Facebook is now going public and has set the standard for the future of social networking, another big Internet company called Google has introduced its own social network called Google+. Which network is really better?
Facebook has become a vital piece of the lives of millions worldwide. So has Google, arguably more so; for example how did you get to the Facebook web page? Probably Googled it.
Facebook is a great service. Maybe the greatest communication tool since email. The site employs a unique design. It employs great features. And most importantly: it has lots of users, 800 million to approximate.
The site design is not exactly professional or sleek, but instead unique in its own right not looking like any other web page available. Much can be said about the design implemented. It is not the most visually appealing but it is very easy to navigate.
Being able to see what your friends and family are doing is arguably the most powerful tool of the site. Technology has allowed for many around the world to reconnect no matter where they are, as long as they have an Internet connection. In time of crisis or a major event Facebook is a great tool to send out media in all forms (text, videos, photos) to friends and loved ones. When a major milestone comes up in someones life, Facebook is there to share it with those they know best. Even the simple birthday when a Wall is bombarded with happy wishes.
Tagging. Posting. Commenting. Polling. Eventing. Blocking. Designing. Updating. The most used and greatest features of the site. These features are made well with the ability to get the message across to all your friends and family, if they have an account that is. The fact that most of someones contacts will have a Facebook account is vital to the service. “Its where everyone is,” is a common quote by those that use Facebook. By posting information once to one site that becomes accessible to all your friends is much nicer than sending out mass text messages to 200 or more contacts.
Google+
The counterpart to Facebook in this article, Google+, is new to the game and looking to grow.
Google+ was introduced to users last June and is not quite at the level of Facebook in terms of those on the service but with an interesting look at social, they have potential.
The service brought forth some very clever and unique features. First off, Circles. Circles is what Google calls the groups of your friends. The main idea behind circles is to only allow certain people to see certain items posted. For example: A user wants to post a photo of himself for his friends to see from a social outing the other night, with Circles he dictates who can see the post and in this case he would post it for only his friends to see. Users create Circles and can put whomever they feel in to a Circle.
One of the big fundamental ideas of Google Plus is to have interaction with only those who you wish to interact with, when you want to. Facebook becomes a melting pot of all the different friends and family that one has and is an open forum for anyone to comment on your posts.
Verdict
If I had to choose one it would be Google+, something that is fresh and new without the stigma that comes with Facebook. In four years, it may be an entirely different social site that is new to the scene that becomes all that jazz about social. Twitter, Instagram and others are showing it is possible to make social out of very specific types of content so the world of social is always going to have a little fun for all.