Google+ The Latest in Social Networking?

By John McCormick  

Do we need yet another social networking site? Perhaps we do if it meets a need not met elsewhere. Certainly Google seems to think there is room for at least one more social network so I thought I'd try it out.

Google+ is the latest big social networking site; check my contribution to the Web bandwidth clutter at https://plus.google.com/ or join with this invitation http://www.google.com/jobs/joininggoogle/.

For a while you needed an invitation and a lot of people tell me they couldn't get in but I think that has ended and, in any case I've provided the invitation link above.

G+ is still in beta but what I think the site is best at is providing a quick and easy way to share information with various select groups of friends known as groups.

You can follow celebrities in one circle and build networks of close friends, professional contacts, family, or any other circle you designate.

When you post images or messages you can decide which group(s) you want to share this information with - a major difference compared to say, Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/Siliconsamurai) where your posts generally go to every "friend."

You can also create a Hangout where you and a selected circle or circles can get together for what is essentially a video conference.

When you open a Hangout G+ warns you to check your hair and make certain your mic works, then you choose which circle to include.

Just how well Google+ works depends a lot on how many people begin using it so the ability to start out with some celebrities (just for variety I included the financial loudmouth Jim Cramer, Wil Wheaton (Star Trek NG, Big Bang, and Eureka!), and The Dali Lama). Cramer is getting on my nerves already so he is probably destined for deletion - he posts a lot but doesn't say much.

You'll find Newsblaze's Alan and Judyth here on Google+ also.

My G+ pages (John McCormick - I'm the one with a beard, outback hat and duster) include some new 3D images from a Sony Bloggie which I expect to review here soon.

Drop a note to me on G+ or here to the editors and let us know what you think of the new G+ service.

John McCormick is a reporter, /science/medical columnist and finance and social commentator, with 17,000+ bylined stories. Contact John through NewsBlaze.