What’s The Fuss Over Google+ ?

By Julie Hatfield

I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but in the last year and a half I was accused numerous times of behaving like a Facebook addict. I actually have friends who are concerned about me, because they just don’t feel the need to use social media 24-7 to view endless baby photos and post witty, intriguing, comment-worthy status updates like I do.

I will attribute much of my so-called obsession to my infant son, since I’m typically at home with him, I seek adult contact with the outside world. However, I’ll admit I love to feel connected to everyone from childhood friends, to former work colleagues, to long-lost cousins.

So when I heard that Google+ was on the horizon, I was intrigued. Could I get an invitation to the “field test”? Why would I want to join Google+? Ironically, my long-lost cousin (I reconnected with her on Facebook) asked if I’d like an invitation to G+. Who am I to say no to investigating new ways to explore the web? And the fact that Google+ has added (supposedly) 10 million new accounts in two weeks is certainly sexy.

So far, there aren’t enough of my friends and family on Google+ to give a definitive answer to the question “Is Google+ better than Facebook?” I personally love Facebook, but a little competition never hurt. As for privacy, we’ll put that topic aside since both Google and Facebook have had their privacy controversies. In my opinion, if you’re a heavy social media user, you’re aware of the implicit invasion of privacy that comes along with the bells and whistles of technology.

So I looked into the “selling points” of Google +, and here are the features that appeal to me the most, courtesy of PCWorld’s Online’s “Google+ vs. Facebook” article by Jared Newman.

1. Circles: You have the ability to group friends and family into custom “circles” in Google+, and then share photos, links, etc. with specific circles. Your work colleagues may not want to see the same reunion photos that would make your college sorority sisters ROTFL.
2. Hangouts: You can “hangout” with your circles via video chat without leaving Google+, so you can watch YouTube videos or mind-numbing reality TV along with your buddies. If you desire more high-brow hangouts, you can assess the latest Book Club read with your literary circle of friends (shout-out to author Maeve Binchy).
3. Sparks: The “sparks” feature on Google+ serves up content based on your interests. If you’re like me and have no time to read an actual book or are too tired to watch the news, this is a nice little space to visit for news that you care about.

And that’s my short, sweet and not terribly deep take on Google+. Is it going to revolutionize the world? Not sure yet. Is it cool? It certainly has potential, but we shall see what happens in this fickle technological universe. What I do know is that I won’t be kicking my social media addiction anytime soon.

Julie Hatfield works as a Customer Development Specialist at Texas Gas Service. Julie has been a member of AWC Austin since February 2011. Connect with her on Google+ by searching for Julie Hatfield. 

Photo uploaded to Flickr by Bruce Clay, Inc.