Inside Google’s New Social Networking Platform – Google+

The new Google+ social networking project craze is dominating most online discussions and analyses made of the pros and cons and its implication to the internet market. The greatest debates are on whether it will unseat Facebook and other social networks. The Google+ project simplifies sharing through the web and simulates real life situations. The product, an addition to Google, is in its final implementation stages. Presently, preselected people are allowed to experiment this social product.  They are to invite other users, share and discuss status updates, photos and links. The full product is set to roll out in the market soon. However, if you are interested in a Google+ project account you can fill an entry form. The form requires you to fill your name and email so that you can stay posted when the full service is rolled out. Google is still working on some links and aren’t ready for everyone to climb aboard. Google is known for introducing limited services like Google Wave and Gmail products at the beginning. Despite the fuss about Google+ being Facebook look alike and that it’s meant to edge out major social sites, the world is waiting with baited breath to savor this product.    Features   Circles The feature lets you connect and share different things with different people; your close associates, college friends, parents and work mates. It enables you to put your hangout party friends into one circle, your boss in another and your family in another, thus distinctively separated like in real life.   Hangout It allows you and your friends to have video talks at any time and place. It’s further enhanced with YouTube feature, allowing you to upload and share videos with your buddies.   Sparks This is feed of your favorite stuff and activities like fashion, football, recipes, cycling etc.  You can always share, read or watch these activities in your free time.   Instant upload This feature allows you to take pictures and upload them instantly for fun. Your photos “upload themselves” instantly without much hassle.   Huddle The huddle feature allows you to turn all the individual messages with one theme into a group chat and the messages are sent instantly.   Benefits of Google+ The use of Google+ will enable its users to get personalized Google products. Google will learn what products users like and to use this data to improve them. These include; Ads, Search, You Tube and Maps. Google+ will also increase the privacy of users as different users will see different posts by one user. Comparison with Facebook Google+ and Facebook social sites are alike as both sites allow its users to invite others, update, share and discuss the updates, photos and links. The Google+ project is out to compete and edge Facebook out of the market in spite of “borrowing” some features from Facebook. The difference is that Google+ has an addition of group text messaging, video chat and circles feature which allows users to segregate their users based on their own preferences. Google+ is also unique from Facebook in that Google is a leading web search engine while Facebook is a sole social site entity, thus Facebook is pitched up to compete  with a market dominator. However, Google+ stands to lose on many users who wouldn’t want to own two social sites or post on the two sites. Most Facebook users would prefer to have a new set of users in Google+ project thus impeding its growth. The current traffic and users of all Google products is lesser than the Facebook’s traffic in the month of May, 2011. As the full service rolls out, we shall ascertain if all the fuss and craze about Google+ is worth the talk and credit it have been awarded.