Ok nerds. I’ve seen a lot of discussion over the past few days about what Google Plus is trying to replace, what it is going to “kill”, why it will never work, etc. The truth is, Plus is it’s own thing, and that’s cool. Nothing has to be killed for Plus to succeed. Let me state this simply in a language everyone can easily understand:

Switch (SocialNetwork){

 case Twitter:

     //You put info out, and I choose to consume it

    if (iFollowYou)

          MyStream.show(theStuffYouWrote);

    else

          returnToWork();

  break;

 case Facebook:

     //We agree to consume one another's information

     if (weAreFriends){

          MyStream.show(theStuffYouWrote);

          YourStream.show(theStuffIWrote);

     }

     else{

       MyStream.show(constantSuggestionsWeBeFriends);

       stalkSomeoneElse();

     }

 break;

 case GooglePlus:

    //You decide info I see, I decide info you see.

   if ((iAmInYourCircle) && (youAreInMyCircle)){

       MyStream.show(stuffYouSharedWithCirclesImIn);

       YourStream.show(stuffISharedWithCirclesYoureIn);

   }

   else if ((iAmInYourCircle) && (!youAreInMyCircle)){

       MyIncoming.show(stuffYouShareWithCirclesIAmIn);

       YourStream.show(thingsISharePublicly);

   }

   else if ((!iAmInYourCircle) && (youAreInMyCircle)){

       MyStream.show(theThingsYouSharePublicly);

       YourIncoming.show(thingsIShareWithCirclesYoureIn)

   }

   else

     returnToWork();

 break;

}

It should now be clear, though I’m not 100% sure that will compile. Feel free to correct my code in the comments. It won’t be the first time someone has shown me a better way to do something.

Now for the verbose comments…

Unlike Twitter, Google Plus makes you decide who can follow you unless you post everything publicly. I guess if you post everything publicly, Plus could be a little like Twitter. But it seems like pushing things out publicly all day long could be dangerous because not everyone wants to use Plus like Twitter, even if you do. There is a “block” feature to take care of that,  I for one plan on using it liberally.

Unlike Facebook, Google Plus doesn’t force you into a mutual relationship with people and put the onus on you to later define the parameters of that relationship. You start by defining your personal parameters and can choose to open up more later. Or not. You can even choose for relationships to be completely one-sided. So it eliminates the “guilty-friend-add” situation that happens all the time on Facebook.

Consider this situation: someone adds you to their Circles and you get the notification that they’re sharing with you. You don’t really want to share with them very much and don’t care much about what they are sharing, but you worry about hurting feelings or looking like a jerk. The easy solution is to just add them to a Circle you won’t ever share anything to so that they’ll get notified you’re sharing with them. Later you can remove them from that Circle so that you don’t have to read what they ordered at Starbucks or that their cat ate their kid.

Now. returnToWork();