One of the coolest things about Google+ is that you are able to follow people that you may not know (much like Twitter, but better)..... I realize this sounds creepy, and slightly like stalking.... but it's actually ok, because you only see the posts they want the public to see... and the people I follow for the most part are bloggers, entrepreneurs, editors, etc (people who want to be followed).
Why is it cool??? Because you get to hear the "news" straight from them. When a write of the popular tech-blog Techcrunch posts something on G+ he is unfiltered and not hindered by the constraints of an editing staff. Another example, is following the CEO of Google... you get to see first hand what he is thinking as well, or simply see the human side of him when he posts pictures of himself wind surfing.
I realize this sounds like a new "paparazzi" following celebrities around hoping to catch a glimpse of something absurd... but that is really not why I feel this is cool.... the reason why this is so powerful, is that it is the beginning of the breakdown of tradition media (which I hate btw).
I know what your thinking - "Yeah, but Twitter does the same thing - so why is this so different???".
Twitter was never really a social network - it is micro-blogging. And as weird as it sounds... the message is the medium. Because Twitter launched as a micro-blogging platform which is a one-to-the-world communication - people use it only for that purpose. It's too late to change. Much like how Facebook chose to be a "uber-social" network being launched out of the colleges - it also is stuck in it's path it chose.
With Google+ - they have built something that not only allows people to be themselves, be personal and also be a voice to the public - it creates an attitude among the users (including the CEO's, editors, Industry leaders, and John Doe) that it's ok to be "real" and to speak your mind..... and if you feel like you want a few people to hear it, or the whole world... you have the ability to determine that for the first time.
The power of this medium, is that the messages are different. You can already see that if you use the service... the posts are not the same as Twitter or Facebook. The Posts seem to be more thoughtful, more real (in some cases) and less trivial.
So why is Google+ going to end Traditional Media???
Simple... why wait to read the news tomorrow, when you can read it directly from the writer when they post on Google+?
Why not follow Arianna Huffinton on G+ (https://plus.google.com/103233967921245494760/posts) instead of visiting her blog? Or follow Robert Scoble (https://plus.google.com/111091089527727420853/posts) if you want to know what is happening in the valley?
Want to know what Michael Dell is thinking??? Follow him - https://plus.google.com/100523784851251213675/posts
Why wait for the traditional media, if you can see pictures of what really is happening being posted by people on the street (e.g. Citizen Journalists). We have already seen this happen on Twitter... but because Twitter is so difficult to navigate and lacked the multimedia (until now) to really create a more visual and expressive medium it has only been effective in a handful of major events (Hudson crash, Egypt, Weinergate, etc)
If you want to see who is "most followed" on G+ - or if you want to search for someone you would like to follow this is a cool website just launched - http://www.findpeopleonplus.com
Don't be afraid to follow, it just may help us kill traditional media as we know it - and that would be a very good thing.....
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4 comments:
Will Facebook really "allow" Google+ to be the new social media outlet? Sounds like Google is seeking to reinvent and take over. Don't get me wrong, I love Google, but it's becoming a conglomerate. Is that a good thing?
I don't think G+ will take over Facebook... much like I don't feel like Disney Channel will take over TBS... I truly believe Facebook speaks to a different audience/market... and although many of us use both G+ and Facebook... I think we will use them for different purposes.... G+ is a very good thing for the web, because I feel people were "dumbing down the conversation" in the context of Facebook... and having an alternative conversation and competitor is a good thing.
If the world only had Facebook, I think I would shoot myself :)
The "Aunt Edna"s will still stick to FB. I stripped my FB account and keep it for blog post propagation, but I do not link to anything on FB anymore. It is an unsecure pit. ;) G+ is more of how a Social Community should feel, and it gives better connections and feedback.
I think it's another brick in the wall of the demise of traditional media which I agree is a good thing. I have no love for the handful of media conglomerates that control content on radio, TV and print. The democratization has already started in radio, not just with outlets like Pandora, but traditional-style radio stations complete with live DJs and spots. Think everything from KMPX circa 1967 to any format people might imagine.
I agree that G+ is it's own animal and wonder where it will go next. (Might have to wait a bit since it hasn't officially launched yet.) I think it can't help but eat some of FB's lunch.
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