Google makes Facebook serious competition

Google+ convinces through transparency

With Google+ the search engine giant has launched a compelling competitor to Facebook and Twitter. The social network is clearly designed and offers basic tools with which the receiver circuit can control content, reports the computer magazine c't in the current issue 16 / 11.

   What is difficult to handle on Facebook is standard on Google+: Every message that you put in your profile can be activated specifically for individual groups. For this purpose, new contacts are assigned to so-called circles. Really personal messages then only go to friends. "Google takes data protection far more seriously than Facebook," explains c't editor Jo Bager. "Of course, that doesn't protect against a recipient copying the text or images and publishing them on their own profile." However, a prerequisite for participating in Google+ is a public Google profile - not everyone wants that.

The Hangout video chat feature is another unique selling point of Google+. Not only can two people talk to each other, but several people can hold a video conference together. So far, setting up and using such online video conferences has usually cost money.

What is still missing are suitable interfaces for third-party providers that provide games or other services. Another construction site can be seen in the filtering of the information. You either look at the content of a single circle or all of them. However, there is no switch with which individual circles can be switched on and off so that several can be connected together when viewing.

"Google+ is extraordinarily attractive in its clarity," summarizes c't expert Jo Bager. "The early adopter is happy that there are no ads and no click traps. However, if the network is successful, it will also be filled with what some users find annoying on Facebook: everything from irrelevant messages to spam."

Source: Hanover [ c't ]