Thoughts on Google+

My thoughts on Google+ have definitely transformed over the semester. The NMDL course has pushed me to look into this new platform further and assess the possible opportunities that the platform could provide for the branding of individuals and companies. When I first joined the course, I had created an account but was not actively posting and adding individual’s to my circles. As the semester has passed, I have begun to see what an important new tool Google+ is and the importance of being well-rounded on all types of social media as an aspiring public relations professional. Even if I do not update my Google+ account as often as I update my Facebook or Twitter, it is still important that I am actively engaging on this network, so future employers will know I am keeping up with the latest technology. 

Currently, I use Google+ to let other MSU students know about highly salient events or opportunities, such as available internships or information sessions about campus experiences. Since Google+ is a newer social media platform, I have a fresh start compared to Facebook or Twitter, where I can allow my posts to be public and consciously choose the professional information I post on the site. 

Google plus innovative and provides the potential of segmenting advertisments like never before. With the seperation of groups of friends by circles based on similar interest. Companies will use this and I feel that Google will be the next big thing in advertising.

I have been using Google+ for a couple weeks now and so far, so good. A couple things I’ve noticed so far:

• The primary difference from Facebook (in my book), is putting people in “circles” rather than having an “accept/decline” friendship. This reduces the stigma of friend requests as well as creates accountability of posts and profile (if anyone can feasibly see your profile, you will probably be more careful about what you say).
• The functionality of the site is limited when you have less people in your “circles”. This is also the case to some extent with any social network, but this somehow seems pronounced on google plus where the emphasis is on sharing rather than profile building.
• The posting emphasis leans more strongly towards linking rather than sharing personal feelings (unlike Facebook, where people post when they’re going to the bathroom... simply TMI)
• The ability to post only to certain “circles” is a great way to circumvent the whole “mom reading my Facebook” thing, without making her feel like you left her out... a priceless gift. (While Facebook has pretty use able privacy settings, people know when you’re not allowing access to your content and can become offended).
• Lastly, the cleaner interface and lack of ads is outstanding, however something tells me that some features or ad spaces on google plus may go the way of AdWords and serve consumer analysis purposes.

Those are simply the things I’ve noticed so far, but I am excited to see how it develops as it grows!

I have not been invited to try out google+ but I would really like to use it and see how it works. I am sure I will learn a lot, and I really want to see how it will develop. I talked to Michael about it during the google tour and from what her said, it will only continue to develop and grow. 

Recently i have finally been able to try out the new Google + site. At first glance, it seemed alittle too simple and not too much depth to it. But once i further explored the site i realized that it was capable of so much more. I believe the simplicity to the site is what will draw people to use Google + and to stick with it. Currently, i do not have enough people in my circles to spend much more than 5 minutes on the site a day. I expect that all to change within the next year as more and more people start utilizing the site. Overall, i am fairly impressed. Its cleaner and information is easier to find. I am looking forward to seeing where Google + will take me.

I have recently started to explore Google+ and have really enjoyed it. Although, like everything new, there are kinks. Although, Google has made it very obvious that they do not think it is perfect but would rather get insight from it's users on how it can make improvements. I have read many blogs pertaining to this topic and feel that many people understand that Google is looking to them to help them create a powerhouse, and people are stepping up. People want to voice their opinon and it is ingenious of Google to allow for the open communication. That's what social media is all about right? 

I have heard atleast once a day for the past week about Google(+). Most of its marketing to myself, has been through WOM advertising as most of my firneds on facebook are putting to add them on their status. From what I have heard, it is similar to Facebook but not as much clutter, and apparently you can only add or ask a certain amount of folks to be your friends, with, without exploring that claim deeply, seems like a smart idea.

After reading your blog, I've noticed that a main support system has come about through the program privacy centered influences, as most folks have issues with the Facebook privacy settings and rhetoric. In this sense, I could not have agreed more in that I too have issues with Facebook rules and "priveledges" I deem them unworry of. For example, keep my picture forever? I call that a modern day "creep!" lol Although I appreciate that Google(+) is free fom ads, I am also almost exactly upset at the fact that these ads are bound to show up. Very deceiving I feel, in this case, as they are fully aware that folks are signing on to this program simply because of the fact that the ads will not distract them from networking. However, I am sold and will try it out to become a greater more visible marketor and I enjoy the thought of these 'circles' that will limit the information that is read and known by folks that I do not want to read them! Thank you Google(+).

