I've been asked repeatedly why I refuse to use FaceBook despite it's our largest social media site in the world. So I've decided I'm going to post an article highlighting many of the reasons why Google+ takes the place in my heart and why FaceBook has been casted away.
[EDIT: reminder we have a poll going on as to which is your choice]
[EDIT: reminder we have a poll going on as to which is your choice]
There's actually a lot of reasons why I switched over to Google+ and why I have no regret or reason to move production back to FaceBook.
For starters, since Google+ came out, Google had been modifying their layout, trying to find the most optimal experience for their new social network. FaceBook was one step behind them, nearly copying every change they made. FaceBook made a separate FaceBook Messenger app a while back because they couldn't fix it within the native app. It has had many problems from the word go.
Reliable:
Just recently FaceBook updated their Android app to be more reliable and use native code, but for years their app was plagued with slow and choppy UI, refreshing errors, and notification errors where users wouldn't receive their notifications. This notification issue got so bad people were even making how to guides to get it going again using a BlackBerry. Google+ has been very reliable from the start and still is. Since 90% of all my social activity is done on my Android phone, Google+'s integration is a clear winner for me.
Less Garbage:
Google+ isn't saturated with loads and loads of add-ons such as Super huge, Ultra huge, poke, super poke, how sexy are you, and the 20+ clones of these add-ons that go with it. This isn't even the chip of the iceberg, the list of add-ons that floods my stream is pathetic. Every time I log on, I find myself blocking these things so I don't have to view them next time around. One month later when I go back to check my profile, there's a whole new set of useless invites to flood my stream.
I love how Google+ is keeping it simple without all the garbage, they even separate the games in a whole different section which I love.
Circles:
Circles is a brilliant setup that Google has put together on Google+. Having the ability to separate your friends and followers in to their own groups is an outstanding feature. If you're like me and have some people that post nonsense stuff repeatedly, or you simply have little interest on the topics they often post, you're able to limit some of their stuff from your main stream. You're able to target a certain group when posting, in an attempt not to annoy those who don't want to hear it. This is a great feature that Google+ has over FaceBook
General:
In general, I find Google+ fits my style of use more than FaceBook. I'm not saying Google+ is better in general, I'm saying it just fits me best.
Google+ has been a great experience for me and I've met so many great people. I hope more people will keep joining and keep Google+ buzzing.
For starters, since Google+ came out, Google had been modifying their layout, trying to find the most optimal experience for their new social network. FaceBook was one step behind them, nearly copying every change they made. FaceBook made a separate FaceBook Messenger app a while back because they couldn't fix it within the native app. It has had many problems from the word go.
Reliable:
Just recently FaceBook updated their Android app to be more reliable and use native code, but for years their app was plagued with slow and choppy UI, refreshing errors, and notification errors where users wouldn't receive their notifications. This notification issue got so bad people were even making how to guides to get it going again using a BlackBerry. Google+ has been very reliable from the start and still is. Since 90% of all my social activity is done on my Android phone, Google+'s integration is a clear winner for me.
Less Garbage:
Google+ isn't saturated with loads and loads of add-ons such as Super huge, Ultra huge, poke, super poke, how sexy are you, and the 20+ clones of these add-ons that go with it. This isn't even the chip of the iceberg, the list of add-ons that floods my stream is pathetic. Every time I log on, I find myself blocking these things so I don't have to view them next time around. One month later when I go back to check my profile, there's a whole new set of useless invites to flood my stream.
I love how Google+ is keeping it simple without all the garbage, they even separate the games in a whole different section which I love.
Circles:
Circles is a brilliant setup that Google has put together on Google+. Having the ability to separate your friends and followers in to their own groups is an outstanding feature. If you're like me and have some people that post nonsense stuff repeatedly, or you simply have little interest on the topics they often post, you're able to limit some of their stuff from your main stream. You're able to target a certain group when posting, in an attempt not to annoy those who don't want to hear it. This is a great feature that Google+ has over FaceBook
General:
In general, I find Google+ fits my style of use more than FaceBook. I'm not saying Google+ is better in general, I'm saying it just fits me best.
Google+ has been a great experience for me and I've met so many great people. I hope more people will keep joining and keep Google+ buzzing.
You missed probably teh biggest selling point I give to folks... unlimited backup storage for your phone pics (or 5GB of full res).
ReplyDeleteThat and it's definitely an 'interest based' social network rather than a 'who do you know' network. I love being able to find groups of folks I share the same interests with.
Oh,... and hangouts.
You're right, there's is just so many reasons why. Now that you say those things, I can like double this article with more reasons lol. It would ramble on so long lol.
Deleteeasily double...
DeleteI'm not arguing with any of these points...
ReplyDeleteThe fact remains that most of my "social media" contacts are on Facebook, and as such I'm kinda stuck with it. I do block Games, apps and anything else that's not strictly what Facebook was in its earlier days. Status updates and "keeping in touch" type stuff.
Right, there's a lot of folk on FB that aren't moving over to G+... but I've started to really wonder would I miss them. Most are either IRL friends, so an email here or there, a phone call would keep me in contact.
DeleteI'm not going to G+ for my 'social' fix, more my 'community' fix on the topics I'm interested in.
I posted to my facebook friends where I moved to, want to come with me, here's my profile URL. I think like 4 people made accounts, 20 others liked it lol. You just have to do your own thing, and don't let others govern what you should use or like best.
DeleteTake off the sheep cloths lol :P
When I started with Facebook, maybe 6 years ago, it was the cool place to be. It connected me to a new group of hip friends. It got me invited to really interesting events and great parties. Six years ago, the people you wanted to hand with were on Facebook. Now days... not so much.
ReplyDeleteThe cool crowd abandoned Facebook a couple years ago. My Facebook feed is now mostly the domain of stupid posts: polarized politics, stupid causes, offensive religious posts, and way too much stuff about hockey. Maybe I should unfriend some of these posters, but I am usually too polite.
Endless redesigns make it impossible to even a long-time user to find certain features. The way the product works is increasingly obfuscated so that it never seems quite clear what you are sharing with whom. How about 'Likes'. Did I really click 'Like' on some of these things? Nope, FB, you cheated and invented them.
Google+ improves upon a lot of these things and is a more honest product. It could be even better and I hope it will improve more. The unfortunate thing is social networking and communications in general have become fragmented. I can only reach some people through FB just as I can only reach some people through email and some people through SMS.
Maybe in 6 years Google+ will be full of stupid posts like Facebook. History suggests that Facebook is just following the same path of lameness that Myspace did. I'm hoping it won't.
My fingers are crossed that you're wrong on the "G+ may eventually become FB"... but you most likely are correct. These social networks are always 'in flux' and are changing to be profitable. Hopefully Google is profitable enough without 'monetizing' G+ the way that FB has.
DeleteAnd... yeah, it seems that the majority of 'users' on FB are the mindless posters these days.