Jul
13
Searching Google Plus ?
Google Plus is live
So Goolge have launched Plus, a second generation social media platform that has been created as the felt there was room for another. There is no denying that it has element of Twitter and Facebook but that it also stands on its own as something a little different to those both.
I am not going to spend the rest of this post trying to describe it and go through all of the features that set it apart from the other big players after all I have only been playing around with it for a short time so I am sure that their are many subtleties and features that I have not yet fallen across. There are plenty of other blogger out there that are doing that already.
One feature though that I have yet to find which for me is a fundamental with any social media platform is apparently missing……
Where’s the search facility?
Obviously with this being built by the world leading search engine providers they know a thing or two about searching for content but yet there is a distinct lack of this within Goolgle Plus? From my own observations in terms of what information is delivered to you through the platform it all seems to be centered around receiving the output of other users that you have organised you into specific circles.
Whilst that is fine it means that you are limited to discovering information through the platform as it is delivered to you by those you circle. It is easy enough to find people to place within a circle by using the people search facility but you are totally dependent on the content they share.
Now here’s the confusing bit….
They choose who they are going to share stuff with and you choose who you are going to listen to. What is missing seems to be searching on the basis of content rather than people something that Twitter has got so right. Now it’s early days yet but for me one of the most powerful aspects of social media in business is being provided with the means to listen to specific subjects. Not having that facility is Google Plus seems a little strange?
Perhaps they are working on it, or as privacy is the watch word with this new approach it will never be developed and you will have to hope that those circles you are creating continue to deliver what you are looking for. Who knows but I have to wonder about all the gems of information I am missing out on.
What do you think, is the lack of a search by topic a problem for you with Google Plus after all Facebook seem to get away with a very limiting search too?
