Rooster90 Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) A tech-savvy friend of mine recently invited me to join and try out a new social network developed by Google, called "Google+". I have to say I'm reasonably impressed by it's intuitive, easy-to-learn design and clutter-free organization. To me, this is a Facebook killer and I've already begun deleting all my information from Facebook. It's still in a limited trial run, so access is fairly exclusive. There's some little kinks here and there, but it is fully functional. Even the bug reporting system is great. Gives you an option to highlight what part of the page you're having trouble with, black-out any personal info on that page, describe your issue, and send that feedback straight to Google with a screenshot. I've reported 2 minor bugs and I've already seen both disappear, so they are very quick and dedicated to make this the best social network out there. There's even a mobile app for Android users as well (not sure about Apple users yet). I have some invites to send out still. If you want to try it out, just PM your email address and I can help get you started. A brief overview: The Circle concept. A great new way to filter content to the right people. Hangouts. The group video chat that doesn't cost you a fortune. Did I mention you can share YouTube vids seamlessly with everyone in the hangout? I'm having a lot of fun with it and have been slowly inviting and converting more and more friends to it. It's more private, and Google doesn't own your information like Facebook does. It's certainly one of the most intuitive ways to network with people. Post or PM me if you're interested! NOTE: You will need a Google (Gmail) account before you are able to start using Google+. I can still invite you, but you cant have a profile without a Gmail account. I hope by now most of you do though cause if you don't... well, I'm sorry, lol. Side Note: As a preemptive note, Google or social networking hate shouldn't be discussed here. That is not the topic and I'd kindly ask the mods to delete any comments regarding ones dislike of Google, Android, or social networking in general. I could really care less. Thanks! Edited July 10, 2011 by Rooster90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster90 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 Also: Sparks. An interesting way to begin discussions. Far from perfect, it sometimes pulls some really random articles. Though it can only get better with more uses and more feedback. Mobile app overview. Still a little limited in some areas, but works as advertised. Better than the buggy Facebook apps out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batwing~SPARTA~ Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) Hey there, I am very intrigued by this. Thanks for sharing. i didn t have time to take a look at this new networking solution but watching those videos I understand this could be interesting. Like every new "networking universe" I have some concern on how really can take off. Reason why Facebook got its supremacy really is because there was nothing out there offering that service. They won the innovation and now we know how consumers are "comfortable animals", when they start something, they are not use to leave a known environment to re-start something somewhere else. Google+ power should be in their way to share but should try to "merge" with other existing networks, meaning trying to integrate the FB community. It would be very complicate or time consuming if I should try to convince my 300 friends to migrate to a new "Network Universe". Also, handling 2 profiles on different locations becomes very uncomfy. reason why Microsoft integrated FB on its Messenger - Integration to have several Network Universes where you can interact with all from one place - Actually what really intrigues me is the "Hang Out" feature. A free multi videochat can be a total winner (if it works). Ability to share content to specific "Circles" is great and smart, really don t we have this in FB too? There are so many settings in FB I get easily lost. I know we can create "Groups", I should dig if we can share albums only with specific Groups. From the video the GUI looks very friendly. This could be a major Plus for this networking tool. I would definetely give it a shot. Thank you. EDIT: Very quick edit to comment FaceBook does not allow to share content by Groups. Sharing options are related to the common concept of "friends" and "networks", way too large sharing. You could share to people choosing one by one, but that is really unfriendly. Group sharing is a very smart idea, however it s weird no one at FB thought about it and as a database and privacy management it would be very easy to implement in FB too. Edited July 10, 2011 by Batwing~SPARTA~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster90 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) Thing is, Google+ is going to release it's API to web developers in the near future. There's already 3rd party plug-ins that allow you to view and post on your Facebook news feed straight from G+. The beauty of Google: fully customizable, endless developer possibilities. Oh, did I mention no advertisements either? Edited July 10, 2011 by Rooster90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batwing~SPARTA~ Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 We just tested with Rooster and a friend of his the multi videochat and audio and video quality is really impressive ! With a limit at 10 ppl able to interact on a cumulative videochat this feature for me is totally selling this networking service ! Great job google Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster90 Posted July 10, 2011 Author Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) Just tested the group chat with Batwing and another friend of mine and it works fantastically! Sharing YouTube videos is a breeze, and the video and voice quality is really good. The fact that its free and in beta but works this good is a testament to how much work Google has put into this project. This feature alone could put Skype in a very awkward position. Also a subtle feature that I find amusing and cool was that if no one person is selected in the group chat for you to look at, it will automatically switch camera views to whoever is currently speaking (or most recently spoke). Very cool. Edited July 10, 2011 by Rooster90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batwing~SPARTA~ Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Nice info for Noobiees interested in this new service http://www.pcworld.com/article/235526/10_google_tips_for_beginners.html#tk.hp_new However... new service my A@$ !! Is open since less than a week and is already projected to be 20 Milion users by the end of this week ! http://www.pcworld.com/article/235468/20_million_google_users_may_exist_by_the_weekend.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter~SPARTA~ Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Haha, the last slide on the first link Batwing posted is pretty funny... - JHunter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis~SPARTA~ Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Howabout an invite? PS: Hi, I'm Elvis, very nice to meet you and to beg free goodies from you. You're the nicest person I've ever met, and such a great player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halli~SPARTA~ Posted July 15, 2011 Share Posted July 15, 2011 Haha E ! The down side will be that all the sheep porn you Googled will be connected to your page. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster90 Posted July 15, 2011 Author Share Posted July 15, 2011 XD You can delete your Web History at any time, or choose not to have your web history linked to your page at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvis~SPARTA~ Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Haha E ! The down side will be that all the sheep porn you Googled will be connected to your page. Yes, Google is the ultimate privacy killer. That's why my default search is https://duckduckgo.com/ But being an early invite has the geeky status I aspire to, and lack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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