Thursday, August 25, 2011

A Perfect Illustration of the Different POVs of Google and the Nym Community

About Google+I just noticed a perfect illustration of the difference in perspective between the powers that be at Google and the Nym community.

When someone adds you to one of their Circles on Google+ you receive a notification. It gives you a chance to check out someone who is interested in your posts and decide whether you want to follow them back. So far so good.

But when you click the name in the notification, you're transported to the about tab of their profile rather than a listing of their recent posts. So the first thing Google thinks you want to consider is what's on someone's resume, not the types of posts you're likely to see if you add them to a Circle.

When it comes to following people, I don't care where they work, what their gender is, how old they are, where they live, what they look like or what they're commonly called in the physical world. What matters to me is what they post. Just as in life, actions speak louder than words.

One more interesting note on this. The iPhone app defaults to a view of the posts. Does this reflect that the mobile development team has different values? Just a fluke? Anyway, the metaphor still stands.


Cisop Sixpence said...

What the person brings to the conversation, the content they produce or post and what they have a passion for, is what I'm looking for when I add someone to my circles. If you want to share that other stuff with me, its fine, but I have not business getting my nose in your business. ;)

Mouski said...

As a contrasting point; when SL unveiled the new social profiles, residents were upset that the first destination is their feed, and not their 'About' tab.

I don't think it has much to do with Nyms vs. Names, and more to do with what audiences are expecting to see.

Cisop Sixpence said...

@Mouski - True, those are different environments with different needs. As for Second Life it is not generally viewed as a posting place, so there I'm looking to see about you. However, I still don't have an interest in your race, gender, and so on and I usually don't look at the 1st life content much. I'm only looking to find out what you are like as maybe we share common interests. While on G+, I'd maybe get a better idea if I want to follow you by what your post or re-post.

sororNishi said...

Yes, there is a wider audience now for the details of someone's private life, a lot of historical figures are now being judged by today's PC standards.
I always divorce the art from the artist, knowing we all have foolish human foibles. All those RL details are just another case of 'too much info'.
The tendency to mix what used to be termed Private and Public Life now seems unstoppable.