Facebook « theMaxOnline

25Jan/122

What’s ten years to one person?

It's funny when I consider the things that I own now and then look at the things I only dreamed of when I was growing up. For example, an iPod. Something that can actually hold digital versions of every CD I own, plus thousands more songs that can be accessed in just seconds, holds playlists, can shuffle anything and everything and can be carried with me wherever I go without any additional trouble. Such a device when I was in my teens was unimaginable to me. I remember always wanting something that was portable that could play more than just a few CDs worth of music. I got a discman when I was 16 that I used for my last two years of high school so 45 minutes on a bus each way was filled with music but only whatever I felt like bringing with me that day. So if I wanted variety, I'd have to bring my CDs with my in addition to my discman.

When I was even younger, and more TV obsessed than I am now, I dreamed of having a TV screen in the car imbedded in the seat in front of me when I sat in the backseat. That would make those longer car rides slightly more reasonable being able to watch cartoons. Today, I have the option to bring my MacBook or iPhone with me to do that.

Even more modern things such as computer file organization and website development advancements that I have learned in recent years would have blown my mind and saved me many hours back at the end of the 90s and early 2000s. Even simply having a laptop would have been a big deal while I was in university (the first time) rather than relying on taking notes and ensuring I remained organized with my papers and notebooks.

What I do find odd is that while I can imagine my younger self not having these convenient technological devices but imagining their existence with my young mind, it's rather difficult to imagine a time before Facebook. Not that I'm personally relient on Facebook to get through my everyday life but as a means of minor socialization, keeping up to date with people that otherwise I would only see when running into them coincidentally on the street, it is something that has become imbedded in everyday life as both a way to keep up with acquaintances or to just read thoughts, ideas and perspectives of whoever we are "friends" with. But then I *do* think back to what it would have been like to have Facebook in high school.

Things would be so much different. Because I can remember a time when they didn't exist, I'm definitely appreciative of these time-saving and useful(-in-their-own-way) devices because I know how helpful they truly are but at the same time, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to grow up with these things already. Would I be able to appreciate them the same knowing what it's like to have to carry CDs and a discman (or cassettes and a walkman), have to sit through a car ride counting the trees and poles until I get home and having to manually sift through text files looking for something specific while having to write out old HTML character-by-character with limitations based on what most modems can handle. I can only imagine what conveniences will exist in ten years from now. No really, I can imagine because if there's something I wish existed now, it most likely will soon.

Tagged as: Facebook, iPhone, iPod, technology 2 Comments

20Jul/112

Google+

A few weeks back, Google unveiled their new social networking website Google+. Their answer to Facebook and just another site devoted to networking people casually the way Facebook has done for the last half a decade.

With so many different social networking sites out there, most people are likely on at least a few of them. MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, various adult sites, and other sites that started out as having their own niche only to expand to include an option to "friend" other members. Each one serves a slightly distinct purpose depending on what the site originated as. LinkedIn is for professionals. MySpace was primarily for musicians. Facebook started out as university-only.
Now you have Google+. A big name that may be the first to rival that of Facebook as far as social giants go.

What a claim to make! Some may say.

I'll go one step further and say that Google+ will be the primary social networking site in two years.

How?

First of all, Google+ is linked with so much of the Internet already. It's been prepared for by all of us for awhile now. When Gmail came around and we replaced our Hotmail and Yahoo accounts with that. As Google acquired other major sites such as photo sharing site Flickr, not to mention their other major strongholds like the original Google search engine and Google maps. Pretty much all that's left was Facebook. If you can't own it, make it yourself.

By the time Google+ was made, most people already had the necessary requirements for an account. Except one thing. An invite.

When Gmail first came about a few years ago, it was by invite only. Making it that much more prestigious and in demand. People will want in. The longer they wait, the more anticipation that builds. Because of this technique that Google has applied before, it generates attention. It also focuses on one of the most important advertising methods. Word-of-mouth. Or in this case. Word-of-fingers. Not only is attention drawn to the desire to get in on the action but those that are lucky enough to get in are asked what they think about it. If they like it, it's a huge plus. Anticipation increases tenfold.

What is Google+ even like?

It uses the newsfeed from Facebook but calls it Stream. From here, you can see the latest status updates from your Circles, which are the different groups you can make based on how you choose to divide your social list. Friends, family and co-workers would be most common way of organizing the people you know. There's a part called Huddle that I'm not yet familiar with but I think it's some chat thing that may or may not allow group chats and may or may not be public.
I haven't yet explored the site too much for their privacy policies or what else they have to offer. So far, the interface is pretty clean and basic with the basic offerings of Facebook. I'm thinking they'll spruce it up over the coming months. Remember when Facebook was completely plain? No? I do. But I was on Facebook back when it was for university students only.

So why will Google+ be the primary social networking site in two years? It has Facebook as a guide. It knows what to avoid. Most Internet-savvy folks already have a google account. If not, the curiosity will make them get one The only ones who won't move are the ones that still rely on Hotmail, ICQ and Altavista for their Internet needs.