It's a lot easier to find other people on Google+ based on interest. When I started using it, very few of the people I knew already were on there. I was able to search for other people interested in videogames, anime, programming, etc, and rather quickly I was part of a fairly large group of people reading and commenting on each others posts.
Discovery in Facebook is centered around groups and pages, which have a higher UX cost compared with posting a status update. On Google+, you can be found by anyone right away. And people use the sites differently because of this.
People make public posts on the assumption that what they write will be found by people they don't know yet who are interested in what they write. Facebook status updates on the other hand are usually always intended for people that the poster already knows, whether posted publicly or privately.
In the time I've been using Facebook, I can't recall once being friended (or now subscribed to) based on interests (as opposed to some existing connection). On Google+ however, I receive a new asymmetrical follow almost daily - and I'm someone with a rather low posting frequency.
You raise a salient point. I do agree as far as discoverability, Google+ one ups Facebook. As you said, Facebook has always been about connecting with people you already know, as opposed to Google+ where people add you to their social circles based on things they have in common with you.
This is the first explanation of the differences between Facebook and Google+ that has connected with me. I don't know that Google+ is what I want though --- I like finding people with shared interests, but I prefer in person.
Thanks for the explanation. I think your distinction makes sense. Facebook mimics my physical social circle very well--people I know in real life like classmates, friends, coworkers. I don't accept friend requests by people who I don't already know.
Thankfully my friends and I share many common interests, but that's a very limited audience. So I run my own blog where I post things that my friends might not be interested in, but someone will hopefully be interested in.
This comment thread is the first thing I've ever seen that actually made me want to use a social networking site. I might sign up for a G+ account based on this.
Based on Leynos's well-written post, I initially thought the exact same thing.
Then, I realised that Google runs Youtube, remembered all the recent changes in particular, my face turned green and I puked up a little inside...
If they can mess up such good service when it was handed to them on a plate, I have zero confidence in them in any new endeavours online, especially when the cost is my privacy for perpetuity.
So, thanks but I'll continue to stay well away from social networking sites.
It's a lot easier to find other people on Google+ based on interest. When I started using it, very few of the people I knew already were on there. I was able to search for other people interested in videogames, anime, programming, etc, and rather quickly I was part of a fairly large group of people reading and commenting on each others posts.
Discovery in Facebook is centered around groups and pages, which have a higher UX cost compared with posting a status update. On Google+, you can be found by anyone right away. And people use the sites differently because of this.
People make public posts on the assumption that what they write will be found by people they don't know yet who are interested in what they write. Facebook status updates on the other hand are usually always intended for people that the poster already knows, whether posted publicly or privately.
In the time I've been using Facebook, I can't recall once being friended (or now subscribed to) based on interests (as opposed to some existing connection). On Google+ however, I receive a new asymmetrical follow almost daily - and I'm someone with a rather low posting frequency.
This is what makes Facebook and G+ different.