First Thoughts on Google+

First of all, Google+ is not a FaceBook replacement or a Twitter replacement. So anyone attempting to force it to be one or both of those services is missing the point. Also, it’s in beta right now. That means it will morph in many different directions before it is complete.

So, what do I think of it so far? I like it. I don’t spend time on FaceBook anymore. Anyone who knows me at all will tell you that I always hated FB. I just don’t trust the company, for one thing. I also dislike the siloing of data. Stuff you say goes in but it don’t come out. Whereas Google+ has a data export feature.

I do love Twitter, but sometimes the information streams by too fast and I miss it. Again, siloing keeps it out of my control. I use Twitter to catch news. Especially when something interesting is happening, a conference, weather, national crisis. It’s also cool for impromptu chats with folks.

I think G+ will be more about interacting with people in small groups. Huddles are great for that. So is Circles. It’s not going to replace the other two networks, but it will exist in some way and people should not ignore it. At least not content creators. Just be sure your primary content is on your own domain and under your direct control.

I think the shininess will wear off after a few weeks.