Google+ is the best social network

  • Facebook: your mom likes your status, because you know your mom is on facebook, so you can't post anything real there.

    Twitter: Unless you're a comedian, you're going to fall into one of the three categories of useless tweeters: the vapid, the incendiary, and the guy who literally just links to his own youtube videos.

    Instagram: Unless you're a photographer or some shit, nobody actually takes enough interesting pictures to maintain a presence. So you're probably posting selfies, pictures of your pets, pictures of your food, or you're a pedant wannabe photographer who takes pictures of the stopsign outside your hose with a black and white filter on.

    tumblr: Nobody actually puts anything on tumblr. They just reblog things that were already on tumblr. Also, it's shockingly difficult to have a meaningful conversation on Tumblr, since you can't message people back and forth. All you can do is reblog things with a comment. Also, obligatory bitching about SJWs.

    Whatever I'm missing because I'm too old to know about what the newfangled social networks are these days: sucks because it's full of children.

    Google+: PEOPLE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT SHIT. Like, for really real. It's basically just a web forum like this one, updated for the age of social networks. With circles you can control who gets to see your content, and with collections you can separate your content into groups for people to either follow, or not.

    Here's the big downside, and the reason everybody thinks google+ is a ghost town: you've gotta actually have something to talk about. If you're just a vapid 20-something who wants to rack up the Internet Points for posting pictures of "feeling sexy today," then you're not going to find a bunch of other vapid 20-somethings to talk to. BUT, if you're the kind of interesting person who actually has a passion in life, you can find people to have a conversation with about that passion.

  • I will take your oversimplifications as comedy and not as serious arguments. :lengua:
    That said I will give you my opinion anyway because I know you have used some of the media you're criticising so I think you do believe some of this and it would be nice to have some exchange of opinions on how we see SN, specially Google plus.

    Facebook: your mom likes your status, because you know your mom is on facebook, so you can't post anything real there.


    Facebook have lists and 3 sets of trust (acquaintance, friend, close friend) so you can really have your family and still have two groups see a different side as you need.

    Twitter: Unless you're a comedian, you're going to fall into one of the three categories of useless tweeters: the vapid, the incendiary, and the guy who literally just links to his own youtube videos.

    Ouch. The YT-er one I have seen it often, hahah.
    I opened my twitter for my community roczuz so I was a lame cyborg account of automated tweets mixed with a few authentic now and there. Now I use it a bit more but I am never constant enough to make any presence. I know taht people taht find me and add me in general are mostly looking for follow backs.

    Instagram: Unless you're a photographer or some shit, nobody actually takes enough interesting pictures to maintain a presence. So you're probably posting selfies, pictures of your pets, pictures of your food, or you're a pedant wannabe photographer who takes pictures of the stop sign outside your house with a black and white filter on.

    That's a point. I think whatever you post on instagram you could post in any other SN anyway.

    tumblr: Nobody actually puts anything on tumblr. They just reblog things that were already on tumblr. Also, it's shockingly difficult to have a meaningful conversation on Tumblr, since you can't message people back and forth. All you can do is reblog things with a comment. Also, obligatory bitching about SJWs.

    Reblogging with comment seems to be a good way to have a threaded conversation so I never really minded it. The problem with tumblr is for me the vulnerability. Whatever you post anyone can see, get offended and reblog with their own twist. It'd be nice to be able to have groups. I have a tumblr and I am one of those users taht instead of contributing sometime new I mostly do reblogs. I was hoping to sue it for my stuff but quite frankly I feel once again 'vulnerable' there. i don't trust the platform with my creations.


    Now the main point Google Plus:

    Google+: PEOPLE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT SHIT. Like, for really real. It's basically just a web forum like this one, updated for the age of social networks. With circles you can control who gets to see your content, and with collections you can separate your content into groups for people to either follow, or not.

    Here's the big downside, and the reason everybody thinks google+ is a ghost town: you've gotta actually have something to talk about. If you're just a vapid 20-something who wants to rack up the Internet Points for posting pictures of "feeling sexy today," then you're not going to find a bunch of other vapid 20-somethings to talk to. BUT, if you're the kind of interesting person who actually has a passion in life, you can find people to have a conversation with about that passion.

