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“Only a few weeks in, and Circles fatigue is taking hold”, according to Wired. Users are already getting tired of Google +. The biggest turnoff is also what attracted them to the Facebook clone in the first place “Circles”.
Circles, enables users to categorize their contacts into various social groups. Initially found it fun to classify these contacts into groups. But soon, some found the fun task became a chore.
“I can see there being limitations in managing large number of Circles, despite how good [Google's] promotional videos are”, says George Gallate, global chairman of digital ad agency Euro RSCG 4D.
He says the process of creating a Circle names has also become a hassle. “I had friends from “Fast Company” and then friends from “FastCompany.com;” roommates from “6E” (my apartment number) and roommates from college; and even a group called “Top Gun,” whose purpose I struggle to remember. Several of my Circles had just one “friend.” A “Circle” of one might sound a little zen, but it mostly just sounds sad. After a while, I simply gave up.”
“Personally, I’ve already started to feel that fatigue… I’ve started to feel that Google Plus is asking too much from me. Rather than classify my contacts as I might subconsciously in real life–as family, friends, or coworkers–I’ve been forced to consciously determine my relationships with these people online. Suddenly I was dealing with add requests from distant acquaintances from college extracurricular programs; from friends’ parents; from friends of friends; from friends of a friends’ girlfriends; from colleagues I like and from colleagues I don’t; from forgotten ex-coworkers; from strangers; from enemies, even”, write Gallate.
Gallate goes on to say that he was attracted to the service because of its message as being “exclusive” but that it is the furthest thing from the truth. “There was a lot of buzz created around it being exclusive, but it really wasn’t”.
“I think they’re going to have an issue with real activation,” Gallate says. “To take off, and hit that 750 million user mark, people are going to have to pay a lot less attention to Facebook, and a lot more attention to Google Plus.”
Google Plus might have a sleek solution with Circles, but it’s one that requires a great deal of effort.
Channels: Facebook, google, Social Networking
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That's ironic, because Wil Wheaton just posted this to his Google+ public stream:
"So I'm digging Google Plus much more than I thought I would, but the mobile app really needs to be improved."
Comment by SeanBlader — July 21, 2011 @ 11:04 AM
Google + sucks big time. It been aggressively pushed by employees because their bonus is tied to it. Employees are harassing their families, friends and anyone they know to sign up so that they can collect their bonus. What a selfish caniving bunch of scum.
Comment by Google Sucks — July 21, 2011 @ 11:15 AM
Re author's point "…. fun to classify these contacts into groups. But soon, some found the fun task became a chore." Try LOTS fewer circles. Consider: with Facebook you have just one circle (or category, i.e., 'friend' _- imagine starting from Facebook and breaking out just 2 or 3 other categories e.g., 1) Family, 2) Close.Friends – people with whom I share lots of details about my life, 3) Professional – people in your work / professional network, 4) Everyone.else – anyone else currently in your Facebook friends that are not in one of the first 3 groups. . This makes you able to target messages/info.delivery a lot more than you can today with moderate level of work maintaining the 4 groups.
What do you think?
Comment by Tony Christopher — July 21, 2011 @ 11:50 AM
Google + is a chore. One that I don't need. If I started with all my FB friends than some way I could make it work. I am not going to invite/spam them all.
Comment by RobFishback — July 21, 2011 @ 11:56 AM
I am so over any new social media apps. I keep getting requests from people so I thought I would give it a try and then I got got locked into Google which I never do as it screws up my rankings. I eventually worked out that I had to click on my name to sign out. When I retire soon I hope I am disabling all my social media profiles and getting a regular phone with no internet access. Its exhausting staying so socialized and it is getting very intrusive. Who do you turn down and not make an enemy? Its just annoying.
Comment by Fionnd — July 21, 2011 @ 11:59 AM
The social balloon is reaching the limit, need to add a game changer capability or watch a serious retraction in usage and new user aquisition.
Comment by Karl — July 21, 2011 @ 1:12 PM
No way, Googlers would never do that — that would be … eeeeeeeviiiiiiillll!
Comment by The Doctor — July 25, 2011 @ 5:42 PM