I too am one of those people who have not heard of Google+ until today.  I did check it out to learn more about it and I like the initial idea, I personally like anything similar to Facebook, however, its NOT Facebook. I think the new Google product is doing more of invading one’s personal life. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of social sites have the ability to seem invasive, but I think since Google+ is so new, it doesn’t seem right. I could possibly see Google+ collaborating with other social sites, but again for it being so new and a bit uncomfortable, I do not see it becoming as large as Facebook or even Twitter. I do wish it the best of luck though. Im sure someone will enjoy Google’s new addition.

Along with many other people, i also have not heard of Google+ till today. I completely understand it and what it is trying to do. I like the fact the it is a Google product and usually Google knows what they are doing. I like that it is different than Facebook in the sense that it is not extremely invasive on your personal life, i mean it is invasive but to a solid point i believe. Do i think it will be as popular or as large as Facebook? No, and my reason being that Facebook has established itself as the social networking site of the entire world. Everyone and there mother's are on Facebook. It is ingrained in the internet world and always will be. I have a feeling that this Google+ site will soon link to Facebook just like twitter or Linkedin. This world is advancing so fast that it is hard to keep up but once this Google+ catches on, it wont be long till it accomplishes its point and becomes and threat to social networking sites.

Google+ will be an important challenge to Facebook, but I don't think it will replace it.  At this point there are so many social media sites and a lot of us are invested in Facebook.  As long as Facebook corrects their problems presented by Google+ I feel users will stay with them.  It is extremely tedious to create a whole new profile similar to Facebook on an alternative site, and then distribute that information into various different "circles" I am expected to easily define.  Google+ will experience the most difficultly receiving the diehard social media users.  Older individuals will appreciate Google's attempt at making social networking easier, but the real interactive users won't bother investing the time to set up a fully functional and useful account.

Like a lot of people, I hadn't really heard about what Google+ is although I heard the name tossed around. Some of the features, like Circles and Hangout sound like they offer something very unique from Facebook that would appeal a lot to younger people. One thing that a lot of people seem to like about Google in general is how well integrated each of its components are. Being able to go to one place to get pretty much everything you want out of the internet is starting to become more and more of a possibility -- and who better to do it than Google?

I think that Facebook has become such a huge part of our daily lives that it could be hard for Google+ to catch on. And if it does, I'm sure Facebook would immediately follow up with its own updates to mimic Google+'s most popular features. I haven't gotten a chance to try it, but I probably would be willing to. Even if I liked it, though, it's hard to imagine not going on Facebook every day!

Google+ is Google's first real answer to Facebook.  Prior attempts by Google to create a social networking site have failed to draw the user acquitistion numbers that Google was looking for.  Google+ is appealing because of its focused goal of sharing content with friends and family.  Facebook has become bloated to some and the automatic impulse to accept friend requests from anyone and everyone has made it harder to mangage who sees what you share and how they see it.  Google+'s main Circles feature allows users to place friends into specific groups and share content with them they wouldn't nessecarily want other friends to see.  This simple funcitonality is very appealing to users who like being connected to everyone in their life, but dont want to share their vacation photos with their boss.

Google has also shown they're commitment to the service by ending prior contracts with other social media sites like Twitter.  This development, as well as the overall change of astectic to Google's rather minimalist design, has proven to the outside world that Google is serious about it's new venture.  While this has many people excited, especially those with early beta invitiations, it has others worried about data mining.  Google being the advertising giant that it is may possibly use user data to target ads, a practice that many see as a breach of privacy.

I hadn’t heard about Google + up until a couple days ago. Truthfully, my thoughts on the idea are primarily negative and I don’t think it is going to work out as the company hopes. Facebook has become by far the biggest social network on the market and is one that I believe is here to stay. Trying to complete with somewhat of a monopoly like Facebook (a force that’s dominating the market) is a mistake. I think people and businesses now are putting a lot of time and in some cases money into their Facebook accounts and wouldn’t be willing to spend any more time on something new.  If Google+ does become a success, I would be very surprised.

