The Google+ Experiment
Google+ is poised to take on social network giants such as Facebook and Twitter, but how deep of an impact will it have on social network users? Our impressions of Google's social network will shed some light on that. Plus, find out how to use it and what its features do for you.
Plus One with Google+
Show of hands: who's heard about Google+ or managed to join the social network ? Either way, in just a short few days, Google+ has become one of the hottest topic in the tech scene, with people viewing it as a real challenge against Facebook.
Unlike Facebook and Twitter, Google+ taps onto the search giant's existing network, and compiles it into a social network style that's easier to adopt amongst its users. As many can guess, Google+ is essentially an enhancement to its existing services such as Gmail, Picasa, Gtalk and much more.
How is Google+ going to differentiate itself from existing social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, and how does it integrate its services? These questions will be answered in due time, and before we proceed to explain the basics of Google+, let us answer the most important question for those who are interested in Google's social network.
How do I Join Google+?
Google+, like the earlier Google Wave, is starting off as a limited field trial. For the lucky few who managed to get onto the network, invites were initially available, allowing existing Google+ users to bring more people into the network. Sadly, invites were tossed out at an insane rate, which led to Google temporarily suspended its invitation mechanism for Google+.
While the official channel was closed, there was another way to add more people into the Google+ network. According to ReadWriteWeb, all you need to do is get someone to post a comment, and add your email address into the "Add people or circle to share with". In doing so, an email will be send to the address, and all you need to do is click on "Learn more about Google+" to get access to the social networking service from Google.
Unfortunately, Google+ is still limited, with only some early birds managing to get into the social network that's under field testing.
However, over the weekend, we've had reports of invites not being received, while there were talks of Google+ being open to the public. A quick check on the Google+ page reveals otherwise, showing the service to be limited once more. And judging from what we've heard, Google has seemingly closed off the unofficial route to Google+.
Was this a wise move? While it's been less than a week, the hype over Google+ is undeniable. To close off invitations to a network that requires critical mass to have a semblance of a strong network might not work too well for the company. However this being the first iteration, the search giant is probably learning how existing people are taking to it before tweaking and hopefully opening up the invites.
That being said, how is Google+, and what do we feel about it? In the following pages, we'll give you a primer to Google+, which will be useful once you've hopped onto Google's new social network. As we round up the article on the fourth page, we've also shared personal thoughts from various writers and editors in the HardwareZone team on how Google+ is different, for better or worse, from the prevailing Facebook and Twitter social network.
Getting to Know Google+
Google+ might seem to be a Facebook clone from the first glance. In truth, that does work to Google+'s advantage, given how it's trying to lure Facebook users onto its network. With a similar user interface, the learning curve is much gentler, leaving us with more time to experience the main features of Google+. To understand Google+, there's a few key features that needs to be explored.
Notifications
Much like what you have on Facebook, notifications is as the name suggests - to notify you of incoming comments and +1s to your posts. With the launch of Google+, the +1 feature is making much more sense than ever, acting as the counterpart to Facebook's "Like".
What makes Google+'s notifications much better is how it keeps you on the same page. Clicking on the notifications field opens up a window within the Google+ page, and recent notifications are listed in chronological order. More importantly, the notification page allows one to reply to comments on that particular posting from within.
In fact, you can also access the notification and reply to comments even from your Gmail page.
In fact, as we experimented with Google+ from our desktops, we realized how insanely addictive it can get. Once your followers have reached a decent number, notifications will be flowing in quite often. Given how some of us are constantly checking emails, it's a shrewd move by Google to include the notifications within your Gmail page. Moreover, you can reply to notifications right from your Gmail page, thus keeping you away from your main Google+ Stream, which you can check occasionally. In some ways, this doesn't pull you away from what really matters - work emails, while keeping you updated on the latest happenings that are relevant to you.
Circles
Circles. It's the feature that really matters to those who are frustrated with the privacy settings from Facebook. As its name suggests, Circles is a way to assign specific people under your contact list into a neat group. The real draw is in allowing users to separate their postings according to the people they wish the update to be associated with. As such, within your Google account, you can essentially separate your personal updates to friends and family, keeping sensitive matters away from the public.
Circles revolves around the concept of filtering your posts to the relevant people. In time, we noticed how it turned out to be a double-edged sword for users.
This is also a blessing in disguise for those who are overly swamped with news updates from feeds that are not filtered. What Circles does is to allow users to post selectively, thus limiting the flood of updates to friends who won't be able to relate to that particular post. With Google+, your first action requires you to define who sees your posts, thus starting you on the filtering very early into the experience.
While this is a great way to segregate your thoughts to those who matter, and keeping the feed clean for others, this also creates another dilemma - how does one define their Circles? For some, privacy is not an issue, and updates are posted publicly with a dash of self-moderation added in. Yet, if you are a stickler for filtering, it might take a while to sort out the list according to your social circles, which might or might not be a subset of the other.
Stream
Stream is where the main action is. And before anyone says it, let us be the first to declare it - Stream looks no different from the Facebook home page. In one page, Stream lists the latest updates from people who have posted publicly or included you, be it personally or through their Circles.
