Thursday, July 28, 2011

Google+ Button Added


Dinah asked me to add a Google Plus (G+) button to our posts. Done.
Does she use G+? Do our readers?

I will say that I've been using G+ now for about three weeks. If you've been hiding under a social media rock lately, G+ is Google's next attempt at a social media platform. It has some elements of Facebook, some of Twitter, some of Friendster, rolled up together to give users more control over whom they share with. A "tweet" or post can now be shared with just those Circles of people you choose. There is also a cool new feature called Hangouts that is like Skype on steroids. You can have a videochat with 9 other people simultaneously. Wouldn't be surprised to see a therapist using it for group therapy. It has better privacy control features than the leading social media tools, and is quickly gaining ground.

I'm thinking we could do our next podcast via Google+... if only Dinah would sign up.
At least she got her button. Reward her by giving her a +1 below.

11 comments:

SteveBMD said...

Maybe I'm getting old, or I've succumbed to social-media malaise, but I really want someone to explain to me why I need Google-Plus... er, I mean, Google+.

I have an account, but now what?

At any rate, because it seems to be the "cool" thing to do, I added a "G+" button to my blog, too.

Yippee!

(I think)

Anonymous said...

You're not the only one. I've never understood the attraction of facebook, myspace, friendster, twitter, and noe G+. It's all social media overload to my introverted ways.

Carrie said...

I love G+. Once more of my friends/people are on it, I think I will drop Facebook. We'll see though. I'm probably never dropping Twitter.

Sunny CA said...

I will present the "old person's" viewpoint even though I think I am a bit young to feel this way.
I am 60, and am sick and tired of new technologies that "everyone" "has to" adopt. I was early onto the internet and email in 1996. I converted my photography business from film-only capture to digital capture and learned PhotoShop and all the other programs for professionals to deal with digital images. I learned html and created my own website. I learned album design using countless different programs (though finally used just PhotoShop since the others lacked full creative scope) and graphical design including Adobe Illustrator. When FaceBook came out I created a site which I have now hidden and limited to relatives only and I really don"t want to go there. I opened a Twitter account, but I do not want to do that either. Now G+ ? This one I am boycotting altogether. I am sick of it all. It is bad enough that I have to have a teacher website and do my grades online. I just am sick of learning yet another new program that is going to put the last one out of business.

Sarebear said...

i've been getting intrigued by G+, because of the Circles thing. There's times I wish I could talk about certain things with my friends, but they may be things I'd rather keep private from immediate (not spouse, I trust him lol) or extended family. I feel really muzzled on Facebook, actually, and even considered when I signed on at the end of last Nov, whether or not to accept any family (my sister in law understands how private I am about stuff while oddly being not private about it online to non-family lol but I don't think the rest would be so understanding) but in the end I accepted the requests from family to attach to my account.

I've sometimes considered starting over and going through the "fight" with Facebook to get my actual name, instead of having to hyphenate it with my maiden name to get it to pass filters, like my husband did; I didn't want to go through the hassle at the time but now I wish I had. I'm guessing G+ will have the same filters.

having more CONTROL over what gets shared to whom and other control, is exactly what I wish facebok had. Among other things. More power to the users I say (visions of Tron, anyone? lol)

Carrie said...

Sara - That's exactly why I like Google+. It's got nothing to do with needing to or having to adopt the latest technology, although that's what a lot of naysayers seem to think. It's about finding the medium that really works for your needs. I've long used twitter - but my twitter account is locked and therefore I do regret not being able to interact with some who choose not to follow me because I have a locked account, but I cannot unlock it for reasons that I don't need to get into here. Facebook has open access to every single person that I'm trying to lock out of twitter and some of the other things. Google+ lets you streamline all of those things - you can control who you share things with. I love that about it. I love that it can be a place where I interact with the medfolks I know on twitter, people I knew from blogging, people I know in real life, and so on - but I can't decide which of them I want to know what thing - and sometimes it's definitely all of them! With the history I have with online mediums, G+ is the first one I'm truly excited about. :) We'll see I guess - but I feel relieved that they created something like this - it suits my own needs very well. I could care less about it being a fad other than I hope the people I love interacting with will find their way over to it. :)

Carrie said...

Er...that should say I *CAN* decide which of them I want to know what thing. That's my favorite part of it. :)

Anonymous said...

I'd love to try Google+; can't get an account though. How did you all manage it?

Anonymous said...

Google+, like Fbook and Twitter are highly over-rated sites. Read a book and I don't care if you must use an e-reader. Just read. Want to socialize? Go out and talk to the neighbors, find some friends. That is what people did until the 21st century which is supposedly different from all others.

Anonymous said...

it may or may not be related to your popularity. if you have 100 family memebers or BFFs who will go on and give you a +1 it doesn't say much about how the rest of the world perceives you.

Anonymous said...

What happened to moderation pre post?