50% of the space is "ADD PEOPLE." The other 50% of the space is "DO YOU KNOW THESE PEOPLE."
Where is the V-A-L-U-E ?
Under the fold at the bottom is "Continue to Google+" Oh, I wasn't there already? That was just the interrogation before Google+ begins?
I continue. Long load time. First thing that appears in 50% of the page is a column of the same people from the previous page. "YOU MAY KNOW." I can't close that window, but I can click "View more." I can also click X on an individual, but each time I do, someone even more remote appears... seriously, really weird foreign names. I start to feel bad for laughing at some of these funny-sounding names.
So, over on the left, ah! A post from my friend with the title "get that art." I look at the preview: It's a thumbnail of a thumbnail with the word "site" above it. Probably the site designer's fault...
But what am I really doing here? There is no 'hook.' There is no reason to be here, there is nothing compelling me. There is nothing I can DO, nothing I can move around, paint, color, amplify, organize. And about these borders: fat, fat borders around everything. So much empty, white space between rectangles. Scrolling down a bit, I see a banner "Follow things you love," with buttons for "Fashion" and "Travel." This is like Yahoo in 1997. How do they "know so much about me" that they think I like Fashion and Travel?
Then, eventually, I reach stuff that's just like facebook: my friend's kid eating a donut. another friend talking about cleaning hairballs in the drain of his shower.
Ok, there's a link I'd like to send to my friend, so I'm going over to facebook an give it to him.
Aren't computers and the internet capable of being fun and interesting or informative and useful? I'll tell you, one facebook is enough. I don't need two of them with friends reposting their shrill political screeds from their personal internet silos. I want to do something useful and valuable with my time on this planet. As a matter of fact, I think trying google+ has made me just want to go for a nice walk! It's a beautiful day outside! Yep, standing up now to put on clothes, open the windows and stumble around the block in the ice and snow!