    I think it depends on the people you follow, honestly. I joined Zelda groups and they are these polls and facebook style posts. So I don't really think they stopped just because they have to think about it. I do concede that it is way easier to convey long rants on G+ than in facebook as notes are kind of a side thing taht no one really cares for and the interface of facebook does favour short posts with some media, however while G+ doesn't do this doesn't mean they discourage it. Maybe it is because as a zelda webmaster I have in my circles people generally younger than me being the ones active.

    In all honestly I think Google plus is a pretty cool social network but Google annoyed people by changing the YT interface by forcing people uninterested in the G+ part to make an account. That was a very bad start. The layout too gets sometime to get used to it so there is resistance from people who won't give it much of a chance.

    I don't like Facebook itself but the one click login through an account is the main reason I have an account. Facebook was good in the beginning but they have been taking off options and it has become more openly geared towards business. It is no longer about connecting with people it is about using peer pressure to persuade you toward certain brands and opinions. Yet people get picky about alternatives. So far G+ seem less direct in their commercial side, so you can actually have the people being the main point rather than if they liked X product or something.


    So yeah, we might differing in our reasoning but I agree G+ is the best one of the ones you mentioned. It could do with more support.

  • Meh, I prefer sites like Reddit and Ycombinator's Hacker News. Because they basically are web forums, except centered around submited links and in the former's case, divided into communities based on niche subject areas.

    So you tend to avoid the social and political drama crap, at least if you don't actively go looking for it.

  • Social networks work around people you know so how crappy they are is completely related on these people you know or try to reach imo.
    If I want to talk about topics with strangers I'll join a forum because that's what a forum is meant to do. I join communities that share things I have interest in so the social network doesn't feel crappy because I'm receiving the content I enjoy. Perhaps it is cause I'm not interested on sharing what I think but more on enjoying my time. I also prefer instant messaging conversations to interact with people.

    I'm not getting old, I'm killing myself before I hit my 30s

  • I admit I haven't really given Google+ a fair chance, but I have two immediate problems with it that I'd have to forgive before I used it more.
    1) Resource drag and glitchiness. My internet isn't of the new new modern age (translated: it's shit) and even hangouts can take a while to get working for me. Probably related to that is that things glitch a lot or take several tries.
    2) It's new.

    Both are terrible reasons, because 1) only applies to me and my crappy internet - the resources necessary for google+ are pretty standard havings nowadays, and 2) once again is just because I'm not familiar with it. But then this is why FB has attained a near monopoly, because it does what I want it to do, job done. And you do have some control over who sees what. Buuuuut I do think I should get to know Google+ a little better, it seems to have a lot going for it. Also because I like the Google corporation, so I want it to be better.

    But I actually agree with @Cressel - forums are far better for getting to know people. I don't know why, but it always seems a bit odd or awkward to post on FB/Twitter/anywhere else "Hey, [name] - loved your comment on China's censorship policy! Let's be friends!" Maybe it's because SNs are so open and vast. But a forum is a very small number of returning people - it seems natural to get to know people.

  • Google+ sounds really nice the way you describe it. I'm not too happy about whatever Facebook is doing to my mind.

    If only civilization broke down, we could all sit around the fire every evening, telling stories and having deep conversations.

    Except most of us would be dead, of course..

    Maybe I'll give G+ another try.

  • And we'd all be in constant fear of starvation, plague and crime.

    I still can't get past the unintuitiveness of Google+. I really WANT it to be great, because I love Google.
    For example, I tried to start a conversation on G+ with my friend, after a recent upgrade. The old "hangouts" feature wasn't visible from my entry page, and when I went to his profile no 'message' or 'chat' was visible either. Granted, I could be blind, but I assume that if I couldn't find it, there will be a reasonable number of other people who can't. Such a basic use should be very obvious and in your face. So we went back to FB, because being able to actually talk to people takes the entire right half of the screen. Can't miss that.