1) Google+ != Twitter. They are competing with Twitter, but that is an argument against making a Twitter clone, not for.
2) A tiny number of users would use those configuration options. Adding options that will benefit a minuscule number of power users and confuse everyone else is not a useful way for the G+ team to spend their time.
This false argument gets repeated over and over. You dont have to bombard everybody with a zillion of probably unneeded options. Separate the everyday from power user options. The poweruser stuff doesnt even have to be obvious, it is sufficient to make it possible. Theres no need to make setting a option outright impossible, if you only goal is to prevent confusing users who will never find it in the first place.
In regards to the configuration options, I'd suggest that perhaps the defaults should be changed.