What is Yammer? A social media field guide

Google+: The one that's trying/failing to improve on Facebook

What is it? Google+ is is Google's answer to Facebook--a more sophisticated social network in which you articulate members of various "circles"--friends, family, workmates, etc.--and use that infrastructure to broadcast updates, share photos, and interact digitally. G+ quickly amassed more than 40 million users, but the figure may be deceiving. Many people either signed up for Google+ ... more 

Google+: The one that's trying/failing to improve on Facebook

What is it? Google+ is is Google's answer to Facebook--a more sophisticated social network in which you articulate members of various "circles"--friends, family, workmates, etc.--and use that infrastructure to broadcast updates, share photos, and interact digitally. G+ quickly amassed more than 40 million users, but the figure may be deceiving. Many people either signed up for Google+ accidentally (believing it was a feature of Google's popular Gmail service), or just to check it out. (Your faithful correspondent signed up for his G+ account only to reserve his name, should he want it later. He's never used it.)

Who uses it? Mashable.com, the arbiter of all things social media--says G+ is a hotbed of early adopters, tech luminaries, marketers and businesses. But that's hard to confirm. You can't see if anyone's on G+ unless you use G+, and that first signin chances a chain reaction many people want to avoid.

Do I need it? Wait and see is the prevailing approach to Google+. Few people want to be the first of their cohort on the dance floor.

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