Google+: Tools, Names, and Facebook 194
Several readers submitted stories about Google+ today. CWMike writes in with an article
about the lack of developer APIs from Computerworld
"Currently, external developers don't have any Google+ APIs or tools
to tinker with. A Google spokeswoman said, 'We definitely plan to
involve developers and publishers in the Google+ project, but we don't
have specific details to share just yet. Please
stay tuned.' The spokeswoman declined to say specifically if
Google+ will be compatible with the company's OpenSocial set of common APIs
for social networking applications."
Anita Khanna writes
"Facebook is trying real hard to block users migrating to
google+. Although the recently announced Google+ social platform is
still in private beta, it has generated enough excitement to have
Facebook making some preemptive measures. Shortly after the
announcement, Facebook made a peculiar change to their TOS that
resulted in the ban of popular Chrome extension Facebook Friend Exporter. Over the
weekend, another personal data migration tool, Open-Xchange, has also
been deactivated."
Finally, an anonymous reader notes that Google is requiring
real names for profiles, and may have already suspended some
users for using aliases.
I guess I won't be using it then. (Score:5, Insightful)
I was going to check it out, but if they're requiring real names, then I'm not going to use it.
I Sit Here in Slack-Jawed Amazement (Score:2, Insightful)
The only company I would trust LESS than Facebook with my personal data, the only company with an even more cavalier attitude towards privacy, is Google. I'm more likely to hire Casey Anthony to babysit my daughters.
I find it truly, genuinely, startling that anyone outside of spinster aunts, fourteen year-old girls, and twitchy Marketing Suits whack-a-mole-ing anything and everything termed "social media" are giving this thing a second, un-shuddering glance.
Ignoring the Poll, But... (Score:5, Insightful)
If you hate social networking sites, then ignore them! Millions of people find them pretty damned handy. Like any other tool, there's good and bad, and no shortage of idiots and/or corporations that can make a good experience into a nightmare. Same is true of e-mail, or IRC, or plain old letter mail.
Of course maybe you're the guy who announced that he would never again write a letter or mail a check once he got his first piece of unsolicited junk mail from Publisher's Clearinghouse.
I genuinely am liking G+. It's early days yet, but it seems to do just the minimum that you would want in social networking, but without the layer upon layer of crap that Facebook has added over the years. Less is more!
Do I trust Google more than Facebook? At the end of the day, yeah, I do. I trust Google to archive my e-mail, but I wouldn't for minute give Facebook the same choice. It's not a black and white issue - there are some things that I will trust Google with, and a lot that their servers will never see. Likewise I do have Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts (and possibly an old MySpace account somewhere) but am pretty careful about how much information they can get their hands on. In Facebook's case it's the utter minimum.
But oooh! Privacy! That boat sailed a long time ago. If you think that you can be active on-line and maintain anything more than a limited amount of privacy you're dreaming. You're constantly creating a stream of data transactions on-line. You maybe able to limit those somewhat, but ultimately you're leaving behind a trail that will likely be around for years or decades. Deal with it - that's the reality of the time we live in.
Unless you're the guy who has refused to own a telephone for eighty years because you were pissed off about having your name and address published in the White Pages.
Finally I'll say a word about the G+ app for Android phones - it's one sweet little item, that seems to work flawlessly on my crappy Moto Charm.
Re:I guess I won't be using it then. (Score:4, Insightful)
So says AC...
There are a couple problems with it. Google can still see all your private data. If you used G+ pseudonymously, it would limit the privacy implications giving it all to Google.
You may also want to hide your real identity from those you are networking with. I have certainly interacted with people online who I enjoyed and wanted to keep contact with (e.g. would add them to a social network) but don't necessarily feel comfortable inviting into my real life. Using a pseudonym gives me an extra layer of control.
Re:I guess I won't be using it then. (Score:5, Insightful)
Wow, the sheer arrogance in this thread. Just wow.