What is Google+?
The idea behind Google+ is pretty simple. To take the concept of Twitter, Facebook, Delicious and all those other social networking sites and make it better.
Many of you will be familiar with the social network concept. So why is Google’s version any different? On the face of things, Google+ isn’t a huge step away from what we know, but there are some neat little features to get familiar with.
Although Google+ isn’t quite the finished product, it’s almost there, so you’d better get ready.
What is Google+ really all about?
You can view a demo of Google + here. But basically, Google + is broken down into six areas.
- Jump into the stream with Google+
Your “stream” is simply a notice board. All of your posts and shared content will appear on this page. You can filter what you see in your stream and select who you want to share your content with.
- Moving in circles
“Circles” is a fancy name for your contact list. We all move in different circles but do we always want them to mix? The idea behind circles is that you don’t want to share everything with everybody. Ideally, you wouldn’t want your mum to read a thread about that night out with the lads would you? Probably not. So, circles makes it easier to group friends, work colleagues and family members so that you can share different things with different people.
- Want to hang out?
“Hangouts” are virtual rooms that allow you to tell specific friends or “circles” that you’re free to get together via video chat. You’ll need a webcam and microphone and you can check in as many as 10 people. Nobody owns a hangout though, so you may end up meeting with people outside your circle. Such is life.
- Instant photo upload
Google offer you three ways to upload your images.
- You can create a new post from your stream
- Upload your images from Google+ Photos or,
- If you have an Android, you will be able to share images directly from your mobile device.
By managing your circles, you then get to choose who to share your pictures with.
- What sparks your interest?
You tell “sparks” what you like and, like Google Reader, it will automatically send you related content. Every topic that you tell sparks about gets its own page, so you can share, recommend and get others involved too. Sparks brings your interests to your screen so you’ll always have something new to check out. And if you get bored, you can always remove topics or search for something else that tickles your fancy.
- Huddle together
“Huddles” is a group messaging function for you and your friends. It allows you to select a circle and let everybody into the conversation. Handy for when you’re arranging a time to meet up with your friends, or picking a venue for your work event. Everyone in the huddle can see everybody else’s comments. That means nobody in your circle is left out of the loop.
How do I sign up to Google+?
When the Google+ Project gets the green light, you will notice a change to the Google tool bar at the top of the Google homepage. So look out for the You+ button to access Google+.
Right now, Google+ is invite only, in an attempt to iron out any problems before going live to those with a Google account. If you want to be quick out of the blocks, sign up now and make sure you’re first to find out when Google+ goes live.
Leave a Reply