Thomas Hawk just posted this article about Five Reasons Why Google is Winning the War in Photosharing. It’s a great read, but I’m not really so interested in photosharing. I like the fact that, because of the way G+ works, it’s a great community builder.
It should be emphasized that it’s not just photos that are big on G+. All the visual artists are coming out of the woodwork, and thanks to the way Circles work, it’s easy for a bunch of painters to find and circle each other, and for people who enjoy looking at painting to circle people whose work they want to follow.
And it’s not just visual arts! As I read and follow people (or review and choose not to follow), I am seeing craftspeople – weavers, potters – and writers – and video and filmmakers – and many other creative groups joining G+. And many other interest groups are forming up: technologists, journalists, homebrewers, Formula 1 racing fans, and much more. And the cool thing is you don’t have to go anywhere. On Facebook you have to create a Group and then remember to check the group periodically to see if anyone has posted new stuff. On Google+ all you do is select that circle to see the posts from that circle of friends.
It really works very well. The one thing you won’t find is your real life friends, unless they have the same interests as you. People who just want to hang out, use social networking for their families or school friends, are probably just fine on Facebook. But when you’re hankering to talk to some people about those special things that interest you, your job or your hobbies that your friends and family don’t share, you’ll find plenty of like-minded folks on Google+.
The Reality Tourist 