Google Plus Plus Library Minus Trouble

So your library is all about the social networks.  Your staff twitters, they blog, they tumbr...ize... they got it all down.  Well, now the great and mighty Google has opened the curtain on Google+ and the Page feature behind it is a nice guy looking to give you circles and connectivity.  We at the Banned Library (if you add us to your circles, we will come... eww, sorry) have played around with it for a day or so and have come up with a couple of great ways to use it in the library.  Most of them can be replicated with a variety of tools and other social networks, but Google+ puts them all in one nice, if not clinical looking, package.

The entire reason to use social networks with your library is to connect to your patrons.  Google Plus does this great, allowing the same wall posts (called stream), photos, and other uploadables that you used on that blue network.  Sharing content and reader advisory is easy as a cut and paste link.  This leads to the best thing that Google+ can do better than the other networks: Circles.

Circles are an enhancement of the "share with your friends" feature.  By dividing your fan base into groups, you can give each of them the news or information they are most interested in.  We started by creating several circles, such as "Friends of the Library" and "Bookclub" that we knew would need specialty information every once in a while.  If everyone needs to know, simply throw it out as "public."

Hangouts are another cool feature in Google+.  Back to the bookclub option, if a member can not make it, they can still be around via voice chat.  Since they got the same information as everyone else through circle updates, everyone is on the same page (pun intended).

Now this might seem like a Google fanboy rant, and that is because I kind of am.  Google+ Pages do have their  problems, though.  Some, like only one admin account at a time, may be fixed in the future.  Others, like having to wait for people to add you to their circles before you can interact with them, are understandable if not frustrating design features.  The major complaint I have is I could not find integration with Google Books as of this writing, which would really help create content for readers advisory.

The most problematic element of Google+ Pages is that its new.  Early adopters will be right on it but it may take some time for the network to take ground.  Do not worry, though, simply create content just like you would for the Blue Network and people will come.

Google Plus Books and Games Equals A Bad Blog Title

Who the hell wrote this?

Google+ announced this week that not only can you beg your friends to join the new social network service, but you can play games and share books with them while they are not there (yet). 

Kinda like a GoodReads, Google+ now allows you to integrate the Google Books ebooks you are reading with members of your circles.  Add in the Huddle feature and bookclubs are sure to get even more awkward as I always forget to read the book until the night before.

Zynga Poker, Dragon Age Legends and other games are soon/now to be available on Google+.  Match scores and stuff with your friends, or something.  I honestly can't imagine gaming like this but then I just got my Steam account and it rocks.  If Google goes more Steam and less Farmville then you can count me in like Flynn.

ITProPortal     LATimes     G4Feed     NECN

Google Plus: Kicked the Shat Out, Anonymous, and Total Sausage Fest

Well, for all of those of on the outside looking in, Google Plus is becoming sort of a Studio 54 with invites as the red velvet rope.  So as I learn news I cannot help but share.  Here we go:

William Shatner was blocked for a bit.  For reasons not disclosed, The Shat's personal Google Plus account was put on hold.  The actor went to Twitter to air his displeasure but was soon put back up.  [Today]

Hacker group Anonymous was blocked also by the social network.  The group decided, "eh, we know some computing" and decided to put up their own social network. [MSNBC]

Google Plus is a total sausage fest.  Statistics from two analytical sites have shown that 73% of current Google Plus users are dudes.  While this does show a total lack of Mom's that can embarrass you, it does show that your dude friends may be already sharing embarrassing pics of you with Mable the Goat Lady. [MSNBC]

Behave on Google+ Or Lose Everything,

Google announced this morning that it's new Google+ social network is taking applications for businesses to tryout the site, but that's not the good stuff.  The good stuff is this article about a 10 year old that tried to violate Google+ 13 year old age limit and got smacked down.  Turns out, you break those little "Agree"-ments you make with Google and they will delete you.  Well, not delete, delete you, but everything you worked so hard on will be gone.  Gmail, Docs, Calendar, probably that Angry Birds Chrome app they have, you will be locked out of them all.  So be good on Google+ or no more Farmville for you.
[ComputerWorld]
[TheOnion]
[BusinessInsider]

Google+ Becomes Google-

Will you be my friend?

The new social network service Google+ has been forced to shut down access to new members.  The service started up just a while ago with and "invite only" policy and quickly became overwhelmed with requests. 

I have just one question:  how come noone invited meeeee?  I'd totally be your friend and play Farmville with you and help you attack another mob and stuff.  I mean, Facespacester is just so yesterday.  My mom's on it, you guys.

But to be not so serious, how come this seems a little like a social experiment to me?  This is Google we are talking about here.  Are you telling me they do not have the resources to handle this kind of traffic?  I think they just did this to see how fast something online would spread.  They put the plague of social network out there just to see how fast it would spread, am I right?  I would not be shocked to learn they were working with the CDC on this to invent a cure for another blue social network that will not be getting a Facebook group.  [computerworld]