There have been few serious contenders to the Facebook crown, and most have fallen by the wayside as the seemingly-immortal Zuckerberg army marches on. But is Facebook about to come face-to-face with its vanquisher at its very own battle of the Hot Gates? Could be. Here we look at some of the top reasons to choose Google +.
Walk between worlds. Sure, we all know we’re supposed to ‘just be ourselves’. But let’s face it, the you chatting to your aunt’s book club on a Sunday afternoon is not the you chatting to the hot dancer while downing mojitos at the samba club on Friday night. Gloople + allows you to interact as you would in the real world – in groups. Use those provided or create your own; but unlike Facebook, the best part is that people don’t have to know where they stand in comparison to your other, invisible circles – avoiding those awkward ‘I couldn’t see your wedding pics but Julie could’ conversations. Present the smart business side to your clients and colleagues, and the crazy, sky-diving side to your buddies at the Himalayan retreat. And ne’er the two shall meet.
Simplicity. Been asked how hot your friends think you are? Take the love horoscope compatibility test? Find out what Disney Princess you are? Yep, apps seem to have invaded Facebook like a fungus. Fortunately, Google + is, as yet, untainted by applications, and in general remains clean and simple to use. Long may it be so.
Fab features. Google + combines Facebook and Twitter together in terms of the main features. Awesome. But even more awesome is Hangout – spontaneous video chatting. Up to 10 people can join a Hangout – just start one up and watch people drop by, chew the fat and move on. Best of all, it’s completely free, giving it the edge on much-trumpeted Facebook partner Skype’s paid-for multi-conferencing video chats.
Better chat. Google + uses Google Chat, which, frankly, is better than Facebook chat. In our opinion. So there.
Business profiles. Well, we’re cheating a little here, because they’re not yet available. And tempting as it is, don’t set up your own in the meanwhile – Google are pulling them down. But anyway, when the official profiles are launched (circa Autumn 2011) you’ll be glad you waited. We’re promised that they’re going to be awesome – and rumour has it will include analytic tools!
So there you have it. Of course, there’s still some teething issues to work out with Google +, and if you really enjoy splashing every aspect of your personal life to anyone who ever encountered you, then you should probably stick with Facebook. But otherwise we say go for it. Life is too short not to live in circles.
Whats next for Google?