Google+ My Take:  I will admit that I have not done a lot of digging around it yet but after a quick play session with this it seems an awful lot like Facebook! The circles are neat and easy to use and you don’t have to wait for people to “Like” you but if you are already using Facebook do you really need it?  Here is my Google+ Profile. So what do you think?  – Leigh Mitchell –

Google +

Content below courtesy of the Google Wiki

(pronounced and sometimes written Google Plus, often abbreviated as G+) is a social networking service operated by Google Inc. The service launched on June 28, 2011 in an invite-only “field testing” phase.[1] The following day, existing users were allowed to invite friends, who are above 18 years of age, to the service to create their own accounts. However, this was quickly suspended a day after there was “insane demand” for accounts.[2]

Google+ integrates social services such as Google Profiles and Google Buzz, and introduces new services Circles, Hangouts, Sparks, and Huddles.[3] Google+ will also be available as a desktop application and as a mobile application, but only on Android and iOS operating systems. Sources such as The New York Times have declared it Google’s biggest attempt to rival the social network Facebook,[4] which had over 750 million users in 2011.[5] On July 14, 2011, Google announced that Google+ had reached 10 million users just two weeks after launch.[6]

  • Circles” enables users to organize contacts into groups for sharing,[7] across various Google products and services. Although other users can view a list of people in a user’s collection of circles, they cannot view the names of those circles. The privacy settings also allows users to hide the users in their circles as well as who has them in their circle. Organization is done through a drag-and-drop interface. This system replaces the typical friends list function used by sites such as Facebook.
  • “Hangouts” are places used to facilitate group video chat (with a maximum of 10 people participating in a single Hangout at any point of time). However, anyone on the web could potentially join the ‘Hangout’ if they happen to possess the unique URL of the Hangout.[7]
  • “Huddle” is a feature available to Android, iPhone, and SMS devices for communicating through instant messaging within circles.[7]
  • “Instant Upload” is specific to Androidmobile devices; it stores photos or video in a private album for sharing later.[7]
  • “Sparks” is a front-end to Google Search, enabling user to identify topics they might be interested in sharing with others; “featured interests” sparks are also available, based on topics others globally are finding interesting.[7]
  • In the “Stream,” users see updates from those in their circles, updates similar to Facebook’s news feed[citation needed]. The input box allows users to enter a status update or use icons to upload and share photo and videos. The Stream can be filtered to show only posts from specific Circles.
  • Google+ has a “+1” button to allow people to recommend items.

Read more on the Google+ Wiki

Are you using Google+ ? Write a post for us and share with the world what you think or leave a comment with your thoughts!

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Leigh Mitchell
Leigh Mitchell is a recognized leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion, known for founding the Women in Biz Network and Empower Hour for ChangeMakers. Honored by Statistics Canada as a DEI expert, Leigh holds an executive certificate in Marketing Leadership from Carleton University and multiple certifications in ethical leadership, inclusive design, and social-emotional learning. With a passion for advancing equity in business, education, and sport, Leigh’s expertise extends to teaching marketing, PR, and business at York University’s School of Continuing Education. She has collaborated with top-tier brands like Microsoft Canada, TELUS, and TD, and her insights have been featured in CBC News, The Globe and Mail, and the Wall Street Journal. Leigh empowers changemakers and businesses to thrive by embracing inclusive practices and innovative leadership.

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