Google Plus, anyone?

[Kim]

There was a workaround for invites, but it sounds like they closed that off, and email invites are temporarily deactivated.

I miss Facebook's "Like" feature, so I could "Like" anime and people would see a little thing saying, "Skyler and two others liked anime" or some such. You can +1 posts by people, though.

Sparks are an interesting feature, wherein you can get a little random-ass feed on stuff related to a particular "spark" which is something you're interested in. So, if I put yaoi, I can click on the spark and see links to yaoi videos or stuff about Yaoicon and all that jazz.

Circles are easily the best feature of Google+, as they let you split everyone up into little groups, allowing you to control who sees what posts of yours. Only want family to see a post? You can do that. Want everyone but your family to see a post? You can do that, too. It's interesting.

Beyond that, it's a lot like Facebook, but feels faster and smoother. I expect more features will be added in the future, and other features will be changed as well. If I get the ability to invite people, I'll let you all know so you can ask for some.

[synkr0nized]

My Google account is tied to so many more things than my FB account that I am not sure I am going to like this. Some of the ideas seem neat, but so far I don't see any reason to call this anything other than FB with Google logos all over the place.

[Jagos]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

My Google account is tied to so many more things than my FB account that I am not sure I am going to like this. Some of the ideas seem neat, but so far I don't see any reason to call this anything other than FB with Google logos all over the place.

That's the point I believe

[Kim]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

Some of the ideas seem neat, but so far I don't see any reason to call this anything other than FB with Google logos all over the place.

I do wanna say, Google doing Facebook but with a handful of different ideas is kinda how competition and such usually works, isn't it?

[synkr0nized]

I definitely get that.
I don't like having to choose between two things that do the same thing, though. It's why I took forever to regularly use more than AIM years and years back; once more people I know are on it I may have much more motivation to want to use the new Facebook.


@Jagos: really? You link to not only a stick figure comic to respond but a site that explains said stick figure comic? Like, people don't get XKCD on their own?

I can imagine many benefits of it being linked to my Google account. I can also imagine many negatives of yet another thing where posts and data are potentially less and less under my control yet still linking back to that account. I'm just sayin' I'm going to be wary of it, just as I am with FB.

[Krylo]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

Like, people don't get XKCD on their own?

Read the comments. You'd be surprised.

Also: This can only be a good thing, even if you don't use it. Competition for Facebook (and Facebook competing with Google Chrome) might inspire both to be a little more careful with private information, and treat their users with a little less disdain.

[GrandMasterPlanetEater]

Originally Posted by synkr0nized

@Jagos: really? You link to not only a stick figure comic to respond but a site that explains said stick figure comic? Like, people don't get XKCD on their own?

There used to be a much better website to explain those comics, no longer updated, at http://xkcdexplained.com/. When I found about the website, I stopped visiting xkcd.com and just stuck to that website. Xkcd lost a lot of the luster for me after I started reading those explanations. Now xkcd has lost most of its funny and I have a mockery-shaped hole where xkcdExplained used to be.