On Google+ Being Sharing+

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All my life I have tried to pluck a thistle and plant a flower wherever the flower would grow in thought and mind. – Abraham Lincoln

Many Many articles on Google+ (at Techcrunch.comand ArsTechnica.co ) made me think a bit.

I’ve come to the realization that google+ is the next evolution of sharing+;  I mean, email sharing+ (and every thing in between). Seriously, If it were open source, if it worked with Google company profiles, I’d use it as email for a company.  It would be awesome. Here’s why:

As much as I think about the authority based access control (I get to control the content posted, what people see, and where people go) possibilities of Google+ let’s be clear about something. It is basically threaded email, which the User controls.  It allows the user (me) to limit who sees a post, to stop forwarding, to control commenting, and I can “recall” or delete a message (assuming I don’t send it to the person’s email, and it stays in g+), something that outlook (and every other email on the planet) fails to do.   Social, yes, but still, email +.  Why is it better than email? I have those same controls over video, pictures, and so on, basically, I have fine grain control over MY content, unlike Facebook or twitter.

No, I don’t need fine grain control over twitter, and I can surely do Facebook Lists, but that’s not the point is it? There is also gmail, hotmail, yahoomail.  I’m not saying it’s not the same, I’m saying it’s a better version of the same. Way better.

One big problem (which you identified) however is that people cannot jump into a “general” conversation I start. It’s not a forum, where anyone can join, answer, talk, and leave.  Such a place would be great, offering two types of control. “General 1” User retains control of their content, but the group controller can control the addition of new content or “General 2” The Group owner can impose more restrictive actions (halt commenting, sharing or even delete wall comments) in this case, users still can delete manipulate their own posts.

The first is great for a business page, and the second is good for just “announcements” like a blog page.  I would also as a company establish “group topic area’s’ and Work topic areas. So employee’s could follow the “new product ” design page or the “HR benefits package page.”

Think of it, a company using Google+ every employee all comments saved. (If they get fired, yes, some admin controls would be necessary for retention.), Topics pages could be established which Employee’s could follow, or Create. Team pages which anyone can join (which don’t exist, I can hope can’t it), but most importantly, email control.

I’m just saying, instead of trying to revolutionize “Social.” They should revolutionize sharing. Better than email, better than posting on some social site. My stuff, my control, all the time. Personal, Public, even in a company.

I can dream people, and you can too.

OceansOfThought @ August 11, 2011