Ready to see what this G+ thing is all about? Sweet, let’s jump right in then.
Google + is another social networking site, but I see it more as a tool than as another way to keep in touch. The best thing about this new online venue is teetering the line of becoming the worst thing…I’ll explain:
These are circles. Instead of adding a friend and waiting of confirmation of that friendship, anyone can add you to a particular circle of news feed they are interested in. This is great because I can see whatever the Poynter Institute posts even though they have no idea who I am. The downside to this is that I don’t know half the people in the (above) screen shot. This opens the door to “creepers” and this is a problem.
If you believe someone who has placed you in their circle is stalking you or you just don’t want them to see your every post you may block them or report them *phew!*
My favorite aspect to G+ is the hangout. Probably one of the most interesting uses of this can be seen in this Youtube video of a G+ experiment.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yutkIVzd_uQ]
A local station (KOMU) has decided to use this tool in its broadcasts. This feature can be used in many other ways though, for example a family chit-chat across the country. Imagine you’re in California, your mom is in New York, and your Grandma is in Iowa. No problem, G+ has you covered!
Another application of G+ that I really like is the huddle. I imagine this feature hasn’t received a lot of commotion because you can only use it if you have a smart phone with the G+ app installed. The way it works is kind of like a hybrid version instant messaging and text messaging. Basically, everyone with the app (that has been invited of course) can communicate through messages that are displayed in a chat room format.
There are many other capabilities of G+, not covered here, that are vaguely reminiscent of Facebook. That being said, I’m not sure Mark Zuckerberg has anything to worry about. Facebook managed to get its foot in the door of American’s fascination with social networking at just the right time. Evidence can be seen in the much greater volume of traffic on the site. That being said, I have high hopes for G+ in the world of journalism because I think the caliber of the tools G+ offers far surpasses that of other social networks.