I actually had not heard of this. I am applying for jobs and priding myself on my knowledge of SEO, and I guess I had better stay current with all of the new developments in Social Media! I will need to create a profile, and try it out so I can introduce others to it. With google being at the forefront, I am sure Google+ will become a force in the social media industry.

I think that Google has made incredible moves toward making Google+ the new Facebook, or so to speak.  I love the idea that you can categorize people into certain friend circles and publicize what you want to only that cirlce.  Facebook makes this super difficult. I feel like its more of a everyone sees it or no one sees it type of deal.  Personally, I love the idea of Skype because I have so many friends and family that are spread across the world, but I hate to have to schedule skype sessions.  I think Google Hangout is going to be a hit. I think all users will appreciate the convenience of only having to log into one social media account while still enjoying the perks of multiple social media appas/sites.

I think Google is really smart, they keep coming up with great ideas to improve their seach engines. They also know how to entertain, like the main google home page, their logo is always a new style depending on what day it is. I think the whole +1 button is a great way to show people what is a popular and able people to share and put their inputs on things. I think Google knows how to improve their search engine, and they never fail to make it better.

Happy 4th of July everyone!!! I think Google made a genius move by providing "us" with the +1 button, personally I think of Google as a creditable source and the users as well. I also enjoy reading resturant< clothing stores, etc. reviews and see the opinions of others, so for Google to expand this to every option on the web, recipes, websites, products, companies, etc. its a great move and insure customers. The +1 button is also, in a way, social media in its own, creating buzz and generating interest in a company/product.

Just when you think Google couldn’t possibly offer anything more to the world wide web, they do it again. My friend just recently posted on his Facebook that he received an invitation to try out Google+ and I instantly commented on how jealous I was. I wasn’t even aware of all the incredible features the new site offered, I just wanted to be one of the first people to try it. Now that I have researched the features it offers, however, my green-eyed monster is stronger than ever. I have no doubt that once Google+ catches on, Facebook will be the new Myspace (Good luck with that one Justin Timberlake....) We live in a country that thrives on capitalism. Google knew how to play its cards right and let Facebook make all of the major mistakes first until it came along and became the solution to Facebook’s problems. Although there are few, privacy policies and sharing too much information with possibly the wrong people, Google waited until the issues became big enough and anger Facebook users and the public enough until it came up with a better solution. Being in the social media field and advertising field, we have all been told that what we put on our Facebook CAN and WILL be tracked, viewed and stalked by future employers. My old boss told me that before he hired me, he looked at my Facebook wall, pictures and even my friend’s Facebooks and their walls and pictures to get a feel of what kind of person I am and the kind of people I associate myself with. For now, with Google+’s circles, employees won’t have that option to judge me by my friends. And for that I am thankful. I am very excited for Google+ to go public because of the video chat option they offer. Almost every time I am on my Facebook, my friends ask me to go onto Skype so we can video chat instead of Facebook chat. I always wondered why I couldn’t just video chat with them on Facebook… and now I can with Google+. In summary, Facebook… be afraid. Because in the capitalist society we live in, healthy competition is key… and the better product will always come out on top.

I must say Google definitely moves swift and stays on top of the game, just like Apple. They don't hesitate when it comes to expanding their brand. As far as Google+ so far it seems to be getting great reviews without even being available to all of the public. The concept is very cliche since other social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter have already paved the road, but what Google+ offers that the other social media sites do not are the infamous Google tools! Not only will you be able to have the "Facebook/Twitter" effect as far as updating your status, sharing pictures and chatting with friends, Google offers you gmail, google docs, google maps, and even advertising tools such as the popular Google Adwords. So not only will you be able to stay up to date with your friends but you are offered the convience of having all of your applications and software offered by one company which means everything will be simultaneously linked together, which means you don't have to remembers lots of passwords and usernames. Google is using these new features as a stepping stone towards even more social innovation which I am excited to see what else they have in store for the future!

