# Google Plus - Who's On? What do you think?



## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

I'm sure by now a lot of you have heard about a little thing that got launched a couple months ago called Google Plus (or Google+ or G+). You've probably seen the little +1 show up on a lot more websites. The +You (or +your name if signed in) in the black bar at the top of nearly all of Google's services.

There are a small handful of haunters on it already. But I'm wondering how many here have tried it? If not then why? If so then what are your thoughts? What approach did you take - the Facebook clone or the Twitter clone (hint - approach it like Twitter and you'll enjoy it a lot more; approach it like Facebook and you'll quickly find it boring because your friends and family haven't joined or cared to)?

Those who have me on Facebook and Twitter know I've been evangelizing the Google+ service. I believe it could be a fantastic resource for haunters and Halloweenies. The more of us that are on board the better the service will be.

I have a good number of invites left if anyone is curious I'll be happy to send them one in PM. If you're already on finding me should be easy - search for Terrormaster, Spellbreaker, or just click on my Google+ profile link in my signature.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Clearly I'm not a candidate for it because I've never heard of it I also am not a big user of Facebook (no profile of my own, though I occasionally lurk through Spooky1's), nor do I "tweet", although I suppose I might if I got stepped on or something

What does Google+ do?


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Google+ (while being sold by a lot of media pundits as a Facebook killer or clone) is a lot like Twitter and Facebook combined. Right now it's being used more like Twitter in the sense that people are posting publicly and just sharing information, stories, links, etc. Some are even using it like a blogging platform as well. And while it can be used just like Facebook it shouldn't be approached with that mentality (despite what pundits are saying). 

If you WANT to compare, the big difference between Google+ and Facebook is the security features. Facebook lumps everyone you add as a friend. By default (you can change it but most don't and its not exactly very intuitive how) people post everything to all their friends. And in retrospect everything their friends say and do (including but not limited to game status updates) is dumped into one update stream. It's a cluttered mess if you have a lot of friends and they post or play a lot of games. 

Google+ introduced the concept of Circles and one-way friendships (like Twitter follows - just because you circled someone doesn't mean they will circle you back and vice versa). Circles allow you to categorize people in your friend list. If you want to approach it from a Facebook point of view you could have a circle for family and a circle for friends. People can even be in more than one circle. So if you wanted to say something to just your family members you could post just to the family circle. Or you could post to both if you want your friends and family to both see. Or if it's something general just post it right to your public stream. Circle are customizable and what you name them are kept completely private.

You can actually use circles however you want. I currently treat the whole setup like Twitter. I have a friends and a family circle for private stuff for the few friends and family that have joined. But for the most part I post everything publically like Twitter. I follow a lot of bloggers, most all of the haunters and dark artists and anyone is welcome to follow me back. I have circles for all those but since I post publicly I use them mainly to categorize everyone for easier reading.

Like I said, one could use it like Facebook and post everything privately to circles. But you'll get bored quick because you'll find your stream relatively empty because few if any of your friends and family have joined yet. Treat it like Twitter and you'll happy. If you don't tweet then it's probably not for you at this point in time.


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

> everything their friends say and do (including but not limited to game status updates) is dumped into one update stream. It's a cluttered mess if you have a lot of friends and they post or play a lot of games.


This is why I hate facebook and plan on joining google+ as soon as it's public, but I see that's not yet, which is probably why not a whole lot of people are on there yet.


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## goneferal (Sep 8, 2010)

*G+*

I'm on G+, I like the circles feature, I just wish more people would sign up.


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

goneferal said:


> I'm on G+, I like the circles feature, I just wish more people would sign up.


people can't sign up. They have to be "invited" by someone, and even then the front page says "We've temporarily exceeded our capacity. Please try again soon." and has been saying that for a long time, highly annoying.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

I would like to compare it...I'll take the invite.


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## Jaybo (Mar 2, 2009)

I've got a G+ account, but haven't used it much yet due to the lack of people signed up at the moment. I like it better than all the other social networks, just don't have a lot of people to talk to yet. I really like how it handles pictures and the Huddle feature sounds cool once I get enough friends to talk with in a Huddle. The Android app is not too bad. It can be setup to automatically upload any pictures I take to my Google + account, but not actually post them publicly until I review them. Makes it very easy to build online photo albums.

I have lots of G+ invites, so if anyone needs one just let me know and I'll send it out.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Every one that I want to talk to is already here on this forum so I guess I don't see the point of being on one more chat room. I tinker with facebook alittle and have only 20 friends if that tells you something ( only really chat with about 6 of them). I must be to old to get excited about one more social center.


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## Mr_Chicken (Nov 26, 2008)

I'm on, but I haven't figured out what to _do_ with it.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

I think for the most part all of my friends and family that were gonna use my invites have already used them. So I'll just share them my other family here.

Enjoy: https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=/?gpinv=wqtTspwBUVI:sk6GMXRyFN0

Typically if you have an invite you can get in even if it says over capacity. Like I said, I treat mine like Twitter for now so I'm completely public. If you get on feel free to add me to a circle: Terrormaster, Spellbreaker, Brent Stewart, or just click the link in my sig below.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Found this discussion on Wikipedia, so take with a grain of salt as always. Have you seen this as a problem?

"Google+ enables strangers to add you to their circles, without you having to confirm a 'friendship'. While you can block what these people see of your content and can prevent them sending messages, it does not prevent them from publicly displaying your profile in their circles. This has been criticized on Google+ Help Forum by multiple users because it can give the impression that you are associated with the person. Parents are particularly concerned that their young children may be associated with known criminals, others are concerned about the possibility of corporate entities adding your profile once corporate spaces are developed giving the impression you endorse a product. Google has not re-acted to these concerns."


