Social Networking

Google+ is Social Networking Done Right

Source: Mashable

 

I've spent a bit of time on Google's new social network, Google+. My profile page is linked here. It's currently in a limited beta with a few participants, but so far the suite of features offered is very impressive.

The network is structured around groups of people, or circles. Any time you add someone as a contact, you can put them in one or more circles. This can be done by dragging names into these circles, which is very intuitive. For example, I have circles for close family and friends, tech pundits, forum buddies, etc.

Any status updates that I push out - whether photos, quick one liners, or essays - have to be sent out on a circle basis. There is an option to send things out publicly to anyone on the site, but the main focus is that you can easily control who you are communicating with.

It's still in beta, but I'm looking forward to seeing how Google ties this network in with other services such as Google Docs, Google Alerts, and Google Trends.  Imagine if I can search on certain terms that people are talking about (I would only see results that are within my circles or public), and can view how that topic trends over time. It's the perfect mashup of Facebook's relationships and Twitter's topic search capabilities.

The possibilities are endless if Google really puts everything behind this and implements it will. And why won't they. Reportedly, everyone's bonus at the company is tied into the success of Google's social efforts. If that won't motivate some of the greatest minds in the industry to innovate, what will?

Quick Post: I'm Profiled in The Examiner

The Philadelphia Examiner has a story about yours truly regarding my participation in the upcoming NASA Tweetup. Check it out!

Philadelphia Local to Tweet at Shuttle Launch (written by Stephen Thompson)

Over 4,100 Twitter users entered NASA’s Tweetup for a chance to tweet at the last launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, scheduled for April 29, 2011.  One of the 150 selected was Shareef Jackson (@shareefjackson).  Here is what he has to say about his experience so far.

Quick Post: I'm Profiled in Philadelphia Weekly / WHYY

The news stories are starting to roll in regarding my participation in the NASA Tweetup for the Shuttle Endeavour - the links are below. Share the love!

 

Local Philly Guy to Live Tweet NASA Shuttle Launch | PhillyNow  by Matthew Petrillo (Philly Weekly)

West Philadelphia resident will live-tweet the Endeavor launch by Shannon McDonald (WHYY)

Check Out My Twitter Mention Map!

I love Twitter. Its a great communication medium for everything from the serious to mundane.  Best of all, it doesn't take much time to blast out a short message and read someone else's message stream.  With that said, it's pretty addictive.  Follow me!

I found a great site which creates an interactive map, or Mention Map, of some people and trends that I interact with on twitter.  The best feature is that if you click on a person that's linked to me, then you can see all of the other people linked to the first person. 

I've embedded the image below - if you can't see it, please click here.

 

Oscar Buzz

 

I'm usually not a fan of award shows. However, I tuned into the Oscars tonight for one reason - to see how The Social Network does. Like it or not, Facebook has revolutionized the way that people communicate. I've been integrated in social networking since Friendster (I skipped MySpace and its horrible site design), but Facebook has taken the original idea of social networking and ran with it. I don't go a day without visiting a website that has Facebook integration so that I can see what articles my friends have liked. It's a huge help in filtering out the immense amounts of content that I sift through as a tech nerd living in 2011.

I was initially concerned with the idea of the film - wouldn't it just be about a bunch of college kids coding on a diet of pizza and Mountain Dew? My concerns were alleviated a bit after reading Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture by David Kushner. This book covered the creation of id software by John Carmack (one of the true geniuses of our time and John Romero. It kept my interest by focusing on their personality and why they were the perfect people to channel the tech and gaming industry forward. I hoped that The Social Network would take this same approach.

David Fincher did a great job with the movie by focusing the movie on something that everyone can relate to - get screwed over. This made a film about coding immediately accessible to people that don't understand what Facebook is or how it has changed our world. Even thought it didn't win Best Picture, The Social Network is a fabulous movie that should be seen by anyone who has used Facebook. Yes, even my mother, who has probably used the site for just a few minutes. You're not off the hook mom!