Google+
I’ve been using Google+ for a while now. I have to say, I really like it a lot. It’s a good replacement for Facebook for me. I was skeptical when I first read about Google’s initiative to go social - especially following their blunder with Buzz - but it seems that they have learned from those mistakes and done a good job of implementing a valuable service. If you’re not already familiar with it, you can learn more at this Geek.com article.
There are things I like and don’t like about it, but overall I give it two thumbs us - let me know if you want an invite. What I like most about it is that Google seems to get the desire of the community for some semblance of privacy. I actually think I can post some material and delete it effectively in the future. I like the idea of circles, which makes it much more easier to organize relationships. I’m also a big fan of the integration available since I also use Gmail, Calendars, and Docs. Its very nice to be able to access multiple tools through one location, when they are the tools I use every day.
My only real gripe is that I’d like to see an text-based messaging system that is integrated into Google+. There is chat and a good video conferencing tool, but I’d like to be able to send messages akin to email without having to go out to Gmail and mail someone. Such messaging is really the only thing I miss from Facebook. Which is of course the item that I am most pleased with! I can now easily abandon Facebook. I’ll likely keep a pointer there for a while, but I’m happy to leave - Facebook never cared about privacy or user preferences. This why it consistently make mistakes, said they weren’t mistakes, then apologized and changed things anyway. Google seems smarter: able to make mistakes, learn from them, and produce something that serves their purposes but also serves the user base.
PS: I think it’s open to everyone now…
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There is a bit of a work around for personal messages. Just create a normal post, disable reshare, share it with only that person, and make sure to +mention them somewhere so they get a notification. Granted it is not exactly an elegant design, it does at least work.
As for Facebook, once a few more of my contacts make the switch,I will most likely be leaving as well. I know several people that have already closed their accounts.
I am really happy that Google does listen to user feedback. The entire G+ team is using the service. I have been able to add most of them to a “Googlers” circle. They hold hangouts fairly often to get user feedback. Nearly every change they have made so far has resulted from the feedback tool and the hangouts.