As the main point of interaction, you will be posting your comments and sharing links, videos or photos through Stream. Thanks to its similarity to Facebook's layout, it didn't take us long to get the hang of it. And before we knew it, we were replying to comments and uploading photos. Unlike Facebook, Google+ allows you to geotag your location straight from the posting entry, be it from the desktop or mobile app.
Stream resembles Facebook's main page, acting as the main interaction between your own postings and incoming feeds from those within your Circles.
Adding multimedia elements to the Stream might seem to be a standard affair, but Google+ ups the ante by introducing a drag-and-drop method. As such, you can simply grab links from the web or images and videos off your hard disk, drag and dump it into the Stream entry field to invoke the upload process and share it with your Circles
Google+ makes sharing links, images and videos much easier with a drag-and-drop method.
As mentioned earlier, Circles acts as the filter for your news feed. As such, the Stream page gives you the option to either send your posting out as Public, or limited to Circles as defined by you. You can also add multiple Circles and add on individuals who might not fall under those specific Circles. Unfortunately, this also implies a heavy level of micromanagement to keep your posts limited to a select group.
Sparks
As we've explained earlier, Google+ is built around the company's existing strength - search. As such, it's no surprise to see a specific section designed to search and share links that matter to its users. Sparks fulfills that very role, acting as a news feed for you to sift through. And if you do find something of interest, the option to share that link is made easy with the Share button.
Sparks is the perfect example of how Google+ builds its social network around its search engine, listing items that are found through Google search and giving the option to share the links.
But like all features, we always bring up the "buyers beware" clause. While it integrates Google's search features seamlessly with the social network, it's all about moderation. Managing your Sparks feed is crucial to keep your Google+ account as clean as possible.
Hangouts and Huddle
Hangout creates a space for fellow Google+ users to, well, hang out. Building upon Google's Gtalk video chat feature, Hangout essentially creates a chat room for people you've added into it, allowing participants to join in at any time.
Google+ Hangouts. One can't help but wonder how it'll compete against Skype, which will soon be integrated with Facebook.
For mobile users, specifically those who have gotten their hands on the Google+ Android app, you won't find Hangout. Instead, a text-based chat known as Huddle is prominently displayed on the starting page. Think of it as an easier way to organize a group chat via Google Talk. Instead of adding contacts one by one, you can harness the grouping within Circles to initiate a group chat with your fellow Google+ users.
Think of Huddle as an advanced version of Google Talk on your Android device, utilizing the Circles feature to create group chats with ease.
What's the practicality of these two features? We feel that Hangouts and Huddle are just added in for the sake of utilizing Google's chat services. While we won't be seeing much use out of it, this is a subjective matter, depending on how one uses their Google account for their personal communication purposes. Furthermore, with Skype and Facebook teaming up to integrate their services together, it will undeniably have an impact on how Google+ users see Hangouts and Huddle in the near future.
Google+ for Mobile Platforms
Google+ for Android
It's no surprise that Google isn't just limiting itself to the desktop to create the Google+ presence, with an Android app for the new social network all ready on the Google mobile OS. While it is currently available for download via the Android Market, the app is limited to the US market.
Yes, there is a Google+ Android app on the Android Market. Unfortunately, it's limited to the US market.
A quick search on Google using the terms "Google+ APK" should present the app for you to download. After that, it's simply a matter of transferring the APK into your Android device. Next, go to Settings > Applications and ensure the "Unknown sources" box is ticked. Once that's done, download a file manager such as Astro, locate the APK and install the app to get the mobile version of Google+ running on your Android device.
Fortunately, you can still get your hands on the Google+ app. Just Google for Google+ APK.
Till now, the Google+ Android app has presented itself as another app that draws upon the social network feeds, with the ability to post updates and photos straight from your phone onto the network. Within the team, some loved how photos that are taken from your Android device are instantly uploaded onto the Google+ account, albeit in a private folder. This Instant Upload feature does come off as a useful tool, keeping your photos constantly backed up on your Google account.
Is Google+ Ready for Apple iOS?
Apple has made its stance very clear - to keep its iOS users close to each other by creating a strong ecosystem. was where the Cupertino-based company revealed its iMessage service, and iCloud was also revealed to showcase its cloud services against the likes of Google.
With Twitter integration happening for iOS 5, one wonders if iOS users will be overwhelmed with the amount of social networks on their iPhones and iPads.
While Google might seemingly be another social network, the question is - will Apple allow its closed system to be invaded by Google+? Considering how Apple is working closely to integrate Twitter into its iOS framework, there's room for doubt on how Apple will reconcile this new social network that could put their users in a dilemma. Nonetheless, it has been heard on the web that Google has sent its Google+ app to Apple, awaiting the company's approval for their App Store.
