Google decided to shut down its Google+ platform on April 2nd, 2019, after yet another data breach (which may sound surprising for us taking into consideration the infrastructure of Google). It was a prominent but unfortunate platform, which allowed users to share content, interact, participate in online communities etc.; all backed up by a (almost) seamless operation with other Google products like YouTube, Photos, Blogger etc.
However, it seems that it never managed to live up to the expectations of their developers, being always in the shadow of Facebook in terms of data sharing.
You see, in some corporate environments, Facebook is one of the websites that you don't have access to, because it is considered a major distraction (and in fact it is). So it was one of the few alternatives for content sharing.
On top of that, content sharing among selected contacts and groups of contacts was a breeze: There was the "Circles" concept, which you could use for grouping your contacts (e.g. family, friends, colleagues, professional connections, acquaintances etc.). By selecting the appropriate audience for each post, you could ensure that e.g. professional connections wouldn't see your family vacation photos and at the same time family wouldn't scratch their heads on the latest scientific research post you uploaded. I found much easier to use these Circles than Facebook's groups of connections.
Google+ was great for businesses, too, as it allows the creation of business profiles and pages, that could be easily linked to Google Maps and other Google tools.
In my case, I could also tag a specific Google user (and almost everyone has a Google account nowadays) in my blog posts by using a +Username and they would be notified of the post and mention - how cool is that? Everyone could then +1 (like) a post and comment using his Google+ profile. These features will be gone soon.
But why am I bothered?
Google+ has been one of the tools I used for sharing updates, content etc. It was dead simple to do so, just pasting a link and you would come up with a preview and a box to share your thoughts on what you shared. Just like you do in Facebook, one would say. Yes, but it was WITHOUT using Facebook!You see, in some corporate environments, Facebook is one of the websites that you don't have access to, because it is considered a major distraction (and in fact it is). So it was one of the few alternatives for content sharing.
On top of that, content sharing among selected contacts and groups of contacts was a breeze: There was the "Circles" concept, which you could use for grouping your contacts (e.g. family, friends, colleagues, professional connections, acquaintances etc.). By selecting the appropriate audience for each post, you could ensure that e.g. professional connections wouldn't see your family vacation photos and at the same time family wouldn't scratch their heads on the latest scientific research post you uploaded. I found much easier to use these Circles than Facebook's groups of connections.
Google+ was great for businesses, too, as it allows the creation of business profiles and pages, that could be easily linked to Google Maps and other Google tools.
In my case, I could also tag a specific Google user (and almost everyone has a Google account nowadays) in my blog posts by using a +Username and they would be notified of the post and mention - how cool is that? Everyone could then +1 (like) a post and comment using his Google+ profile. These features will be gone soon.
The next day; without Google+
I admit I haven't invested too much in my presence in Google+; I occasionally used it, mostly for sharing more professional content (while the personal one was mostly shared through Facebook). However, I was sorry to see it go, as it was always a good and reliable alternative.
My blog will surely be affected by this change, including comments left by others and comments left by me, +1 on posts etc. It is much time and effort going to waste.
I have tested other platforms for quick data sharing, such as Tumblr. It is nice, but it has its drawbacks, too. In the past I've used others, including Springpad and
After seeing a tech giant like Google dropping its Google+ platform, it is hard to put your trust in any third party one. It only proves how "fragile" content sharing is and how much we rely on platforms that may cease to work at any time.
Farewell Google+.
