Post by: Project Coordinator - Chris Money

Google + is similar to Facebook in a lot of ways but it has some features that set it apart and may even make it a better option for a lot of people.  Like Facebook, Google + lets you share what’s going on in your life, what’s on your mind, or even random thoughts of the day, with all of your friends, family and co-workers.  You can post pictures, video, links and all of the other things we’ve all become accustomed to on Facebook.  However, Google + is limited right now to only those people who have been invited to join.  That means anything that is shared on Google+ with someone not on the Google+ service is shared via email.  Eventually, everyone will have access to Google+ but no date has been set for a full rollout of the service.

The big question seems to be “What makes Google+ different from Facebook if I can do all the same things on both services?”  Well Google+ has introduced 3 main features that separate it from Facebook…Circles, Hangouts, and Sparks.

Circles

Circles are essentially groups you can put your friends in.  You start with just a few circles by default (Friends, Acquaintances, Following, etc…) but you can add as many circles as you like.  Once you’ve created the circles you want, all you have to do is drag a friend’s icon into the circle you want them to be a part of.  Basically you’re creating groups…but these groups are different from Facebook groups.  When you post a message in your stream (similar to Facebook’s wall) you can decide which circles get to see the post.  You can post it to public (where everyone sees the post) or to a specific group(s) where only a specific set of people can see the post…a very handy feature if you need to limit who sees your post.  The other nice feature about circles is that when you add people to a circle they don’t know what circle they are in…they just know that you’ve added them as a friend.  Of course, that also means that you won’t know what circle they’ve put you in either.

Hangouts

Hangouts are what amount to chat rooms.  You can have up to ten people in a hangout and people can come and go as they need to.  If you have a camera built-in or attached to your computer you can video chat.  You can choose which circles get to participate in your hangout.  Only those friends in a circle you choose will see the “Join Hangout” button in their stream and can choose to come and hangout.  You can also send an invitation to friends from the Hangout screen so if someone you want to hangout with is online but not paying attention to their stream they can come join you if they wish.  This is a feature that could be useful not just for wasting time on the internet but it could be used for quick meetings when not everyone can be in the same room at the same time.

Sparks

Sparks are basically conversation starters that you can put in your stream.  In Google+ when you search for something of interest (cooking, camping,  sports, etc.) a list of articles and websites comes up.   If you find something interesting just click the “share” button you have the option to share the link in your stream.  Just like the rest of Google+ you have the option to share it with the public or with specific circles.  The idea behind Sparks is to spark conversations among your friends.  This feature also allows the things that interest you to find you.  Once you find an area that interests you, you can pin the interest under your Sparks and access newly updated information quickly.

 

Google+ is certainly no Facebook killer.  The following that Facebook has gained over the past several years is something that will be hard for any service to overcome.  Google+ looks like a good alternative to Facebook for all those who are overwhelmed with the wall postings, sidebar ads, and the seemingly constant stream of spam and viruses that are starting to show up.  There are no online games so far…so you won’t get swamped with people needing help with their farm or whatever the next addicting game might be. Google+ is still very much in its infancy and has none of the issues we associate with Facebook right now.  it’ll be interesting to see if it holds up over time and can be a viable player in the world of social networking.