Google+

Google Gets in on the Game

Originally created in 2011 as invitation only, Google+ has grown to become the one of the most used social networking sites on the internet. I have been prompted to make a Google+ account many times when visiting Google affiliated sites (including this one), so I decided to make Google+ the first social networking site I tried.

After spending about a week perusing Google+, I have nothing but positive feedback concerning the layout and ease of use of the site. I got over the initial awkwardness of figuring out a new interface during my first time on the page. It was easy to figure out how to search for friends and family and then organize them into "circles" which makes updates easy to digest. I also enjoyed that I could search for "communities" to join based on personal interests and that posts from these "communities" would show up on my homepage so I had something new and cool to look at every time I logged in.

One aspect of Google+ that I appreciated that fell outside of the social realm was the "Local" page. I could use this to search nearby shops or restaurants and read and share reviews of these places. I also see potential use for this site as a photo storage site in case I ever lose files.

Will I keep it?
Even though I really liked the site, I am not going to continue to use it for the simple fact that it doesn't hold much social use for me. Most of my friends and family are not actively using the site, even if they do have an account.