As I stated in my previous post, I recently joined a Google Community. In fact, I actually joined about 15, not knowing at the time how these communities would evolve or if they would survive the initial anticipatory bluster that they had received in sthe weeks leading up to the launch.If you haven't joined G+ yet, perhaps this post will encourage you to do so.
A lot of you are probably thinking "I have Facebook and Twitter! Why would I need another Social Networking account?" This is a reasonable question, and as with all reasonable questions there is a reasonable if not great answer.
G+ is different. It is somewhat new, but it is also
better.
1. With Facebook, the only way to control the content of your stream is to completely delete the content you do not want to show up in your stream. With G+, you have filters which allow you to choose how much of your stream should contain specific types of content which is controlled within
circles. You obviously have the choice to delete people, organizations, and news sources, but there is no need when you can just turn them off by the use of a slider.
2. G+ has
Circles. Circles are as implied, and can be summed up by thinking of a circle of friends. Circles allow you to categorize news sources, blogs, and individuals by interest. On my own G+ account I have circles dedicated to Politics, Friends, Writers, and Development to name just a few. Creation of circles is easy, and you can name them whatever you desire. Within each circle you can adjust how much of that specific and dedicated stream you want to show up in your full stream, which contains content from all streams. Or, as I stated before, you can prevent that stream from ever entering the full stream, and view it as a separate stream, for your eyes only. By default, however, fifty percent of each circle's content enters the stream.
3. New to G+ is
Communities. Though now less than one month old, they have the potential to overcome all other G+ and Google features which are numerous. The Google footprint is large, and it just got a lot bigger.
Communities are gathering places, much like the traditional forums, and cater to specific interests. Content can be controlled by the use of moderators, and content deleted from the Communities still reside on the original posters home page should he or she desire to share it with those in his circles. This allows those who create posts to retain them, but at the same time frees up the Community spaces for content that is dedicated, and relevant.
4. It is fun. You need not worry about spam and you control the flow of info at all times. At this time, adult material is forbidden, so parents can rest easy.
With G+ and the Communities it provides, it is easy to network with like minded people, and follow interests that matter to you. I belong to one community that was compelling from day one and has not let up since. When I joined the community there were less than 800 members but it has since grown to well over 6000, and unless something happens will exceed 10,000. The community I mention is called
Writers Discussion Group.
Writers Discussion Group is implied in the name. The owner and chief moderator of the group is
+John Ward, and he has a knowledgeable and willing team of moderators behind him to keep the group running smoothly while maintaining the initial focus of the community which is to allow the networking of fellow writers.
Here you will find other writers who are willing to share what knowledge they have with anyone kind enough to ask. You can post links to your blog in the
Promotion/Celebration category, get an idea or a story critiqued in
Critiques, or ask an editor a question in
Ask An Editor. Better yet is the fact that there are actual published authors, working editors, and business insiders to answer your questions along with those who are aspiring to be published. But beware, because as in other types of forums, there are rules regarding posts and queries. Attention must be given to the categories which are aptly named and easy to locate inside the group, and when joining, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with the Community Guidelines and post appropriately as they have adopted a strict policy regarding spam.
Along with Writers Discussion Group, I was able to join some other niche communities such as
The G+ Banjo Community,
Sci Fi, and
Pathfinder RPG along with many others. It is easy to imagine that whatever your interest is, there will be a G+ community to fit your need. And you need not worry about missing content, because you can choose to have your content sent to you mailbox via notifications. If you have a Gmail account it is automatic, but you can also turn off notifications and rely strictly on what you can read when you go to the community itself.
Most of us have a Facebook account, and we have a lot of fun with it. It is great for sharing funny pictures and stories, lambasting political figures, and generally keeping in touch with family and friends. But if you want to spend some time discovering what is new and being productive with your time by pursuing what makes you who you are, then G+ and the Communities it offers are where you need to be.