Impact on Microsoft Windows Phone 7
Microsoft is no stranger to integrating its services to the mobile platform. Its Windows Live service has covered what Google+ is attempting right now - to bring social services onto the mobile OS. , Windows Phone 7 chose Facebook as its social network partner. This is done on top of linking your Windows Live profile onto Windows Phone 7 for its email, calendar and even Microsoft's gaming network, Xbox Live. And through its , Windows Phone 7 will also see Twitter integration and the long-awaited Windows Live Messenger with group chat support preloaded onto the Microsoft mobile OS.
While Microsoft has its own Windows Live services, it is still heavily reliant on external social networks such as Facebook, Twitter and perhaps, in the near future, Google+.
The truth is, Windows Phone 7's array of services are too fragmented, lacking the streamlined experience we see from Google. Google+, as it stands, is a direct competitor to what Microsoft is attempting to do - creating a unified experience between its desktop and mobile operations. As of now, we haven't heard of any potential partnerships between Microsoft and Google, but we won't discount the possibility of a developer itching to create their own Google+ app for the Windows Phone 7 platform.
What We Think of Google+
Various members of the HardwareZone editorial team managed to experiment with Google+ over the past few days. From the social media junkie, to the occasional Facebook user, we have a wide variety of opinions regarding Google's new social network.
Terence Ang Supervising Editor |
Google+ beta is more of a nod from Google that it's making a course correction in its product development strategy. Eric Schmidt has made the admission, and Larry and Sergey are now steering it. Whether they'll speed up, slow down, reveal more of their destination, or reveal less, what they should do now is understand that users don't want another social media platform ala Facebook that lists 'personal updates and thoughts' to 'different circles of people'. Users want a social media platform that 'validates' their personal achievements and bring them closer to their friends' inner circles'.
What it does have going for it though is unlike Google Wave, and Google Buzz, where one was too complex to adapt into, and the other was too intrusive and forced, Google+ can be subtly integrated into the rest of Google's products. They have to make sense and benefit the user in a personalized way.
Zachary Chan Creative Services Editor |
Circles seem nice on paper, but they're like individual mini social networks on their own. Imagine customizing dozens of 'Circles'; that's a lot of micromanagement every time you want to post just so the 'right circle' sees it. With just one day of using, and I can no longer be bothered. I just lump everyone to the same circle or just post in Public. I already see quite a few people who have created multiple G+ accounts to handle different 'groups' of people and post content instead of customizing their Circles to do the same thing.
Unlike Facebook and Twitter where you can choose to authenticate people who wish to add you before they see your posts, anyone with your email (and since Gmail basically remembers everyone you've ever emailed/replied to, it's not that hard to find people) can simply add you to their Circles whether you want to or not, and they can immediately see all your Public posts.
Vincent Chang Senior Tech Writer |
You can probably argue that unlike Facebook, which has a burning need to monetize its social network to pay the bills (and make a bigger IPO), there's no such urgency on Google's part.
It could mean that the 'cleaner' ad-less feel of Google+ now may survive in the long run since Google can use the social network as a tool to mine user behavior to enhance its own search engine. Facebook has no other product but the network. Besides, Google's Adwords are pretty unobtrusive while some of Facebook's monetization strategies that comes with ad clutter may rub users the wrong way.
On a trust level, while both companies have issues, I think generally Google comes across more like a super dork who just happens to make some major missteps on things like privacy exactly because it's 'socially awkward' while Facebook and Zuckerberg especially has a more 'evil' Microsoftie vibe around it ("The Social Network" movie didn't help).
Seow Tein Hee Senior Tech Writer |
Unlike how Facebook does it, Notifications are consolidated onto a single dialog box within the Gmail or Google+ page. Furthermore, you can reply to comments straight from the notifications dialog box, saving you the hassle of clicking through multiple tabs or windows just to see that specific post. Deciding who should go into which Circles can be a tiring affair. As such, I'd rather put all my posts under Public, like how I usually do it for Facebook or Twitter. In short, there's just to decide who should or shouldn't read my updates.
Wong Casandra Tech Writer |
What do I like about Google+? The Circles concept helps me segment my social network updates according to what I want to see from (Stream) or publish to a certain group of people. It keeps the whole experience of digital socializing a tad more realistic - in real life we don't go blasting things to everyone. You can do that in Facebook too and select people you want to hide things from, but it is more tedious due to the fact that your Facebook connections are all lumped under the broad umbrella term of "Friends".
As for the Google+ App, if you choose the Instant Photo option after logging in, your photos (any taken, with app switched on or off) will be instantly stored into a private folder on Google+. Instead of choosing a photo from another Gallery app to upload it, you can simply just select a photo from within Google+ and publish anytime you want.
Leo Boon Yeow Tech Writer |
With Google+, I can easily and instantly segregate people into circles (which is the crux of Google+, not an afterthought). My post gets distributed to the people in circles that I specify, with sharing disabled if required. Of course, you get to follow famous people (ala Twitter style) who don't even know you like Sergei Brin, Larry Page, and even Mark Zuckerberg in my circles. That is, if their posts are public.
I like it, but if they don't make it open while the hype is still there, chances are it's gonna end up like Wave. People who are interested, lose interest due to the difficulties of participating.
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