Why We Choose ‘The Circle’: Google+
By Thoughtis
The past month has been full of buzzworthy social media developments, and I get it – people are tired of adapting, creating laundry lists of their friends, having an existential crisis every time they want to share a Funny Or Die video, and so on. Or maybe I get how ‘Olds’ feel, as I am rapidly approaching the age in which one is considered Internet Old (Omigod, stop this train, I have Peter Pan Syndrome and I promise to begrudgingly ‘fuck with’ any platform that trends on Twitter, forever and ever, amen). I concede that the bitching and moaning isn’t unwarranted. I spent three hours this morning trying to ‘get down with’ Spotify and subsequently subjected myself to all of the Top 40 tunes I’d otherwise managed to avoid for, oh, the past four years. Thanks, Spotify! Can’t live without you!
You’ve heard this elsewhere, and you’ll hear it from me – Google+ is different. It seems to be worth the effort – especially if you’re one of those people who only checks in on Facebook when left alone at a bar with nothing but your loneliness and a smartphone. You see, Facebook is a PC. It’s been around so long, we all know how to use it, it’s like the raggedy but comfortable robe we wear on weekends and refuse to throw out. But Google+? Google+ is Apple. It’s clean cut and user-friendly. And once you go Mac? You don’t go back. It’s disgusting but true. A key feature that proves Google+ understands you? Circles. No one ‘gets’ Circles, but it’s quite simple. Check out your privacy settings on Facebook, for example. Mine looks like the company directory from my last job exploded. Who can see my Wall Posts? Everyone except [long list of names which, if it weren’t such a pain in the ass, would be updated constantly]. Google+ knows you don’t like everyone equally. They know your ex isn’t your boss isn’t your friend. Circles allows you (upon adding a friend) to pigeonhole them (thus, dictating what you are and aren’t willing to share with them) in a seamless way. Better yet, other people have no idea what Circle you’re grouping them into.
Have fun creating a Piece Of Shit Circle or a DILF Circle or even an Estranged Family Circle. There’s room for everyone!