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Roxy, like I stated earlier Google+ is a lot like Facebook and Twitter COMBINED so it has elements of both. On Twitter anyone can follow anyone for the most part. There are some exceptions to that rule on Twitter as there is a feature where you can lock your account down. However 95% of the Twitter users don't do this because it kinda defeats the purpose of Twitter. Following someone on Twitter and Circling someone on Google+ is akin to subscribing to a particular user's posts on a public forum. They can only see what you share publicly (which is EVERYTHING but direct messages on Twitter). The only time they can see any other content is if you Circle them back and post to the circle you put them in.

So yes it's true they don't need your permission to Circle you - however you do receive a notification when someone circles you. The people complaining are still looking at this like they would Facebook, a private group of mutual friends and family. Apples and Oranges. Just because you have someone circled doesn't mean you're associating with them. Google+ Circling =/= Facebook Friending which is where the confusion lies. When you Circle someone it just means you're subscribed to what they say publicly and nothing more.

No one knows yet how business entities will be handled on Google+ because they're still working on it. But the story I'm hearing in tech circles (no pun intended) businesses won't have Circles of their own so they can't subscribe back. Strictly one way from the consumer side.

Parental concerns at this point should be non-existent because the minimum age to use Google+ is 18.


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## GothicCandle (Mar 26, 2007)

Terrormaster said:


> Parental concerns at this point should be non-existent because the minimum age to use Google+ is 18.


and we all know teenagers and preteens are all honest well behaved little angels that always follow the rules.


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## BioHazardCustoms (Aug 5, 2009)

I'm on it, but I'm not a big fan. It's ok, but not many people I know are on there.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

GothicCandle said:


> and we all know teenagers and preteens are all honest well behaved little angels that always follow the rules.


I think should that happen and the users's parents catch them Google can easily get out of it by just terminating the account for being in violation of their ToS.

But don't forget about the parents who are like minded and feel this strange urge that their pre-teens just HAVE to be on a social network so they lie about their kids age and setup the account for them. You'd be surprised at the statistics of how frequently this happens and how many kids on FB are 9-12 years old and sometimes younger. In this country we have COPPA compliance but doesn't mean a smart teen or a stubborn parent wont find ways to skirt that. So um yeah, it goes both ways.



BioHazardCustoms said:


> I'm on it, but I'm not a big fan. It's ok, but not many people I know are on there.


See that's probably because like most you think of it like Facebook. Despite what your friends and media pundits are saying Google+ =/= Facebook. If you start off looking for people you know you'll be extremely disappointed. Think of it like twitter. Look for interesting people to Circle that publicly post subject matter you'd be interested in reading. Heck do the Twitter thing and start by Circling/Following Wil Wheaton. There's a huge photography population their as well. I think it's up to folks like us to build up the haunt community. Chad Savage and even Chris Davis is out there and so is HauntCast. These folks are not always active but its picking up for our neck of the woods.

EDIT: Bloodshed Brothers are there too and post videos from time to time. TIP: look at other haunters and see who they have circled a follow/circle some of the same people if you like what they've publicly posted. You don't have to know them and that's kinda the point.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Here are some of the haunters I have circled. Not all of them are actively posting because they were probably thinking like FB. These are just recommendations from my list:

Bloodshed Brothers
Chad Savage (Sinister Visions)
Chris Davis (Davis Graveyard)
Jaybo and Dixie (you should know how to find them)
Eric Steiner (aka King Unicorn from Twitter)
Scott Stoll (Stolloween duh)

Then once you circle these peeps see who they have circled and expand your circles.


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## hedg12 (Jul 6, 2008)

I'm on it. I like the circles - I don't want to let everyone see everything I say, & I'm sure not everyone wants to see it all. And hangouts would be neat, if I weren't so anti-social...


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I do not tweet or facebook, so it would be useless to me.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

we'll see. you all know me anyways.


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## MrGrimm (May 19, 2009)

So far, 90% of the people in my circles are my co-workers because most of my other friends and family are hook on facebook.

That being said, I rarely use Google+ just because all the guys do (i work for an IT company) is chat about how Google+ is different than facebook! lol


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

MrGrimm, sounds like you're circling the wrong people. Check out my G+ profile which is fairly active:

https://plus.google.com/109278962630081587362/posts


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## Frightmaster-General (Sep 9, 2011)

I'm not on G+ yet, nor do I currently want to (but who knows, maybe someday...). 

Looks like fun though:


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

*Who's on Google+ ?*

Pronounced "goo-gull plus", or as I like to call it, Not-Facebook", is anyone on this alternative social media?

I've been on it more often these days, partly to figure out more how it works, to post my haunt on another media source, but mainly because I like it better than Facebook. It's calm, worldly, and no annoying commercials, spam, or non-stop game invites. Sure it's not taking off at warp speed like FB, but it is a welcome alternative.

G+ for the phone (iPhone for me) is beautiful to use as the whole screen is filled with pictures of the posts you are seeing.

I stil haven't figured out all the capabilities, but I'm slowly building it up. The page name URL still seems to be a long string of numbers instead of a more intuitive _"google.com/[yourhauntname]"_, but I can work around that.

Here's Garaginarium of Monstrosities on G+. I encourage everyone to signup, login, make a page, an start connecting the haunt world there also. After all, the more you get your name out there, the more candy you can hand out.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Check out Terrormaster's thread:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=27741


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

Funny thing, I actually did a search for a previously-discussed thread before posting mine, didn't find one but I guess there was one already.


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## Lord Homicide (May 11, 2012)

I'm on Google+

look me up Lord Homicide ([email protected])

Don knows this but... Others... Not so sure!


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