The layout of Google+ prior to this update didn’t do anything for me. It didn’t feel nice or comfortable. Put simply it didn’t make me want to use it. It’s hard to say exactly what it is about this new design that works for me, but it feels more interactive, like there’s more to see and touch. It feels more organised, it’s like Google+ finally grew up.

The ability to create a cover photo to one’s profile feels like another step in the right direction. It feels more personal to me, so naturally the photo I have chosen as my cover is one I recently took of my beloved Converse.

There are a number of my friends who have used Google+ on a daily basis for sharing things. Some moved away from Facebook completely to use G+, others creating a profile but leaving soon after. I have tried persuading some friends to give Google+ at least a go, but Facebook is now so ingrained into their daily lives that it’s difficult for them to be open to the idea of yet another “social network”.

Twitter is and always will be my number one go-to social network for all the wonderfully rapid interaction and easy-ways-to-access it reasons, but I’m starting to see where Google+ may also start to matter in my life. Photos that I may want to share with my closer friends, but not my wider followers on Twitter or Flickr. I can be as open or as private as I want on Google+, allowing certain circles to access things that others cannot. This is where it gets good; sharing with people you care about.

If you’ve never tried Google+ or you have but you’re still unsure about it, check out this article which may just change your mind. Or you could just add me to your circles – now who wouldn’t want to see an exclusive photo of me as a kitty?!

The site design is nice – bright and fun looking, although I think the “share your emo-ness” is a bit lame and I did wonder if this was going to be aimed towards the 12-16y/misery-teenage-types. The timeline is a bit weird to keep on top of. When I log onto the site a little message comes up to say there’s XX updates…and I never catch up or read what’s been posted as there’s often a lot going on. If there was a Plurk desktop client for Mac then that may make life easier to keep on top of things. I’m not keen on the Karma rating – that’s not something that interests me at all and to be honest I can only see that encouraging people to post for the sake of posting, so they reach new levels and get more emoticons.

Anyway, I’ll be looking in on it every now and again to witness it’s growth – feel free to Plurk me.

]]> http://www.fruitbytes.co.uk/2008/06/02/plurk/feed/ 3 http://www.fruitbytes.co.uk/2008/05/06/brightkite-invites/ http://www.fruitbytes.co.uk/2008/05/06/brightkite-invites/#comments Tue, 06 May 2008 21:00:08 +0000 Sam http://www.fruitbytes.co.uk/?p=158 Thesedays there doesn’t seem to be a week that goes by without some new social network site being launched with an invite only while in private beta. One I’ve been hearing whispered around the web for a week or two is Brightkite.