by Deona Hooper, MSW
Google groups were cutting edge when they were first introduced in the late 1990’s. They allowed large numbers of people to interact while bringing listserv technology to the masses. In comparison to Google Plus Communities, Google groups resemble a covered wagon in need of a twentieth century upgrade. I believe converting existing Google Groups into plus communities will help bolster and further enhance interactions on the new Google Plus social media platform. Most importantly, it will promote enhanced communications for many nonprofits and social good organizations who overwhelmingly utilize Google Groups for intra-organization communications.
I often find myself quietly irritated with Google Groups because they clog up my email account despite using the digest function for various different groups. Visually, Google Groups is unappealing and using my email is still necessary for me to engage without having access to the visually stunning mobile app that Google Plus provide its users. Also, valuable resources can be lost in a black hole of long conversation streams, and its very difficult to review resources added to your group. If a group member does not see information shared in the moment it was sent, good luck hunting it down later especially if it’s an active group.
Here is an except from article on Forbes Magazine on Google Plus and Google Communities:
But what if Google Plus is just a fad – the next Friendster instead of the next Twitter? Sherman argues it has two killer apps that will eventually draw the public in. The first is Google Plus’Communities feature, which allows groups to form around particular interests. “Three weeks ago, I wouldn’t have said Google Plus was an easy place to meet people,” says Sherman, “but now it’s amazingly different. You can even join the community as a brand, which you cannot do on Facebook, and you can interact with your potential customers, influencers, and people of interest.” Indeed, she points out, “there are a ton of influencers who are concentrating on Google Plus these days.” And as she wrote in a recent blog post, “GooglePlus can give you access to influencers who might not notice you elsewhere…There is a nice spirit of camaraderie that people seldom feel with well-established platforms.” Read More
Which would you prefer?
Photo Credits: Google.com
