Google+
August 12th, 2011
I have been experimenting with Google+, Google’s new social networking tool. Google+ has elements of blogging , Facebook and Twitter. In my mind, its circles allow you to organise your communications better than Twitter and Facebook. For example, you can organise your contacts into separate circles to discuss say ‘educational technology’ ,’photography’ or ‘politics’ . Contacts can be in one or more circles. Similarly you can belong to one or more of your contacts’ circles.
From what I have seen and contributed so far, posts seem to be shorter and less reflective than blog posts but longer than Twitter’s 140 characters. I have only found Twitter useful for announcements or as a back channel at conferences. I’ve never become much of a Facebook fan either – as I rarely want to share the same messages with family, friends or colleagues. I value boundaries. I don’t share Alec Couros belief (as in his keynote ‘Why Networked Learning Matters‘ at Ed-Media 2011) in the need to create a public digital identity complete with personal photos.
Google+ posts can be +1 (liked), shared or commented on. Comments are nested under the post which makes far easier reading than a Twitter timeline. You can also ‘chat’ and use a webcam in your circles. Have a look for yourself at Google+
Entry Filed under: blog,SocialNetwork,technology,tool
4 Comments Add your own
1. Alec Couros | August 12th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
I value boundaries as well, although we all have the right to personal negotiation of those boundaries. Personal photographs aren’t to be mandated in my view, nor are they necessary to establish a digital identity. However, my underlying view is that privacy is impossible in the digital age, and it’s better to understand what this means for what we share online, and it’s important to be intentional and thoughtful about our digital footprint.
2. Niall | August 12th, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Alec, thanks for clarifying your views on digital identity and privacy
3. Design Agency | September 15th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Well the flaw of Google+ does not lie in its design but in the way it tries to break a tried and tested social networking convention – that of privacy! good observations though. Cheers!
4. Niall | September 15th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Design agency, could you expand on your point about privacy
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