Comment by jpfed | Hacker News Reader

Comment by jpfed | Hacker News Reader

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>What the hell does that even mean?

It means they want to see stuff you post, and/or post stuff that (if you circle them back) you will see.

>Do I now see whatever spammy crap they post?

What? No. That would be super dumb.

>Do they see what I post?

If it's public or if you post it to a circle that includes them.

>Why wasn't I asked for my permission?

Because they haven't been granted any special powers by virtue of adding you to a circle.

>I've never met this person and I don't want to see their spam and I certainly don't want them seeing what I post.

Then don't post publicly- choose a more limited audience to post to.

>Who are they and what do they want?

Go to their profile page and find out, if you care. But you probably don't- it's safe to ignore them.

"if you circle them back"

This right here is where it goes from being a sane metaphor to an insane one. It's the phrase "circle them back" that has no meaning in human relationships, but is an all-important step in google plus.

It's terrible terminology because "being in a circle" with someone suggests symmetry and reciprocity that isn't there. They mean "X has followed you", which is clear and to the point.

I do see how "circles" could be confusing, but isn't it also true that the circles we define may not be reciprocal or symmetrical in others' eyes? For example, I may consider someone an acquaintance but they may consider me a friend. Or I may consider someone as belonging to a book club circle but they may consider me as an acquaintance. To go to an extreme, a relative may consider me related but I may have had issues with that person and don't consider that person a relative (and just as a stranger, or an acquaintance).

I always understood the point of "circles" as how we privately define our personal world and our relationships with others, which may not necessarily be how those people view us. In comparison, I see Facebook's "lists" model less intuitive for people to understand and use.

If you have to invent terms like "circle them back", that kind of supports the grandparent's point.

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