On Google+

Like any "normal" geek, I am on Google+ from as soon I could grab an invitation. And as a "normal" geek, I brag about it, try to lure people into the network and give invites left and right, as much as I can. You know... maybe, just maybe, people will move away from facebook.

But here I don't want to show my e-penis size, measured in the days of being a Google+ user, neither do I want to use it to attract new users (but if someone want to add me in his/her circles... feel free), right now I want to ponder a bit about the viability of this new social network.

A social network is by definition "social software", so what determine its success or failure is the ability to get people laid, as JWZ rightfully said once. Take this in a metaphorical sense, is not necessarily about people having sex, but about improving one's life.

Point in case: currently my biggest circles on Google + are "FOSS" and "Fedora", all made by other geeks, practically the same I have as contacts on identi.ca, the same hanging on the freenode channels I hang too, some of them the same I had as contacts in Diaspora when I tried to use that (long story short, Diaspora seems dead in the water, the precise reason: I think nobody ever got laid from using it).

So what's the added value? I am a photographer, to stay in touch with my photography contacts, which most likely won't move any time soon, I have to continue using my facebook account. And if I am already there... most of my FOSS and Fedora contacts are there too...

Sure, Google + is in early stages and available as invite-only, there is hope once the gates will be opened, more people will join and make the network useful. Time will tell.

PS: I don't expect Gwibber in Fedora 14 to be able to post status updates to g+, so I have to keep posting the same thing in multiple places.