Discussion on:

Why Google Plus is about to change the Web as we know it

I am interested in what Google is going to do with Orkut also.

I have an (old) account on Orkut that I may use once every few weeks but it has been so successful in non-English speaking countries that moving it to Google+ could be a bad move annoying existing users, but leaving it be and not developing it further could be as much of a problem for Google.

So far as I've heard, they're shutting down Orkut. Not sure if that's just in the US or abroad too. Of course I could be wrong, and they could change their minds....;)

Orkut is still active in Asian countries. I see it is going down..lets see how g+ will survive in the Social Networking war !

Err you have been able to put friends into groups on facebook and restrict posts to them, sort, restrict chat etc for ages. Surely you know this?
Hardly the killer feature then is it?
Maybe you just dont know how to use facebook. It is not hard, privacy can be screwed right down (you make no mention of google+ privacy settings). And the crucial point is everyone is on it, that is what makes it valuable.

The issue that Facebook has with its privacy settings is that the majority of users do not understand how to manage groups and their privacy settings, so do not use the features. If Google have found a way to simplify this, making privacy easier to understand and implement then I would think that even if it is not a killer feature, it could certainly interest a lot of users.

Ummm yeah not everyone is on Facebook just those who have no life and know very little about online security as Facebook has so many un secure holes and opening that leak all your account info and personal data along with a direct line to your computer or phone. It also is filled with pedophiles, stalkers, menatlly unstable people and kids. Truely anyone who uses these social networks has some kind of issue and obviously not much knowledge of secure online interaction and desrves what they get from it. Social networking is a fad that peaked and is already on the decline so Google may have the new toy but hopefully in under 3 years all will not exist and we can get back to reality and safe online expirences.

Well, i have no idea what your talking about, first facebook arent filled with pedophil and retarded kids... you can control who your adding to your profile, i only have friends and co-worker plus a couple of clients in there. Yes yes, facebook leak information, but every other website does, browser informations, os information and the like and much more for those enjoying surfing exotic website.

i could argue for hours, but my point is you can limit the informations you post on facebook(or any other social network) yourself, i never posted any personal or critical informations into facebook and that is why i never had any problem... sure google has my birthday and know i love mountain bike and computer... nice !

to conclude, we will never get back to a "safe online expirences" since internet has been develloped information leak, virus and spyware has been with us. if you wish to be secure, unplug your computer.

Good reply to @Fletchguy, honestly the idea of a "safe online experience" is an illusion, and you are right to say that if he wanted to be secure, to unplug his computer.

You seem to be a very biased with your words against social media but you also seem to lack a good understanding of the internet. The internet is not a safe place in any sense of the word and any form that you're referring to is an illusion. All the security suites and secure protocols, all of the filtering and authentications of the internet exist because of the very fact that the internet is a dangerous place to interact in naivety. So in regard to your comment, I don't agree with Facebook being a place solely for pedophiles or kids with disabilities, and you might be surprised how many people actually have full flourishing lives on there, and Facebook has simply become an extension to them. Trust me in three years, FaceBook and Twitter(and perhaps Google +) will still be dominant players in the industry, they will still be on the majority of societies cell phones and bookmarks, and they will still be as powerful in social movements as they are currently; granted they may have a few new bells and whistles about them by then.

You may know how to do this but many folk don't have the bread-making ability upstairs to do it. That's where Google Plus comes into its own...

Huh? I just tried to make a status update that would only be visible to one of my groups of friends. I can limit it to certain people, I can limit it to friends, but I can't limit to members of my "Family" group, for example. I dunno, perhaps because I'm in Canada. (we don't get the same features as the US does sometimes)

At any rate, as Zuckerburg has said, "the default is social". Facebook's motivation is to get people sharing more with everybody, a stance which is constantly getting them into trouble, and one that doesn't reflect the reality of the real world.

"Circles" is definitely the proper metaphor/model for the people you actually relate to.

I think it's a little naive to think that google wants volumes of data on everyone and their habits and friends so it can make search better. They will monetize it all through advertising and any other way they can think of. As one travels around the web, the +1 will be stuck on you like a leech.

You are probably right when you say that they'll monitize it (duh, it's a business). And the way google makes money is exactly by harvesting loads of data. Then their search engine (which is implemented troughout every Google feature) will get better. Then people will use it (google products) more often and stick to it. Then they'll make more money.
So stating that it's naive to think that they do it for the data is not entirely correct.

