Google Plus

[Amaron]

Social networking, you're doing it wrong.

Twitter says otherwise.

[RhyssaFireheart]

I'm not sure what to do with you if you don't have "f13" somewhere in your profile.

Uhh, I don't, but then I'm not sure if I'm linked to you since I don't have all the RL/online names figured out yet.  I do have my online name in the nicknames field though.

I do have "Yegolev [F13]" as an Other Name.  I searched for your handle and found someone communicating with Craig Dalrymple, so I bet on that horse.

LOL! Yeah, that would be me then. :D  I'll have to check the random names who've added me recently, since I was just accepting them.

[01101010]

http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-pick/google-is-being-tweaked-this-week-based-on-user-feedback-20110711/

Although there isn’t a list of what the most criticized features are (or lack thereof), the responses to Gundotra’s post are very telling. Here’s the ones we managed to extract from the 200+ comments he has received so far, most of which have had multiple +1 upvotes:

    Ability to modify circles a post is shared with after posting it
    Reading sparks and +1 comments in the Android app
    Lifting of the 5000 circle cap (really?)
    The ability to overlap circles
    Option of a circle that doesn’t show up in your stream
    Menu follows you down the stream as you scroll
    Easy private messaging option including to person who starts a thread
    Google+ app for other platforms (WP7)
    Blocking working 100% of the time
    Easy way to merge circles
    Sharing and refresh updates in the Android app
    Link to hide all comments again after you’ve clicked to show all
    Better integration of Google Chat with Google+
    Fix issues with instant upload for photos
    Ability to share with all circles, but with an “except” option
    Ability to share Google Docs and Calendar with circles
    Revamp Google Reader to make sharing easier
    File-sharing integration
    Nested comments
    Addition of hashtags to aid searching

As you can see, most of the requests are for more control and more integration with other Google services. There also seems to be a big push for the Android app to be improved quickly.

Hashtags? 

[bhodi]

Lots of people want hashtags. I don't know why. It's one part of twitter I've never understood, but maybe that's because I have no desire or interest in seeing what "the cloud" thinks about a particular topic.

It's a bit like my similar interest in never, ever reading youtube comments.


That ability to hide your name, use different names, that's critical IMO. I don't want you crazies to know who I really am, no offense. My online life and my real life are strictly separate. I also want to stay far away from people who don't understand why it'd be important.

[Morfiend]

That ability to hide your name, use different names, that's critical IMO. I don't want you crazies to know who I really am, no offense. My online life and my real life are strictly separate. I also want to stay far away from people who don't understand why it'd be important.

I guess im one of those people. I see no reason to keep my personal life off the internet. Now, keeping it separate, totally. But offline? No way.

I have basically 3 "profiles" if you will. My Personal, my Professional, and my gaming. All 3 of them are online, with only a slight bit over overlap.

**Edit** You are correct though, in that Google+ is where a lot of that overlap happens.

[Quinton]

Lots of people want hashtags. I don't know why. It's one part of twitter I've never understood, but maybe that's because I have no desire or interest in seeing what "the cloud" thinks about a particular topic.

I want some kind of tagging because there are people (who are often prolific) who I follow who write about different things.  I'd like to be able to pay attention to some topics they write about (maybe neat gaming or technical stuff) but ignore others (perhaps crazy extreme political views).

[Bunk]

Gah! I already have customers asking how we as a company are going to integrate our products with it (we currently have some FB integration).

[Prospero]

Tagging would be awesome. I can see wanting to use it as both social tool and a personal blogging tool, but I hate the idea of bogging my friend's feeds with my musings on software development.

[Amaron]

I'd like to be able to pay attention to some topics they write about (maybe neat gaming or technical stuff) but ignore others (perhaps crazy extreme political views).

I'm guessing they'll have "public" circles eventually and that would be roughly the same thing.

[Quinton]

There are a *lot* of features in the pipe.  They kicked off the field trial with a pretty solid core featureset but the product is expected to see a lot of evolution in the coming weeks/months.

[Yegolev]

Tagging would be awesome. I can see wanting to use it as both social tool and a personal blogging tool, but I hate the idea of bogging my friend's feeds with my musings on software development.

I place the burden of filtration on the reader.

[Sky]

There are a *lot* of features in the pipe. 

Lern2sort

Seriously, if there is a single gripe I can make about google's stuff in general (it's tough to narrow down), it's the lack of good sorting. And the trainer I had kept looking at me like I was an alien for asking about sorting all the time. Last night my fiancee was bitching about her latest obsession, Google Music beta. Can't sort her 9000 songs properly. I had to remind her of my rant while I was in google apps training.

And now gmail has sorting by some dumb google-approved method (the important/starred/unread sorting) but still doesn't have the simple alphabetical sender search every email interface anywhere ever has had for ages. Gah.

[apocrypha]

I've just noticed Google search results page now has my G+ bar along the top of it. Is that new or have I been somewhat unobservant previously?

[01101010]

I've just noticed Google search results page now has my G+ bar along the top of it. Is that new or have I been somewhat unobservant previously?

If you are on G+, that is your prize, a google-do-all bar. Those terminator movies were almost right... the name skynet is wrong and the military connectors are loosely related, but I am sure we'll all die by this Google thing one day.

