2011: Google+ Takes the Stage
Social Networking is Evolving...
2011: GOOGLE+ TAKES THE STAGE
2011 brings a new Social Networking player into things. Google+ has been a news topic for some time now, although it is stricty currently "Invitation Only". Meaning if you don't know the right people who might get an original invite, you're SOL (Simply Out of Luck.). I first heard about Google+ from a news piece around March or May this year (2011) and recently read that they were about to surpass a very high number of members already.
Thanks to Garrett Peirson of FreePrivacyPolicy.com for getting us the Google+ Invite so we could take a look at the newest Social Networking service looking to take center stage! At the end of this article I will be offering Invites, so stay tuned if interested!
What Is Google+? A Social Networking Website that's able to import contact and other information from other social sites like Facebook and Twitter, and has various features that are cutting-edge in technology. (Hence our interest!)
Why Invitation Only?? Well, there's several reasons, probably. Testing is a big one, it keeps the numbers and data down while bugs are being worked out. Another reason is keeping hacking to a minimal in order to tighten security. Yet another is to seed the site with data and information so it doesn't look like a barren wasteland.
Around May, it was reported that membership was very dominated by males, mainly geek types (Like myself and perhaps you) who were privvy and drawn to it as an alternative to other social networking sites. Then recently it was said to have been incorrect, and that females have been closing the existing gap quickly. Nothing about the demographics or other stats were mentioned as pointedly, so male or female dominate isn't a concern or interest to me. But the huge number of members during an invite-only stage is staggering and peaked my interest!
Since it is sure to be going public soon, I thought it wise to become involved as soon as possible in order to have my piece of that pie in preparation for the influx later. Unlike Google Wave, this is a very promising service that's already got a share in the social networking marketplace. (You may remember Google Wave, it bombed and died as a replacement for Email.)
Here is a full account of my initiation to Google+ and how my experience with it was using Internet Explorer 9, which is, it should be realised, HTML Capable. I suggest using FireFox if your Internet Explorer is not version 9. I was also Logged In to my normal, existing Google Account when I clicked the Email link to accept the invitation. Screenshots are throughout this article, and are signified with an Icon.
GETTING STARTED WITH GOOGLE+
If you'd like to preview the Privacy Policy, check the link below. There is a LOT of information being shared, abeit by permission, with a lot of various sources on Google+ so taking a look at their policies may be a good idea...
https://www.google.com/intl/en-US/+/policy/
ANSWERING THE GOOGLE+ INVITATION...
After reciving the invitation, I clicked the link in the Email and was shunted to the webpage. You should note that I was already logged into my Google account when I did so. It was a super easy activation and even filled in alot of information right away. But let's look at each area of interest. First off, about this being a test run of sorts, as was evident in the message displayed...
Google+ is in limited Field Trial.
– An important note about Field Trial –You're a part of a small group of people who are helping to test Google+. When you share something with people who are not yet able to use Google+, they will receive it via email but won't be able to comment or engage with the content like other Google+ users. They'll be able to join Google+ as we let more users in over time.
ABOUT GOOGLE+
It explains itself as follows...
Then goes on to explain the three main aspects of how the service works...
1. Circles. Browse your Circles to see what all the different people in your life are sharing with you
2. Hangouts. Start a hangout anytime, from anywhere. Up to ten people can stop in and chat.
3. Sparks. Use Sparks to get a constant feed of stuff you're really into, and share it with friends.
SETTING UP MY ACCOUNT
After learning a little about it, the first thing I did was to complete my Profile information. I lacked some things like a Tagline but had already imported some data from the Google database. My Avatar was already there, for example. I even uploaded a few images for my Google+ "Scrapbook".
You can't make a new "album", ScrapBook IS the Album. But Albums are imported already from Google, and you can manipulate your albums from there.
In addition to this, imports were already made to my "Circles". There were (2) there that "Have Tommy in Circles". I clicked "View all" but nothing happened. It may be an IE9 bug I will have to report to them. I shall try it on Firefox or Chrome later. 