The idea behind Google+ isn't anything entirely novel. Facebook and other social media sites have already laid the framework for this type of social review. However, Google's key insight does change the game a bit. The fact that you can filter your social network into different groups that have access to different specific information (as opposed to Facebook, where you can decide what level of access each group has to your overall page) makes Google+ a bit more refined than the other networking sites' review systems. It allows people to manage their social network in a more realistic way. After all, you may not always want to reccommend something to everyone, or want someone like your boss to know you reccomend it. People are social by nature, yes, but they also belong to different social groups. This is where Google is making their stand amongst other brands than have a more solidified history to stand on. If Google+ continues to grow propelled by a deeper understanding of the consumer base and what their needs and desires are, it's sure to be a hit.

I feel like all of the social media sites are starting to run togehter. Especially since now you can sign into myspace using your facebook account.  My point is that there isn't enough room for as many social media sites that don't bring too much new to the table, because behind some of the glitzy new features found in  Google + it's mostly a copy and paste of Facebook. Sure it tries to differentiate itself by adding "circles" and "group video chat" but the similarity is already there. Eventually one will take over the other, as in the event of Facebook and Myspace.

Well, I'm not too sure about the whole "Google as a social networking site" thing, but who knows. Maybe it will have good luck due to the fact that they have such a great reputation. It looks like they are trying to one-up faceook though by having Hangouts where you can video chat with a group of your friends. It looks interesting, but I don't konw how well people will switch over from Facebook. When Twitter came out they were iffy, but once the celebrities started using it consistently, it snowballed from there. So, we'll just have to see what happens.

I have not heard of google+ until I had to research it for class. I feel as though it may be hard to catch on becuase of the high popularity of facebook. I see people finding out about this and thinking its just a scam to make money. THe only thing that really keeps me optimistic about it is google has already made a huge name for itself and its brand. Having seen this, there is some optimism for google+.

I think Google+ is Google trying to make themselves just like Facebook. I think people are going to pick up on it very quickly because the "like" button on Facebook is so popular. It is such a simple concept that really does sum up what a lot of people are trying to say. It is so easy just to click one button and say you "like" something. I would be more inclined to do that than to take the time to type out a long comment explaining my great like for something.

I haven't heard of Google+ until I just looked into it for this assignment, but it seems to be a step in the right direction. Social media is advancing  every day and now they are improving on personal privacy. It will be intersting to see how many people switch over to this new medium and how soon they do so. You can never be too careful about how much you are putting out in the world about yourself, but that being said, people are addicted to social media and can't get enough of it. They are willing to try any and all social media and see how it suits them.

Google has the right idea. I have not yet seen this new project but I have heard about its developement. Obviously it was only a matter of time before they attempted to create a site masking Facebook and why not? It's a booming market. The thing I'm intrigued with is the privacy policy that Google+ is going to impliment because thats a feature on Facebook that i've heard complaints about. What is Google+ going to do to cobat these issues when the project goes into full launch. I know i'll be standing by to see, and who knows...perhaps my Facebook days will soon come to an end for the new Google+.

Google+ sounds like a really cool concept and I am eager to see how this project will be positioned against the current social networking powerhouses (Facebook & Twitter.) What I found most interesting was in the ad promoting Google+, the voiceover really focused on how social media makes the users feel. You hear many remarks about "I feel connected... close... excited" in describing the functionality of social networking use. I have read many research articles lately focusing on how social networking impacts users' lives, particularly on what motivates them to log-on and how they feel when they are connected. On an advertising standpoint I instantly noticed that this was the approach that Google was taking to promote their new site. From the looks of things Google+ appears to be a promising endeavor. However, their biggest challenge will likely be to highlight what makes it unique in comparision to the other competitors out there.

This is actually the first time I have ever heard of Google+. I have heard many things about Facebook and their privacy problems through many of my friends and how they personally do not like it; although it's Facebook I know that these people are still going to be on it because they want to see what their friends are up to. I do feel that the social media world is advancing more and more every single day, and as great as this Google+ sounds like, I feel that it would be such a hassle for those who are on Facebook and would want to delete their account and log on with Google+. Facebook's privacy does need to change but until Google really advertise's this new tool for people, I personally don't think it will go well; unless people still keep their Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites in tact. I personally love everything about Google so I know I will check this Google+ out, but I am truly hoping that if I do sign up with this Google+ that my privacy will be better.

