Google Plus is NOT a Social Network

Google Plus is NOT a Social Network

I am getting tired of hearing Google Plus referred to as a social network, it isn’t. Calling it such misrepresents the place and begs for comparison to FB. The thing is, FB and G+ are not in the same game.

Google is a super-convention/expo/trade-show. Just about anything you are into is represented her in some form and if it isn’t you can set up a table and spread the word. Want a Robot convention? We got you covered there are even robot parties, just ask Erin RobotGrrl. Want it to be a tech convention? Head on over to the TWiT booth or mingle with Leo Laporte Robert Scoble Mike Elgan or any of the multitude of other like minded individuals. You could also head to the lobby and talk Tech and Coffee with Eddie Allard and the gang. Want it to be a News Convention? Head on over to News Alley where you can visit the tables of KOMU 8 News My Fox LA Fox News CNN International Al Jazeera English or any of the rest. Mingle with the likes of Sarah Hill Maria Quiban Tshaka Armstrong etc. Why not head over to Artist Alley and visit the plethora of artists here. Have your picture drawn by byron rempel Mike Searle Tim Clary and the rest of the Plustastic crew.

Naturally a convention of this magnitude needs those who curate content such as Guy Kawasaki and Johnathan Chung

Or those who can help us make sense of the place like Dan McDermott Peter G McDermott and the like.

We also need those who interview others in the space such as matthew rappaport of Hangout Conversations or Bruce Garber and Jennifer Buck of Hangin’ with Jennifer. There is also Tim Moore and Kelly Burnette of Who CARES ? and many many more.

Now although Google Plus is a bustling convention of every stripe, there is a small catch. Since it is a virtual convention, it is like it were taking place in a holodeck (google it). When you first enter the convention center its empty. You have to tell it what kind of convention you want it to present to you. You do this by circling people. google tries to give you a head-start by using the information it has available (such as gmail contacts) and suggesting people to you.

Google also presents you with a Suggested User List comprised of people representative of various convention types. The list contains mostly those who are already established externally in order to increase the likelihood of you knowing them. Peppered among the celebs are some who made a name for themselves here such as Daria Musk.

Once you have a baseline of people circled you can start interacting. The more you do the more of the convention becomes known. Since it is all types of conventions simultaneously there is much intermingling and this is fertile ground for discovery. You might just find that you have more in common with some people than you thought.

It is entirely up to you to let the G+ holodeck know which convention(s) to present to you. If you don’t than you get Ghost Town Google plus and have no one but yourself to blame.

Just like its meatspace counterpart, the G+ convention has all types of attendees. You have those who wish to demonstrate their wares and have one or more booth for that purpose. You have others who just want to look around and see what others are up to. You have those who want to get swag. You have those looking to network. You have those who came with family and don’t mingle much outside those they already know.

There are seminars and gaming tables and on and on.

Best of all, unlike it’s real world counterparts, tables and attendance at the G+ Convention are free.

So I say it is time we reframe the description of g+ to a more apt one. Then maybe, just maybe G+ will make sense to a lot more people and Vic Gundotra’s baby won’t be constantly compared to the interactive scrapbook that is FB and it’s population will grow that much faster.