Google+: I’m Just Not That Into You

Dear Google+,

Where did we go wrong? I had such high expectations for you. You were hyped, praised and touted as the next best social network. So far, though, we’re just not connecting. You were supposed to be better than Facebook, cooler than Twitter, but right now we just don’t have enough in common for me to waste spend more time with you.

I’d love to say that the problem is me, not you. But I’d be wrong. You’ve disappointed me.

Franky, I find it difficult to fit you into my social-networking life. I use Facebook to communicate with my close friends, my family and my colleagues. And while it’s my social network of choice, my relationship with Facebook is admittedly complicated—the site has me so entwined in its web of photos and friendships and messages that I’m not sure I could ever leave it, even if I wanted to. Yes, I know our situation isn’t ideal—privacy and security and all—but I’ve learned how to cope with its downfalls.

And then there’s LinkedIn, where I keep all my professional contacts.

And Twitter for people I don’t know, but find interesting. And truly, I’m happy with this situation: 140-character updates from strangers are all I need.

So that leaves us. I keep asking myself, where do you fit in?

Lately, it seems like it’s only the techies and tech pundits who have an eye for you. I see them visit you every day. Every hour, it seems. They’re using you—in a good way, of course—but if those are your only fans, your only visitors, you’ve gone wrong somewhere. Maybe it’s not my business, but it may be time to reflect and reassess.

Okay, I admit it: I’m a bit infatuated with your circles. But that really doesn’t make up for the fact that my friends just don’t like you. Sure, a few handfuls of folks have joined…but that’s where it ends. Their profiles are empty, their activity streams barren. My friends, plain and simple, prefer Facebook. Like me, they’ve invested too much in that site to leave it now. And if I can’t have my friends by my side in our relationship, it’s a relationship that I don’t want.

I know it’s still early; you’ve only been around for a month. But if that time is any indication of things to come, I’m sorry, it just isn’t going to work out.

You have a lot of potential, Google+. And I’m sure you’ll find the perfect user(s) for you in the future.

Right now, though, I’m just not that into you.

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Cambridge University discovers formula to find friends on Facebook and Twitter

Cambridge University scientists have discovered a formula for users to get more friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter.

A team of researchers says making contact with ‘friends of friends’ is a flawed way of meeting like-minded people with a shared interest.

Experts at the Cambridge University Computer Laboratory claim better social networking friends are found via links to favourite hang-outs such as pubs, gyms, schools and offices.

Researcher Salvatore Scellato, a PhD student, hopes the theory will be used by social network sites like Facebook and Twitter.

He said: “Our research solves a big problem for social networking sites. Facebook has millions of people on it now so it takes hours to find people you might know.

“But if the sites compare the locations users have registered on their profiles, they will be able to predict who a user may want to be friends with. By combining place friends with friends-of-friends, we can make the prediction space about 15 times smaller and yet, cover 66 per cent of new social ties.

“More people are now using social networking sites on their mobile phone and uploading their locations – so the information is available.

“Offices, gyms and schools are more likely to aid development rather than other places such as football stadiums or airports as it’s highly unlikely people will develop a social connection.

“In the future we hope to be able to understand why people decide to delete their social networking friends and maybe predict who they might want to delete.”

The year-long research project compared location information from users of the social networking site Gowalla over a period of four months.

Salvatore, and his colleges Nastasios Noulas and Cecilia Mascolo, discovered that about 30 per cent of new social links appeared among users who went to the same places.

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