This is what happens when Zach Braff Reddits

They are coming...even faster than c

Google Plus Woes

Why I like Google Chrome

They at least give you an option

Lil Wayne at the Store..:p

Google Plus Review – A Neutral Review Without too much Google Bashing for Once

Note: Before you wade through this pile of bracketed thoughts, I want to tell you that this is supposed to be a more balanced review of Google Plus. (“Balanced” here means not being jealous of Google's mammoth size and predicting its doom at every opportunity while talking about Google +1 in your reviews. You know who you are.) If you want to skip ahead to the actual features then press Ctrl+f on your keyboard and search for “BS'ing: Here it is”

Okay, I know what you've been going through for the past few days regarding news of Google Plus. You've been reading one too many Google + bashing tech blogposts by experts galore predicting how Google Plus is nothing but a lot of fluff thats been huffed and puffed our way by Google's social team without justifying such illogical outbursts with any solid reason whatsoever. Being the typical grudgingly (facebook's well thought out privacy policy is to blame here) avid user of facebook, I too was guffawing sneakily in my mind when I heard that Google is at it again. Trying to get social that is. Then I got an invite to tinker with this offering (the earlier ones from Google were a bit, well, BORING to be granted the status of “offering.”) from Google's Lincolnesque (try and try again we shall!) social stable. And I think Google has something going for itself here in Google Plus. (And who am I? Just another nobody whom no one knows about. Except Google!)

Lets take a less prejudiced look at what Google Plus is all about: (What!? You didn't know it was about something? Just kidding. It is. T'is about our monies, meagre as it may be. They wants it. And they shall takezz it (Lord of the Rings reference here. Google “Gollum”), yeszzz! We shall unite my preciouss)

Okay enough of BS'ing: Here it is, my thoughts on Google Plus:

• Circles: I like it. In fact, it's just what todays damaged, pissed off and reckless minds who persistantly haunt facebook and unwittingly shower their walls with writings and ensuing nasty conversations that are usually read only by those who want to form an opinion of the writer and her friends for good or for worse. Usually worst. So, now you get to customize and show your multi-sided stinking hypocrite face to the circle of people you choose and don't need to face any consequences. Sweet deal huh? That's what I thought too. Of course, Facebook has the same feature as well but it seems Google Plus has been designed keeping in mind the non-uniform nature of one-to-one human relationships in a group setting within enclosed spaces (wall) where echoes happen. That's why the circles are a central visual aspect of the site and you can literally stereotype people easily into their little circles when you are toying around with 'em. And they are fun to fiddle around with too; those slick wheels.

The ingenuity of this concept seems to be overlooked and dismissed by a few naysayers but me thinks it is the future of social. And while I am writing this, it seems Facebook has coded a hack shamelessly modelling Google's circles. If this isn't a stamp of approval of the direction in which Google is treading, then I don't know what it.

On the other hand, I wonder how we can find people once the circle gets populated quickly. I have lesser than 5 people in mine. Each circle holds about 8 people. Does it keep rotating to reveal more people? Mysteries abound..

• Hangout: The feature is uber cool to say the least. The way numerous tech blogs have overlooked/undervalued this feature, I am seriously wondering if Facebook and Skype are using their marketing dollars to grease palms to write in such hooligan fashion. It sure makes sense too because if the hangout feature works out, and it looks like it will, then it could spell doom for certain companies that spend billions on flawed acquisitions rather than frantically trying to innovate with something challenging the status quo and make something of value. C'mon, lets be frank. Facebook's chat feature is rudimentary at best. I would be wary of needlessly dismissing any social network that has the superb Google Talk as its chat client. Anyway, coming back to the actual feature, the only thing I would be worried about is if people I don't want to be “hanging out” with try to gatecrash. But the risk of that happening is minimal too because of the circles thingy and the ability to control who sees the notification that you are currently “hanging” with someone. See? Now this is how the future should be. Original features, functionality, ease-of-use and a good measure of respect for privacy thrown in. Watch and learn Facebook. Watch and learn quick.

• Sparks: I haven't used this feature a lot but going by the appreciative words of my friends who tell me the results are pretty good or at least interesting (we've got Google for the proper results anyway), I think it's another subtle yet critical feature added on the Google plus portfolio. And the reason is this. Google probably has serious plans of creating a kind of inherently socially driven search space for its users and there's no better place to do it than here. Doing the same thing in the Google homepage will raise alarm bells because no one likes search results that are over-personalized. Google's got the perfect excuse to be as manipulative as they want here cause its social after all and no one's going to blame them. We should at least be thankful that your personal details aren't auctioned off to the highest bidder. LOL. On the back-end, the G-men probably have companies whose products are going to be marketed to their respective “circles” of interest. Hyuk. Hyuk. Nasty hobbitsesszz..(Lord of the Rings
  reference again. I love that book and movie!!!)

• That iPhone upload feature: I don't have an iPhone so I can't comment on that one but me thinks it would be cool indeed as long as they don't publish it to the world before you can stop it.

There it is. A slightly more thorough overview of the features Google + brings us. Its not as horrid as people seem to be making it out to be. The one thing I feel Google needs to work on is its look and colors. A few more cheery colors wouldn't hurt is what I think especially since this is supposed to be a social network and not a congregation of funeral attendees who dig minimalism. It looks like Google Plus has got a good thing going but it shouldn't become boring because of a trivial thing like it handling and feeling the same way as the Google search engine does. People like change as long as things are kept peppy and interesting. That's what facebook taught us a few years back when people began adopting it en masse due to various concerns with other networks. And what were its key concepts? Real time updation on a easy to view wall (which is a great thing in itself), the tiny Like button and the ability to comment on every single thing which was fun for a while. These weren't earth shattering ideas if you look at it critically but these apparently small improvements were what drove people in droves to it at the beginning (this was before they realized they were trapped in the bubble.)

Is Google Really Trying to Compete with Facebook? Or is it making a Canvas to Showcase its Range of Offerings Seamlessly?

Mainstream tech blogs persistently keep comparing Facebook to Google Plus and how they think FB users wouldn't create a Jumanji (its a movie)
type stampede to get to Google Plus. But I beg to differ. I don't think it's far-fetched to assume that Google and Facebook might coexist rather than Facebook getting killed execution style because of Facebook.

Google's intent seems to be more far reaching than create a mere network of people online which is what Facebook seems to be for good measure. They should want to create a space online where there are circles of people sharing information without worries and also using their stellar services like Gmail and others etched right into the social experience. Google is the only company that can afford or even imagine to do this right now. They have tens of standalone applications that are pretty useful by itself and would undoubtedly create/acquire many more in the future. Ultimately, their purpose seems to be to ensure that the average member's online experience is augmented by the social signals that will begin to emerge from Google Plus. Besides, they are also pretty desperate for the social graph that Facebook treasures right now but seem to be squandering because of the closed environment it fosters. But lets not talk about the spot Facebook is in now.

Google Plus Trending:

I like to think that adoption of Google Plus will be slow but steady as people realize that they have been silent for months on Facebook because of the fear of the world getting to know them more personally than they would like each time they share a status update. And of course, peer pressure to join Google + is undoubtedly a major factor as the cool kids having Google Plus invites begin to gloat about the fun they had watching videos simultaneously with their mates all under the one roof of Google Plus and making the fb'ers feel tiny and neglected. People might jump on the Google Plus bandwagon with a vengeance once the invite feature disintegrates. Then again they might not. That's life in the fickle world of social networks thats rife with shallow relationships and assumed loyalties.

There are a lot other things I've got on my mind as well to include but I think this is enough for one post. :)