I think artlife was saying that it was naive to think they wanted the data just to improve our search results. I'm very uncomfortable with nearly all the social platforms, they are compiling massive databases and not deleting information, even when individuals unsubscribe. It is undoubtedly to make money, but I believe there is more to it than that. hostgator coupons

Jason, you are the exact person this article (URL below) is talking about and why G+ will fall off the deepend. BTW, it doesn't help that Google is doing NOTHING to clean up it's image, when John Q Public doesn't trust your brand, all else fails for sure...Here's the URL and I think it is more inline with this "+" fad.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20076392-71/will-your-mom-and-dad-bother-with-google/

Just like MySpace before it, Facebook is getting tiresome. It's about time for a replacement.

And Jason, thanks for adding me to your Circle.

we're connected on G+?

I'm just waiting for your invitation.
You have the power, man!

Not only integration but... I also see a future where I can uninstall more mobile apps I don't need.

I actually don't see GooglePLUS+ friendship as being the big bite once it actually launches. I believe the overall streamline of services makes going with Google the better choice. Google has done an excellent job of creating all these unique apps and they just needed to bring them all together in a way that spells FUN and here we have it with GooglePLUS+ social glue.

The black google bar will be the dashboard of the century.

I must disagree with you in that people don't use Twitter for NEWS and as a long time Twitter user we all have come to know that you cannot trust or depend on Twitter for current events. Twitter has allowed it's self to become similar to WikiPedia in that professors all over warn their students that it is not a valid or acceptable source. Just think about all the celebrities and politicians who have "DIED" already this week according to Tweets. Let's get serious LOL.

My take on Facebook is its time to say goodbye. Their lack of concern about privacy and their auto opt-in features are just rude. I also don't like how Facebook never allowed users to feel comfortable in being themselves online. Something about Facebook makes me think everyone sips tea at high noon but I personally like a beer or shot of brandy instead.

Facebook is for fakes. Twitter is for teases. GooglePLUS+ is for bringing your online personalities all together in a systematic approach that also lets you access and easily incorporate GoogleVoice, GoogleDocs, YouTube, and PlusMORE+

And where is Linkedin in all of this?

uh...in the LinkedIn circle perhaps? ; )

Linkedin is the onlyt useful version of the social onliner concept out there and thats why they are valued so high. They arer staying as far away from the facebook, twitter, social crap circle as possible and retainging the saftey and respectibility they have built. It is beyond me why people use facebook or twitter other then to market something.

It's beyond you? Really?

Given Google's past performance on trying to duplicate other companies' services, I have strong doubts. They formed Google Groups to compete with Yahoo! Groups. G Groups is a mere shadow. They picked up Picassa to go head-to-head with Flikr. They're not getting much traction with it and I've read that they're planning on closing it down. And GMail is still in flux.

I don't have high hopes for G+

I hope they resurrect Wave in Google+ somewhere

In the huge ecosystem of apps, social networking, web portals, blogs... it is all down to the fickle nature of the human mind. People buy Apple products because they are "cool" not necessarily the best at doing things... likewise for blackberry, HTC, Samsung. People use FaceBook because it relatively simple and most FB people were auto-evangelised by actual friends to get involved. If Google+ is functional, easy to use and most of all is "cool" then people will use it, it will gain momentum and sure enough it might overtake FB. As said previously we shall have to wait and see.

Quoting numbers/statistics about number of users is a hiding to nowhere. 20 years ago Apple couldn't give away Newton PDAs... way to far ahead for the time... now it seems everyone wants an iPhone or iPad. 25+years ago no one would have taken anyone seriously if you said a little company (back then) like Microsoft could become such a dominant force in computing.

It's all down to market forces and whether it is nice and shiny.

Good luck to us all!

Tah
James

Good logical thinking except Apple isn't cool it comes with the looser yuppie stigma attached to it and the only people who use them are those who have money to burn and do not care about functionality or useability. Facebook still I have no idea why anyone uses except it does seem those on it have lower IQs and not very much online knowledge or care for saftey or privacy.Best case scenerio in 3 years they all are gone.