I have not heard of Google+ until this assignment. I watched the video and thought that it was a great take on social networking. I always am concerned with what I share to all the people on my list and the ideas of circles is perfect. It seems to have a lot of new feautures that people would use. I don't think that it's going to take off right away -- but people will slowly catch on and start using it probably near as much as Facebook if not more.

I know a lot of people who have been trying out Google+ or who are using it quite a bit (I've been told I've been "invited" to use it, but I have yet to receive my invitation). There seems to be two schools of thought on it among the users I know. Some think that it's not intuitive enough for quick, wide-spread adoption, while others enjoy the ability to separate audience message. Although I'm anxious to try it out just for shear curiosity, I'm not sure that I will use it on a daily basis like Facebook and Twitter, simply because I just don't have time to monitor anything else. We'll see...

I was aware that Google was in the works of making a new social networking site but when I tried to access the site, I was told that they were on a trial run of the site and that only certain people were allowed to access the site. As far as I know they are trying to be better then Facebook by offering better privacy settings. I think that they are going to have a hard time competing with Facebook and getting a lot of people to transfer to their site because Facebook has such user loyalty. I think that it is pretty interesting that they want to compete with Facebook and it will be interesting to see if they can take part of Facebook's user share. I do like some of the features that Google is promoting especially the group chat which will make it a lot easier to talk to a group of people instead of having to open a group page and wait for responses.

I've heard some talk about Google+ for a little while now, one of my friends from Colorado shared it with a circle of our friends that we travel with and mentioned the Cirlcle feature which seems to be just about the newest addition to an otherwise FaceBook copycat. The Circle feature allows users to make groups of friends who then only see content that is meant for them to see. This solves a lot of professional and friendship dilemmas that many FaceBook users face when they have family members, friends, coworkers etc. all on the same sharing status. I don't think I would be an avid user necessarily because I already have a set network of friends on FaceBook and I'm used to the interface, but I guess on the other hand I'm always ready to try new things, who knows, maybe Google+ will surprise me on what it has to offer me and my social networking usage. I am really excited to see how Google+ does and what other users have to say about it.

I am not on Google + yet but I have been aware that it would be released for a minute now. I have not been the person to sleep on google things because they tend to make stuff that the public really wants, needs and can easily operate. But when I heard about this I thought this will probably flop. But as I gain a little more insight on it, it begins to sound more interesting. I know everyone is probablly saying this but the biggest problem people have with Facebook is its lack of privacy and thats the one thing Google + is doing better. There wont be anymore unnecessary updates to friends you dont know well or even at all about what you are doig. It will be interesting to see where this goes. I have recieved and email about joining the site but I like to wait before I join things because I just dont want to be affiliated with everything on the web.

Google+ seems to be the exact same thing as Facebook. I really don't see people crossing over to this new channel of social media right away because the list of similarities is almost too long for people to desire having accounts through both mediums. While it is a perk that Google+ doesn't have any advertising (in the eyes of consumers), chances are that if there is a lot of growth in membership this decision will change. Unless this new social media site can diversify itself from the Facebook brand, I doubt people will be rushing to duplicate their already well-established Facebook accounts.

Can anyone hook me up with a Google+ invite? I'm so ready to jump on this bandwagon! After reading all kinds of blog posts and articles about the new social network, I can't wait to check it out for myself. Like many, the Circles feature is the most appealing right now. This feels like it will help me better manage my constant juggling of personal versus professional networking. I'd like a circle for my PR contacts, my college friends, my co-workers, etc. I don't like blasting the same messages at everyone and I think this feature will solve that dilemma.

While I'm very excited for the new social network, I'm not quite sold on it being a Facebook killer just yet. I've had a hard enough time trying to get friends and family to try Twitter, and I think Google+ will only be a little easier for them to grasp. Most of them are just fine with Facebook and its privacy issues simply because their friends and family are all there. They will be skeptical about moving to a new place and they don't like balancing multiple networks. I think the shift can happen, especially since the there are so many similarities to Facebook, but it will take at least a few years to move from the early adopters to mainstream.

