And it’s not because I don’t know how it works. After all, it’s conveniently slash suspiciously in the same format as Facebook. (Wait: Boyfriend is informing me that no, Google+ had the New Facebook design first, and then Facebook copied it – but dude can’t provide a source, so.)
It’s more like, “Wait, what’s this for? Why is it any better than Facebook? What, exactly, is my goal here?”
Besides this. Clearly.
Everyone tells me I can use the “circles” to post different updates to different groups of friends, unlike Facebook. Which… okay, true – but do we really want that? I know we think we do, but seriously: the entire point of social networking is to creep on what your friends are posting to people who aren’t you. Otherwise it’d just be called “e-mail”.
So since Google isn’t including Facebook’s clever “no privacy” feature, I have to assume Google Plus will just collapse under the weight of its own eminently practical segregation, becoming the most disgustingly professional thing this side of LinkedIn.
… Okay, I’m sorry, that was harsh. (Seriously, I apologize. It probably won’t be quite that professional.)
Look, full disclosure: Even though it’s super uncool to dislike Google+, I have a vested interest in making sure it doesn’t take off. My google reader account – which holds 2 years of saved articles and gets checked hourly – just happens to be linked to a psuedonymous gmail that can be traced back to this blog, SDN, and for all I know, my high-school livejournal.
So if Google+ gets any staying power, I would have to be constantly switching google accounts for the rest of my life. And manually adding each of my facebook friends, since I have no “google friends” list. I don’t believe it’s hyperbolic to say the inconvenience would most likely kill me.*
But for the sake of my boyfriend – who happens to be reading this, and has a level of devotion to Google products that’s usually reserved only for major world religions and your more popular NFL teams – I’ll concede that there may yet be some good in it. For example:
1. The cheerful possibility of some really horrifying screen-caps. Because people will be including the wrong circles on their most private posts. It’s like how you only accidentally hit “reply-all” for the worst possible personal messages, or drop coffee cups only when they’re full: as terrible as it is… it’s kind of funny.
(Related: Don’t include the wrong circles on your private posts.)
2. Categorizing your friends into “circles” is damned satisfying.
'Purgatory' residents get to enjoy my weekly observation that it's "Fri-day, Fri-day, gotta get down on Fri-day..."
But all of that is overshadowed by the realization that other people are also putting us in these categories. And inevitably, we’ll someday borrow a friend’s laptop and see Google+ on the screen and realize we’re in their “Eh, These People Are Okay, I Guess” circle, which will suck.
Right, guys? Right? So, moral of the story: we should all abandon ship and swim back to Facebook as quickly as possible.
… No? No one?
Dammit, guys. You’re killing me. So.. okay, I’m pretty much alone on this. Made my own bed. Time to lie in it. Etcetera.
Well, can’t blame me for trying.
* Boyfriend is now informing me that, no, that’s exactly what hyperbolic means.
Action Potential 
I really like the idea of categorizing people.
Agreed.
Haha, I’m really liking Google Plus so far, and I can’t wait till they smooth it out a bit more. 😀 There’s plenty of people who aren’t into it though, for a variety of reasons, and I don’t think it will ever replace facebook. If it does, it will take a while. But I really like that so far, it’s letting me get away without using my last name.
I absolutely love Google+ , I begged for an invitation on Lifehacker without much success but now … well my wallpaper will help you explain my feelings :-p
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/z7f3i.jpg[/IMG]
Can I add you ? I promise you’ll have to choose your own circle 😀
Haha, I know. I felt so cool when I got an invite. If nothing else, Google is really smart about the way they roll out projects. If they were just like, “hey! Everyone join google+, please!” it’d be totally different.
Maybe I should get an Action Potential profile on Google+, haha. I have no idea what I’d post, though. Probably a lot of things about Shark Week.
What is with you and Shark week?
It’s an entire WEEK. Of SHARKS.
Also: http://drinkphilly.com/articles/read/127
I’m avoiding it. I finally got weaned off of facebook (their new changes were a big help), and don’t particularly want to be sucked into its evil twin.
Getting rid of facebook was probably smart. Honestly, I never even post anything on facebook anymore – it was great in college, but now I unfriend people more than I friend them. Kind of grim.
I’ll be the lone duck. I got Google+ in one of the first wave of beta invites. I’ve pretty much abandoned it. There is nothing that appeals to me. Also, I have the same issue as AP with too many google accounts that link to way too many things.
And here’s the big secret, you already can put Facebook friends into lists (i.e. circles) and select which lists can view each post. So Google+ is nothing new at all.
Your blog is great! Love the design, and your icon gets mad BSG points from me. 🙂
Just a note from someone that has been party to litigation within IT. Everything you say on Google+ carries the same risks as on Facebook even if you tightly control your circles. Just something to consider.
I really dig Google+ for the record. I only use Facebook to play games at this point.
Good advice.
“So if Google+ gets any staying power, I would have to be constantly switching google accounts for the rest of my life.”
There’s a way to get around this: you can keep one google account open in firefox and one in internet explorer.
SMART.
… I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. But, nope. I really didn’t.
Google+ circles sound a lot like Facebook lists. I have a bunch of lists (including a “why did these people think I’d want to be FB friends?” list); it’s pretty easy to post things that are seen only by certain people.
I can only live so many places. Adding Google+ doesn’t appeal.
I’m still kind of straddling the two interfaces. I *lurve* Hangouts, because they can do what Skype can’t in terms of volume of callers at once (my old housemates are scattered across the globe, and it makes communicating all at once much easier), but, as far as “things people use more”, Facebook still has the edge.
So true – Hangouts is waay better than Skype, especially long-distance relationship-wise. I’ll probably keep using it for that alone.
I am totally with you on this! I DON’T GET IT! Also, woo, LJ! 😀
I had it for a while. I really didn’t like the fact that ANYONE could add me to their circle and that I could add ANYONE to mine. WTF??
I check it once an a while and there was never any new post or anything that appealed to me. unsubscribed.
I’m still baffled by Google+ honestly and I agree with you, it’s not because I don’t know how it works. The whole thing about the circles for instance I find very unwieldy (http://visionarymarketing.wordpress.com/2011/08/31/the-google-circle-ease-of-use-mystery/ ) and forgive me if I am dumb, but I don’t really get what’s so interesting about it.