GOOGLE + WHAT FOR ?

When I visit blogs to read posts and make may comments, I am suddenly stopped by a hint,  I don't open the Blogger's Blog but a Google + (plus) page.

I wanted to know for what it is useful to a simple Blogger like me who writes stories of my life including neighbors and friends, and also some opinions I have. Nothing very important to make the world better.



When I have a question, I just  ask Google for this purpose it's rather good. Therefore I googled to know more about the importance and use of Google + (plus). I found nothing but articles about Google, Google videos, Analytics, Webmaster tools, Google Reader, Maps, Earth, Translate (!!) Google groups and Google jobs, but nothing about Google +, finally at the very end I found "Searches related to Google +"
and had the choice between
google plus,
google + login,
google+ sign in,
google social network

Which made me come to the conclusion that Google itself doesn't know what Google + exactly is. After all if they don't know why should I know ? I felt already less stupid. 





Just by curiosity I clicked on "Google plus" found my profile and the information "Join Google+ by creating your public profile" (how many profiles do they need ?) No explanation for why I should join the Google plusers group and what for ! I never subscribe to things I don't know without a proper explanation.  I am already very bad for Facebook to which I was forced to subscribe because I only wanted to see photos my son had taken, and nothing else. Suddenly hundreds of people I never heard of wanted to become my friends ! I am not that lonely yet that I need hundreds of virtual friends !

Google + is just a loose of time in my case, because of some Bloggers I land on their Google + page, find the corresponding blog, which often is not even mentioned and I can't even leave a message without subscribing to  Google + and become a member ! That's really forcing people ! If at least the users would put a link to their blog ! When I have not enough time, I just don't comment, I try to send an email  to those who have an email on their blogs, that I can't comment !

The one who always helps me to understand all kind of things is Wikipedia. So I asked Wikipedia about Google + and here is the beginning of a very long explanation, which unfortunately didn't help me.

Google+ (pronounced and sometimes written as Google Plus, sometimes abbreviated as G+) is a multilingual social networking and identity service owned and operated by Google Inc. (sounds like Facebook )! It was launched on June 28, 2011. As of December 2012, it has a total of 500 million registered users  (victims of the mousetrap) of whom 235 million are active on a monthly basis. (Fortunately only monthly, some people have also to work !) Unlike other conventional social networks which are generally accessed through a single website, Google has described Google+ as a "social layer" (what is a social layer ? I only know liars) consisting of not just a single site, but rather an overarching (goodness me !) "layer" which covers many of its online properties. You can read more here. 

I gave up,  it just sounds like a Facebook imitation !

Conclusion : I will never (although you should never say never) join the Google + "social layer" they have to try to keep on without me, and remain faithful to my Blogs only.

FRIDAY's FAVE FIVE

more participants at Susanne at Living to tell the Story.

1. From almost one day to the other, the temperature raised from - 6°C (20 F) to + 9°C (48 F), and with that, it poured buckets of water down on the streets, made them first slippery, because of the melting snow and then wet ! The landscape from one day to the other changed from white to green and grey. 


Sunday ... and Monday afternoon !

At least our Aqua Gym took place again, it had been closed because of the snow. It was the first time after Christmas that Dominique and I went there to pick up our normal routine for Mondays.

2. It was time to fill in the freezer again with yummy plates for the whole week. It took me not even an hour and I was back home. It rained so much that I could hardly see through the windshield ! My poor neighbor (the house you see above) had water in the basement ! The rest of the day I stayed home spending my time between computer and drying wet cats !

4. When I am stuck at home, I have sometimes ideas to change places of  the furniture in our house, if it is possible. And I found something ! Since at least 15 years we had an onyx table sitting in front of the sofas, and a round  table between them. I thought why not just change them around which would give more space. 



With the help of Mr. G. who for once agreed to a change, we pushed the furniture around and were satisfied with the result.



Now he can pull out the support for his legs and watch TV more comfortable, and not laying around on the Sofa like an old Roman. I only wonder why it took me 15 years to have this idea !

5. We celebrated again a birthday in my painting course, with cakes and champagne,  last week it had been cancelled because of the snow. A few classmates were absent, because they had a cold. With this roller coaster weather it's no wonder.