I am not on the Google+ bandwagon yet, and it might take a year for me to be convinced in its benefits, but it's going to be very interesting to see how the competition with Facebook turns out. Google has always done one thing way better than Facebook and publicly criticized them for it: privacy. Facebook kind of sucks at privacy. Their getting better at it, but what Google+ offers is way more private than anything Facebook offers.

The privacy factor will gain a lot of support for Google+, but they still need to win over the stubborn, non-innovators like me before they hope to compete with Facebook.

I was definitely skeptical at first when hearing about the new facebook competitor 'google +.' I've heard many times over the past few years about new sites that could upset facebook's title as the social media giant, so this wasn't anything new. However when I started to read more about 'google +' and how it differs from facebook (most competitors are just a copy cat version of it) the idea really started to appeal to me. My biggest issue with facebook has always been the unnecessary over sharing of information to people who really aren't relevant in your life. I have around 600 'friends' on facebook, which is actually less than most people I think. However of those 600 people I'd say at most 50 are only my actual friends. It looks like Google + will allow you to be more selective on who you call your 'friend.' It separates demographics into 'friends,' 'colleges,' 'acquaintances' etc. which is great. This way you can chose what you share with certain people more specifically. It's too early to tell, but a few years from now I may be a permeant user of Google +; and leave facebook behind all together.

Before reading this blog post and reading further into your personal posts I was unaware that Google had its own social networking site in the works for over a year now.  After reading more about the benefits Google+ has to offer users I am definitely interested in learning more about the site and am looking forward to creating a profile.  I believe that Google is making a smart move by creating its own social media network which may have the potential to become more popular than Facebook overtime.  New features such as the "circles" option will be appealing to users because today it is so hard to keep personal life and business life seperate with the large dependency on the web.  It's hard to imagine another social networking site becoming as popular if not more popular than Facebook is today, but at one time we remember MySpace being the top dog and I felt that it would never get replaced.  However, I think that we all eventually get bored and grow out of the social networking sites we all spend so much of our time on and I think that many Facebook users will have an interest in Google+ which may lead to less interest in Facebook and a greater interest in Google+ overtime. 

Google+ is kind of looking like a copy cat in it's attempt to imitate facebook. However, I have to wonder if this whole facebook phenomenon is going to have its end at some point. We all thought myspace was the greatest thing ever when it first came out and thought it would never end, well look at it now. I don't think I know a single person anymore that has a myspace. Facebook is extremely convenient and fun to keep in touch with friends and plan events, however what if something better comes along? What if this new Google+ becomes the new facebook and sends facebook to the dumps like facebook did to myspace? It just goes to show that us Americans, well us, humans just get plain bored with what we have, like a toy. When we first get it, it's awesome and we play with it, then after a while it just sits in the corner of the closet because something new and better comes along. This can potentially be the fate of facebook, and maybe Google+ one day if it takes over the facebook phenomenon.  

Google+ looks like a really awesome alternative to Facebook. Recently I was discussing with friends whether or not they thought a replacement to facebook would ever come about, the majority of them believed it wouldn't happen for many years. I, however, was skeptical. I remember the Myspace fad when I was in middle/high school. I thought it would never be surpassed and then I started using facebook and eventually myspace was streamed out of social media. I believed it to be only a matter of time before something similar happened to facebook. After watching some videos on Google+ and reading articles I feel that this is the site. It allows the user to better personalize their site so they can connect with certain groups of friends, etc. I'm sure it will take a while to catch on, just as facebook did. However, when it finally does, I think it will be big!

The features thats Google+ offers make the site the only real competition for Facebook. There are plently of features on Facebook that aggravate users but there is no other site that is as popular or easy to use so they stick with it. The privacy features of Google+ are exactly what Facebook users have been asking for. Google+ is ultimately challenging Facebook to step it up and actually make their site more user friendly as user's wants and needs change. Google is making it easy for people to connect on all levels from their site. Now you can have Google everything (calendar, search, email, maps, social networking, etc.) and the possiblities are endless. Knowing one Google site helps users know all of the Google sites so adjusting to the new soical networking site will not be difficult for Google users. Hopefully Google+ will be a lasting force in the social networking world.

