4 Ways Google+ Improves the Social Networking Dynamic
Since its invite-only launch back in June of 2011, Google+ has grown its user base to about 13% of the adult population in the United States. The significant growth of Google+ in a few months serves as a testament to the importance people are placing on social media. A recent survey conducted by Gartner, a technology research firm based in Stamford, Connecticut, indicates that consumers are increasingly turning to online social networks to get advice on everything, from relationships to car insurance and the online comparison of auto insurance quotes. Google’s solid entrance into the world of online social networking platforms has led many to believe that its influence will eventually change the dynamic of interaction. Google Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt recently commented on PBS about what Google+ intends to do. When asked if Google+ is out to take away Facebook’s supremacy over online social networking, Schmidt replied that Google+ intends to perform better than Facebook without becoming a rival. While Google+ works great as a social networking platform, Google is hoping to learn more about how to socially-enable its products. Even though Chairman Schmidt’s comments indicate that Google is more interested in developing a social layer rather than facing off against Facebook, Google+ has great potential to become a social media game-changer. Here are the four main reasons why Google+ will reshape the way we engage with each other online: 1. Mandatory Disclosure As a social network, Google+ may become champion of the reality-based community. Google+ requires a higher level of disclosure from members on their profiles. Google is attempting to foster a new trend towards reality online, something it had tried before with its Google Profiles product. Real names and genders, at a minimum, must be provided on Google+. As people act out just about every aspect of their life online, Google+ may pioneer a method for identity verification. In the near future, the adage “On the Internet, no one knows you’re a dog” may no longer hold value. Identity is an intrinsic part of the online social networking experience. People want to know exactly with whom they are interacting. In his interview on PBS, Schmidt mentioned that as social networking becomes more ingrained in our everyday lives, there’s a potential for discrimination against adult members who may have blundered their way through social media as teenagers. To that extent, Google+ may develop ways to protect information shared by minors online. 2. Smart Design The clear and attractive graphical user interface (GUI) of Google+ serves to enhance the overall user experience. One of the designers responsible for the smart GUI used by Google+ is Andy Hertzfeld, who was on the original design theme of the groundbreaking Apple Macintosh GUI. The look and feel of Google+ emphasizes taking advantage of the white background so that user-created content takes the spotlight. The top browser bar allows access to all the features of Google+, as well as to other Google products such as Gmail and Docs. This bar is also constantly updated to alert users of new activity within their social network. 3. The Value of Circles The Circles feature of Google+ allows selective sharing within user-designated groups. This sharing method not only empowers the user with greater privacy controls, as members can choose to either hide or show members within their Circles. Sharing information within Circles isn’t limited to status updates or blog posts. Circles allows sharing across different Google products such as Docs, Calendar, and Picasa. The Circles feature of Google+ is catching the attention of educators and researchers. University professors can set up a different Circle every time a new class is formed each semester. At Stanford University, a faculty member in Computer Science recently commented on the practicality of setting up a different Circle for each research project. 4. Simple Sharing in Other Google Products Sparks (now part of search) is another Google+ feature which is capturing a lot of attention. Sparks allows members to share just about any item or topic of interest within Circles. This feature leverages Google’s powerful search engine by keeping members updated about the status of each shared interest. Google+ members can share (or create a spark) from within Docs, Calendar, Gmail, Picasa, SketchUp, Google Earth, Google Scholar, and more. Featured Sparks show members popular items being shared globally plus any new content created or annotated. These are just a few ways in with Google+ has improved the way social networking is done. Looking ahead, we can be optimistic about improvements that other social networking sites will have to make in order to stay in the game, because it means the experience will just keep getting better!
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