[HaemishM]

He got Googled?

[MuffinMan]

Yea, that bar has been there all along. I tried a Chrome extension the other day that keeps it up on every site but it got annoying that it had to reload itself every time.

[01101010]

So has anyone figured out the cypher for how G+ actually sorts posts? I been reading that it goes by freshest comment rather than post, but no option to pick either/or. Made the mistake of bringing this up on the google forums and people actually went with "go back to facebook" retorts. I was stunned for a second, but my WoW experiences paid off.

I like the options in G+ but it seriously needs some streamlining. My mobile public stream is one big fucking ball of mess. meh.

[MuffinMan]

I was just farting around in the mobile app for the first time in a while and found a feature I've been looking for which is the ability to only display certain streams by default. It really cuts down on spam from people you are just following and want to read once in a while. I haven't seen an option to change for the post sorting that you're talking about but being able to view specific streams by default really helps me.

[01101010]

I am also getting the distinct impression that G+ really sucks major ass if you do not have a huge list of people in your circles. The only real stream that seems half alive is the public stream on my mobile device. Otherwise my streams are just puddles that dry up in 2-3 days. No wonder G+ seems to be trending into Buzz territory...

The public stream is a tad better, but fuck it all when there is a post 1 hour old mixed into posts from 2 days ago. How the hell would I find that one post if I didn't scroll half way down the page to the shit I already read. Search, not sort my ass... I am not doing a post scavenger hunt to find a post. Shit that happened 4 days ago is gone and done in terms of the public stream... fuck you for putting in as the second post on that stream. 

[Prospero]

I treat it like a horrible love child between Facebook and Twitter and use the "Following" circle to follow interesting Internet people. It makes for a pretty fun feed. My friends have largely moved to G+ which help though.

[eldaec]

I am sure we'll all die by this IBM Soviet Russia Microsoft China The Olsen Twins Facebook Google thing one day.

I wouldn't worry, sooner or later there is always a bigger fish.

[01101010]

I treat it like a horrible love child between Facebook and Twitter and use the "Following" circle to follow interesting Internet people. It makes for a pretty fun feed. My friends have largely moved to G+ which help though.

Like who? And how do you find anyone? Think my search function on there is borked... ironic. I slotted G+ to the back of my give a shit list atm, until they tighten things up and I can sort by most recent.   Sadly, I only have 5 friends who jumped on G+ and they use it once maybe twice in a month, however their facebook pages are full of activity. That seems to be proving a huge hurdle... when all your friends go to this school over here, why the fuck would I want to travel across town to go to school over there just because it's brand new and has tablets rather than laptops?

[eldaec]

I'm sure this has been rehashed a hundred times in the depths of the thread, but my big issue with this is I really don't need there to be 2 facebooks. I mean, sure the circles thing is nice I guess, but this is just going to mean I have to check both places - it is, in effect, making the usable portion of my life measurably shorter.

 

[MuffinMan]

Like who? And how do you find anyone?

You can at least find most of the f13 crowd just by searching for "f13." Unless you already have and I just don't know who you are.

[Prospero]

I look at who my friends are following and also lists like http://www.recommendedusers.com/. I have some geek celebs and tech writers in my list of people to follow. I can definitely understand not getting attached to G+ if your friends are never posting.

[Talpidae]

Like who? And how do you find anyone?

You can at least find most of the f13 crowd just by searching for "f13." Unless you already have and I just don't know who you are.

I found YOU and 3 others.  I think I'm doing it wrong.

[Lantyssa]

I don't get it.  Maybe it's because I've logged in once?

[01101010]

I don't get it.  Maybe it's because I've logged in once?

edit: operateor error... nothing to see here

[MuffinMan]

I think you linked a thumbnail.

[sigil]

I don't get it.  Maybe it's because I've logged in once?

Probably a lot to do with it. My feed stays pretty full, While few of my local friends have moved over yet  I'm finding a nice mix of artists (photographers are raving, Video chat with Joe Satriani  ) and tech people, plus some political writers. It's starting to supplant FB for me.

[Lantyssa]

I rarely log into Facebook either.

[01101010]

Meh... if I really wanted to stalk the stars I'd be on Twitter. 140 characters would probably be all I could stomach.

[Hawkbit]

I have just as many friends on FB as I do G+.  The difference between them is that FB is about five people I always talk to and 105 I don't want to ever talk to, as opposed to G+ I have the same five people from FB and 105 developers.  ATM I'm finding G+ easier to get tech opinions because it's not all mucked up by the FB mouthbreathing bunch. 

I think there was this feeling when G+ launched that it was going to be an "us or them" kind of social networking war.  Instead, it's going to be "us AND them".  Get ready for lots of different networks, but only the winners will be allowed to feed into places like G+. 

[Jherad]

I run a (very) small business that relies heavily on word of mouth - should I be thinking about a Google plus page? (I have no idea if this is like facebook in that regard - I'm not on there yet).

[Hawkbit]

Read #4.  G+ isn't for business yet.  I think they're trying to incorporate them in a different fashion, to split up personals from businesses. 

http://blogs.forbes.com/insidearm/2011/07/14/5-things-small-businesses-must-know-about-google-plus/