I was invited to join Google+ about three or so weeks ago. In that time, I've piddled around with circles, have posted a few links and have commented on other people's posts. But, I haven't made a concerted effort to use it like I use Facebook... yet.

Do I think Facebook has some serious competition here? I sure do!! Google+ takes what we know and like about Facebook and makes it better in a lot of ways:

Circles

My absolute favorite feature of Google+ is, without a doubt, circles. What I like about circles is that it provides an efficient way to organize your contacts by friends, family members, peers, clients, whatever... Then, on your wall, you can filter your news stream by circle, which makes it easy to weed out "the noise." Since I am anal about organization, circles are right up my alley!

Layout

In terms of look and feel, Google+ and Facebook share similar designs. Comparing the two, Google+'s profile page is way less cluttered than Facebook's. Google+ utilizes a two-column layout versus Facebook's three-column layout. There's more white space in Google+, which is easier on the eyes (and brain).

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In Google+, underneath the profile picture, is a "Send an email," button which makes it quick & easy to send a private message. I like this feature much better than Facebook's rather obscure "Send a New Message."

No More Typos

In Google+, you can actually edit posts. I sure wish Facebook had that feature.

Navigation

Another thing I like about Google+ are the icons adjacent to the search bar, which makes it easy to navigate the site.

Quick Access to Google Tools

The toolbar at the top of the page is an easy click to all your favorite Google tools and gadgets, which makes Google+ not only a social networking site but also a productivity site.

Everything in one place--how cool is that?!! Now that I think about it, I'm going to make Google+ my start page!

If you are not yet part of Google+ and would like to be invited to join, please drop me a line.