ABOUT CIRCLES
Circles are set groups that make up Family, Friends, Acquaintences, Follow-Worthy contacts. You can "Import" contacts from a wide variety of sources, FaceBook, Hotmail, etcetera. The interface is a nice Click-And-Drag feature that allows you to add people to these groups from your contact lists. And YES, you can create NEW Circles or Groups. 
It's interesting to note that although they are added, that does not necessarily mean they are added in and invited to Google+!! For this the actual Invite has to be manually initiated by an existing Google+ "Test" User. Which explains why I was already part of a few other peoples "Circles" before I even got started.
What happens when you add someone to a circle?
- You can share with them and see what they're sharing with you.
- They'll be notified and can add you to their own circles, but they'll never see the names of the circles you've added them to.
- They'll appear on your public profile
GOOGLE+ LIKE FEATURE IS A "+1"
Instead of a Like they have a "+1"
For things you like or agree with, or want to recommend.
HOME PAGE = ACTIVITY STREAM
Your "HOME" page is your main "Stream" of activity. Mine shows that someone has commented on each photo I uploaded earlier. (That's because I commented on them LOL) A Stream entry is kind of like Facebook in that you enter some test, add a photo, a link, etcetera. People can then Comment on things in your Stream, Share them and like them by clicking the "+1" Button. 
But in addition to entering a new entry, you can also choose what Circles to share it with. (See Photo) There are various Streams, set apart by how people are organized in your "Circles". So the Streams can be viewed by Family, Friends, etcetera.
Below these filters for Streams is another link/option called "Sparks". What are Sparks?
ABOUT SPARKS
Sparks are "Things I am Interested In" such as, for example, Cycling, Recipes, Gardening, etcetera. There is a plethora of various Featured Interests and "Sparks" topics. 
CHAT ON GOOGLE+
What stands out: Voice AND Video Chat! :)
On the Left Side down a ways is a Link to "Chat with People on Google+" you can click on 
, which then shows a list of available people online to Chat with. Since I have noone to chat with, I cannot comment on the actual Chat application just yet, but they do have a nice variety of Chat Availability options such as "Away" and "Offline". 
*note* A change in Chat policy has transpired on Google+ and states: "we've made a change that requires you to explicitly invite people for them to appear in your chat list." You can read more about this and how to invite people into Chat with the link below...
http://www.google.com/support/chat/bin/answer.py?answer=1342716
PHOTOS PAGE
Photos are to be made easier to share from your Phone, your Circles, your albums, etcetera. There is another option for building a Circle of people to share images with. 
IN SUMMARY
THAT'S IT!!! We've covered it all, folks! SO, what makes this such the all-powerful next contender of social networking, anyways? What really stands out as being useful, handy? Is it really going to be as popular and successful as it's purported to be?
(1) Hey, it's Google. You have to admit there are always advantages to having a powerful company run things and can hire and tackle the big projects. Coders at Google are masterful, after all, you have to admit! The money plus the staff can be a huge boon.
(2) The newer, Easier to User Technologies... such as the drag and drop functionality. It may only save a click of work, but it saves time AND it looks kewl and works slick.
(3) The ability to Import and Add Contacts so easily will allow for instant social set-up for using the service.
(4) Integration with other Google services, such as Mail, Documents, Picasoweb and more will be an advantage.
But, are there any downsides? Any cons to those pros? There may be. After all, there is alot of HTML5 capabilities built into this new service it seems. The Drag and Drop for example. A quick view of the source shows it's set for my browser type of IE9, and then sets up a timer with Javascript and alot of Div tags. Google services like Picasoweb are linked in as well. Nothing serious, and I am sure the code is backwards compatible.
IN MY HONEST OPINION
It's worth going ahead and getting a Google+ Account, if just to have one. Adding more content will depend on how others respond to my activity, much like any other site. Bigger numbers mean more stickiness, and my circles, though populated with contacts, are barren of actual people using the Google+ Service. But I'll be inviting people and monitoring this new playground closely for a while to see how it goes.
NEED AN INVITATION?
If you'd like to try out Google+ yourself, comment below and I will send you an Email. :)
Last Updated (Saturday, 23 July 2011 12:38)