Nathan makes a good case for Google+ and maybe I will get around to creating all of the various circles required to run the thing right. I started to and grew weary very quickly. I agree that it appears to be better than Facebook, but I’ve concluded (as my Twitter followers already know) that Facebook is Satan’s urinal. I hate it. I closed down my Facebook page a couple months ago and I haven’t looked back. Now I admit that I’m not a great fit for Facebook for some uncommon reasons. I don’t lack for places to express my views (whether that’s a good thing or bad is open to debate). Also, I spend a lot of time writing about how I feel about things, the idea that I should do that when I’m off the clock too is just unappealing to me. Throw in my general — yet oddly cheery — mysanthropy and Facebook isn’t for me. Meanwhile, I’ve really grown to enjoy wasting incredibly valuable time for no discernible purpose on Twitter. Go figure.
Still, while I use Google a lot and Gmail, I wish Google hadn’t been the one to come up with the alternative to Facebook. It feels gratuitous. Like Google doesn’t run enough of the world, it needs this too? (Again, as I said on Twitter already), it’s as if Skynet opened a chain of espresso stands. One of these days, I need to get all of this social media stuff squared away properly. But in the meantime, my view is if it’s bad for Facebook then it’s okay with me.
One last thing about Google+, it makes me wish my name was Hal. That way I could categorize everybody I know by what Circle of Hal they belong in.