I find it very relevant that you brought up Google+ in this weeks blog posting because my sisters boyfriend was letting me know all about Google+ at our families 4th of July party yesterday. He went on saying that Google+ is going to be better then Facebook due to its cool features, easy to use methods of personalizing your Google+ profile (better privacy settings then Facebook), and the cool website layout. He told me that he was upset when it was initially not released to the general public for all to join but only could join if sent an invitation for joining. My sisters boyfriend then went on to tell me it is/will be released to the public for all to join. I believe that one day it could be more popular then Facebook or the next big social media site due to the fact that it is operated and powered by Google, a company with a great brand image that has consistantly seen growth and increase in profits annually. 

I think one of the hardest parts about new sites and applications such as Google+ is making it become popular. We all know that many people don’t like change. When Facebook changes the layout, people throw fits about it. It took some time for a lot of people I know to even start using Facebook instead of MySpace. Now it is people converting over to Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, and now add in Google+ to the mix. Honestly, I don’t know a single person who has a Foursquare or Twitter who doesn’t still have a Facebook. That is the biggest thing that Facebook has going for it, the loyalty of the people using it. If Google+ can gain momentum and popularity, I do think it would be successful. The idea of circles and huddles sounds pretty new and exciting to me. Personally, I would love the group chats that you can do. In your post you mentioned that it would be helpful for business settings but I also see it being used a lot for social purposes. There have been multiple times I want to video chat not one, but two or three of my best friends to chat or make plans. This is offered on things like Skype, however it isn’t free. Facebook chats are available for group chats, if you start a group first. So if Google+ becomes available to everyone, I will be using it.

IM IN! Sounds great to me! Obviously as with anything like this, until it's actually up and running no one can really tell how successful it can be compared to Facebook. But clearly the buzz is already out and from what I've heard the "Hangout" option is by far one of the most appealing. Seeing as people are using various different forms of media to communicate (not this is will stop) but being able to have Face-to Face contact while being connected to your social networking site is a smart move. Google clearly took the time to think out some of what Facebook lacks and fit it into Google+  so that when it launches Google can say "hey look what we have" and even the most diehard Facebookers will have to look. And as we all know getting people to look is half the battle.

As with anything there will be bumps, and there will be disputes when it comes time for Google+ to add ads (because they will) but the one thing Google has to use to their advantage is the struggles their competitors have had. If they are smart and approach the project in the right manner, they can potentially avoid the chaos Facebook has ensued, and just focus on their site and letting it grow... and it will grow fast.

From my perspective, privacy is the biggest advantage of Google+ in comparison to FB . People have complained that there is no privacy of their updates in FB which means that your updates can be viewed by all of the persons in your friends list including your boss, your friends and relatives. Now the problem is that you want to share your information's on social networking place but feels awkward to share with everyone in your friend list.

I just recently learned about the Google+ project and in my opinion it is definitely innovative, and once it is fully launched it will be a success.  This will be different from Facebook, because it is customizable to you and how each specific person wants their social network to be.  Not only will someone be able to interact with all of their friends, but they will be able to make specific groups of people that have different points of interest.  As much as I love Facebook, I believe Google+ will definitely have more of a longterm advantage in the social networking world.  It will definitely be interesting to see how fast the project catches on once it is a fully functional part of Google.

I'm honestly I had no idea about Google+ until reading this blog. It seems like a cool concept, but I don't know why google wanted to be part of the social media world. I find it very interesting that as of now, they are not customizing ads to your Google+ for privacy issues. I totally agree, that this will not last. I really am excited that google+ will have features that facebook lacks: Circles and video chatting. Google never ceases to amaze me. It always one ups its competition no matter what and i feel like this could be the new big thing once people get a hold of it. This encompasses every part of social media and beyond. 

I've read about Google's new + project and I realize they want to keep up with social networking sites such as Facebook, however, I think Google is here to stay and doesn't necessarily need this addition.  Google is first known as a search engine and I don't think people will really take a whole lot of notice or take too much interest in it unless they're more tech savvy.  I feel like if it does catch on it won't be for a while, and even if it doesn't it won't do much harm.