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Facebook Data Breach, It's Time To Turn on Google Plus


OK, that's a fake - no one has ever called it G+ to my face and no one I know says "bugger." But I did warmly suggested Google's social network when it introduced past in 2011.

At the time, the ability to create collages, filter-enhanced images, and have the service automatically add remarkable effects and fixes to your pictures (ironically, this has all been pulled out of the Google Plus app and is now part of the surprising Google Photos exchanged) was suggestive. Back in 2011, no one else was tough effort to put this functionality into a social community.



The companies of your social circle into, well Circles, impressed me as well (Facebook has since copied this and Vero uses it as segment of their advance experience). Being able to sort people into separate groups is a good path to get your message out to just those who want to see it. And it's not limited to friends and family - you can create as many or as few groups as you want, adding people to some, all, or none of them.


And while, on Facebook, group move to be preferred most of brands or organizations (since your data is bad more that way), Google Plus is much more organic, with huge-ranging interest groups, Communities, posting about things they like, sharing stories relevant (or completely irrelevant) to the group, etc.

But What about Messenger?

If you're an engage user of Facebook quick messaging service, don't worry, Google Hangouts has you included? It's not connected as logical into G+ as Messenger is to Facebook, but I'm OK with that. It's an agile communication app that's been a lot more working to me over the years than Facebook's ad-laden solutions.

Did I indicate ads yet? I didn't. That's because Google Plus doesn't have them. G+ isn't vending your display to the highest enemy.

Log in to the service and debut moving, you'll find your news delight free of auto playing ads for mattresses or Kick starter drives. There are no "Advertised Posts." There's no algorithmically re-jiggered news. Google has trend that time is a superbly good sorting mechanism, thank you very much. Commercial awareness do still exist on G+, but you have to go entreat them out and follow them, they don't get automatic manage to you because you took an online quiz that scraped your data.

Why Isn't Everyone Using Google Plus?



Well...because everyone isn't using Google Plus.

The service's Achilles Heel has been its dearth of users. That doesn't mean there aren't thriving G+ communities out there. There are! But the general public has been slow to adopt Google's social network. With the 2015 redesign, mostly, Google Plus is better than ever. And in the light of the real that Facebook will sell everything about you to the highest bidder (no matter how reprehensible) or doesn't have enough securities in place to let anyone stolen your data, it's time to start the exodus.

Let's go.

How to Get Started With Google Plus



If you don't have a Google account, don't worry, you'll start one as part of the process (bonus that, because you'll then get manage to Gmail and the Google suite of productivity software). Fire up the app and either create an account or log in.


Take careful note of the terms and conditions. Google tells you here, in plain English, that they're going to use data they collect from your location and search activity for creating Google Plus "more useful." They also indicate that they're using your work on the network to provide up niche ads to you in other places (like in Google.com searches). So, yes, there is a profit angle for Google from your usage of the G+ service, but they're upfront and fairly research about it. I respect that.

Once you're all set up, it's time to snazz up your Profile. Press Edit Profile and update your images. If you have another in Google Photos (where all the automatic photo magic happens) you can select the Pinwheel icon tab for your number of pics. Add a tagline if you'd like one and, if you'd like to hide the groups you follow, you can select that option here. Press Save and you're done.

The Discover tab is where you search built groups, as well as trending tagline that you can subscribe. You can also search to find people you know (like, if my fictional Robert McBoberson, DDS, required to fetch more like-named separates).

Once you search someone you'd like to follow, press the Follow button or double-tap to open the Circles pop-up. There, you can indicate your newly-found friend or contact to the appropriate Circle. You can add adjustable Circles or revise the ones you have from the People menu.

Now that you've search some content to occupy your news, it's time to add some of your own! Adding content is self-explanatory, except you can select who gets to see what you post by pressing the blue Public link. That displays the Circles pop up where you can select an audience for your post. Don't want the totally internet to know the time and place for your Tabletop Gaming night? Select only that Circle from the list and the members of that group will be the only ones to see your post.

Why Not Vero?

It comes down to strength of network. There's no doubt that Vero is stronger than it was last month when they buckled under the influx of new users. But if we're really all going to offer up Facebook en masse (a pipe dream I know), Google is the only service out there that can manage that kind of traffic.

Google Plus is a mature social network with accepted communities, a solid feed of content, and lots of places to blast. Vero is still getting its legs under it when it comes to community content. Google also has Hangouts for those Facebook refugees that need a chat app. Vero's chat is handled in-app.

Won't Get Fooled Again



So what's to keep Google from doing the same thing that Facebook did when it comes to reselling data? Nothing, really. The difference is that Google is fairly upfront about how they're selling that data to advertisers. Facebook, on the other hand, is playing fast and loose with the data they collect and only apologizing when they get caught (or want to introduce more stringent policies so that people can't scrape data for free from the site).

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