Google+ circles. Real mistake. What do some of those folks do? Aside from post items to social networks? Do they really have enough time to sleep given their 5 minute updates? They definitely can't work or they would not have the wherewithal to post all those animated gifs. The thing is, Google+ is like Twitter in that it essentially inspires you to add as many users to your network as practical. It is not like Facebook which many of us reserve for folk we know or have at least conversed with two times. In that way Google+ offers much more chaos than Facebook if you are not wary about how you expand your network. A day or two in and I was close to shutting my Google+ account ( are you able to do that? ) and walk off. I did not really do that for one reason : I really think that Google is onto something here. The straightforward mistake to make is to consider Google+ as a social network. It is not. It's much more than that. Google+ is about bringing everything Google has made to date into one cohesive unit. Private misgivings apart, I find myself ceaselessly sucked further into Google's domain because they're so good at what they do. I adore Google Docs, programs, Gmail just about everything that Google does I ultimately find a use for. Google+ is step one to pulling all these things together and it has some kind of cool potential. I adore the concept of having the ability to share Google Docs with my "work" circle on Google+. Or having the ability to message folks in my circles individually, as a group, or totally. I also love the concept in one place I am able to see standing updates, I will IM with contacts and start up video calls with pals. I like the concept of everything being together in one place. Google+ is still much underway. There are still many things that simply don't work for me. For instance, I do like extending my circle with new, and unmet folks ; it is the best method to find new inspiration and ideas. I don't like that I can not just mute the ones which make so much damn noise.
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