I'm tired of social networks driving traffic away from sites of interest. It seems like everyone currently grabs a piece of information in a minute then spends the next half hour sharing it. Then, people never return to the data at hand, they just play the Facebook game seeing what people they already know have to say. Then nobody outside of your circle of friends can read your insights and you never learn a truly outside perspective on anything. Facebook is great if you're discussing a birthday party, but it's far too closed as a social data stream. Twitter also misses this as it also drags vital data away from online resources. Google+ is exactly what the world needs and I can't wait for it to take over.

Also, Google+ sounds like it will help me take my new web business to the next level where doing so with Facebook & Twitter was going to be like pulling teeth.

It's society that will have the last word. Meanwhile book your_space, be + to save face.

in the last few days, I Have been using google+ a lot. I have to say it is great. it is way ahead of facebook. spent a lot of time on the G+ photo viewer. its interface and integration to picasa makes perfect.
there are already a very useful tricks about the Circles on this blog:
http://google-plus-network.blogspot.com/2011/07/optimizing-google-circles-strategy-tips.html

hi

I was quite surprised about this comment:
"Circles are basically sets of friends that you can drag and drop into groups mirroring your existing social circles ??? Family & Friends, Colleagues, Local Techies, etc. ??? rather than just the one big lump of friends you have on Facebook that can result in moments of ???worlds colliding??? since you have to share all of your updates with all of your friends. On Google+ you can selectively send updates to different circles, and you can also quickly click between the news streams of your different circles."

You can also group your friends in Facebook in lists and then specify which lists / friends cannot see a status update (lock next to "share" button). I have been using this for a long time now, if this hadn't been added to FB a while back I would have probably stopped using it. It might work different than the circles (haven't tried google+ yet), but it's definetely not true that "you have to share all of your updates with all of your friends".

On FB you can also use the lists to "filter" the news or feed, in case you only want to read the feed of one group/list (I don't use this one very often).

For the rest, it sounds interesting. Thanks for your article and information.

Yes, Facebook has lists. They're useless.

why useless? they work just fine. I have been using this for a long time and it's the only way to keep some updates hidden to certain groups of people, ie I don't want my workmates to read certain posts, I simply add the list "workmates" (where I previously added some of my friends) in the list of people who should not read it (this lock thing next to the share button) and done.

The only thing which is annoying is that
a) if you comment on open pages (ie of an artist) - EVERYBODY can see that you've written there (but then again, it's an open page, if you don't want people to see it, then don't comment there)
b) everybody seens whom you've become friends with, I think there is no way to hide that to certain people, but then I am not sure of this.

I am not for one or the other, I am for new things and I like trying them out, looking forward anyway to try +.
What I expect is that, when somebody does a review/comparison, at least there are no errors or misleading comments.
If one finds the lists not as good as circles, then it should be mentioned.
This sentence to me is simply wrong: "you have to share all of your updates with all of your friends". You don't HAVE TO share all your updates with ALL your friends.

I've had my Facebook connections broken up into lists for ages. Family, childhood/high school friends, college friends, coworkers, people local to me, etc. I use privacy settings to share or mask my status updates to/from certain groups as necessary, not only for my privacy of thought but also not to unnecessarily clutter up other people's feeds. FB has changed up the list interface a time or two which doesn't make it terribly easy to manage lists, but it sure isn't hard.

that might have been FB's biggest mistake, to not see that this functionality is actually used/needed/required by the user and has made it more and more difficult to use it. FB hasn't really promoted it either.

And Google has cleverly used this whole and based + on this funcionality

Sounds interesting - will have to try it before seeing if I like it better than FaceBook - as you state, it will not likely replace FaceBook for many.
Thanks for the Article!

You say this: ".. it???s going to be years before Aunt Jenny and your plumber show up on Google+ the way they recently showed up on Facebook (and it???s possible they never will). "
And I agree with that. However, what you are completely missing, is that the vast majority of Facebook users *are* Joe the Plumber and Aunt Jenny, in other words, normal people, not Social Media experts and Geeks like you and I. So Google+ will never be a serious competition to facebook as long as it doesn't attract normal people in huge quantities. And normal people will not be attracted by a platform that has hardly any users. Plus normal users are very sceptical of Google's privacy approach. So no I don't give this Google+ thing a whole year. Facebook is successful because everyone's there.