Google+ vs. Facebook: whom to send to the trash

It has been over two years since the launch of Google's social network. The start was very stormy, and the subsequent life of the project can not be called quiet. The company applies the Herculean efforts on the promotion of Google+. Constantly introducing new features, interface changes, added integration with other online services. But despite all these efforts, the position of Facebook does not look shaky, and too strong flow of defectors is not observed.

So who is still better, more comfortable and more functional of the two social networks? What keeps Facebook users and will ever be the Google+ social sphere number one? This you will learn from this comparative review.

Interface

The interface is one of the most important components of any site, especially the social network that claims to worldwide popularity. Does it look nice? How easy it is to develop and use? How quickly can I get to frequently used functions?

Google+ has gone through many changes in the interface since its launch and the current version of it looks just fine. Feed your news conveniently adjusted, has two different display modes and has filtering capabilities according to your circles. You can easily view the comments and likes the history of each record. Images are displayed in a separate browser window is very convenient, and video and animation can be viewed directly in the tape. And Google+, which is not surprising, has excellent search, and every request can be stored in a separate news channel. There is also actively used hashtags. Used for navigation on the left appears when you hover over the panel, which is in the normal state is not visible and does not take up precious space.

About the horror of the main interface page Facebook did not speak just lazy. On this basis, there was even some interesting conspiracy theories to explain why the world's most popular site can not (or will not?) To make a comfortable, friendly and attractive design.

At the moment, you can filter news flow only by their popularity or novelty. For more would have to have to dig into the settings and use third-party solutions. For any news easy to see the number of likes and comments to view it. Pictures are also open in a separate window, allows you to read other people's comments or leave your own. Hashtags on Facebook are present, but appeared recently, so few people use them. Not for the better distinguishes Facebook and abundance of advertising appearing as single units, and special promotional posts. The navigation bar on Facebook basically useless, because as you scroll goes up and becomes greater than you is not available.

Winner. Google+, without a doubt. Facebook plans to update the interface, but at the moment in this matter he is far behind.

Profile

The first thing you notice in this cover Google+ profile. It really is huge, but strangely enough, most of the images while loading the profile is not visible, but requires more scrolling. Why this was done is not entirely clear, but it looks interesting.

Your profile is divided into separate tabs, and you can control which tabs will be able to see visitors. The default profile will be opened in the records, and here you can change your photo, name and cover. On Facebook the same steps to perform a little bit harder. However, you can not change your name too often, so be careful. To change other information, go to the About Me section, where it is very quick and easy to navigate due to the fact that all the data are structured by topic and contain explicit display settings.


In the Facebook user profile page looks like the timeline and it's a real hell for anyone who wants to find there any useful information. While the top and there are references to the categories of data (Chronicle and information, Friends, Photos, and so on), it's all mixed up so cool that poked at least once in this mess, come here again absolutely do not want.

Changing information about themselves made on the Information page and by clicking on the Edit button next to the appropriate record. Customize the display of certain information in your profile and visibility for different categories of visitors are made here and they allow a wide range of information to manage your privacy.

Winner. Google+, although you may have a different opinion. Profile of the social sphere is modern (in the spirit of Google Now), and the information is presented in an easy and visual way. Facebook profile compared to him looks like a flea market, where in picturesque disorder mixed precious memories, lovely trifle and frank trash.

Chat

When it comes to messaging, both networks offer similar tools in general, but some differences still available. Chat Google Hangouts occupies the right side of the page and Google+ can be hidden whenever you do not need. The strangest feature of Google+ is that there is no way to know who is online and who is not. He only shows you some of the people on your contact list, guided by clearly frequency of your chats.

Google Hangouts provides us with a large number of options, including setting a chat invitation, blocking specific users, view your past conversations, configure notifications, and, of course, the famous group chat.

Facebook chat appears in the form of the top of the page and open it perfectly clear who is online right now. You can also search for any friend who does not appear in the list, with the help of the search string.

Additional options allow you to enable sound notifications, limit the number of users with whom you can chat or disable the chat, with messages from friends will arrive in your inbox, and you can read them later.

Winner. Facebook. While Google+ offers a lot more features, yet for a purely text communication Facebook convenient and easier. In addition, he is able to show who is now online, as opposed to Google+.

Friends

This is probably the biggest difference between the two social networks. Google+ has Circles, which represent a convenient way of separating your contacts into groups. Anyone can add you to their circles without having to ask for your permission and they will be able to read all your public posts. You can add the ones you want in your circles. It looks and works very simply, is one of the main advantages of Google+.

System Facebook friends works quite differently. You can add friends and they can add you, but you must allow it, that is, there must be mutual friendship. If someone added you, and he was allowed to do this, it means that you have added it to friends. Later on Facebook the opportunity to follow the public messages of people without adding friends, you have a subscription to update them. You can also create lists of friends to somehow organize them into groups, but the process is much more complex and requires more time than Google+.


Winner: Google+. Circles - it's just a wonderful find Google and they greatly simplify your management of its numerous contacts in the social network.

Placing posts

Publication of the messages is a very important part of any social network and this process should be simple and fun, do not cause any problems. In Google+ text input field located at the top of your page and immediately takes center stage as soon as you click on it.

In this window, you can send text messages, add photos, post a link to share videos from your hard drive or from YouTube, and you can create new events and to share them. Prior to publication, very easy to point the people who will be able to see it. To do this, simply click in the field for someone and start typing the name of a circle or the name of a particular user. You can also disable comments or repost your message.

Facebook is against this background looks a bit old-fashioned. Settings publicity of your message is not as convenient and transparent and can be difficult for inexperienced users. You can not select multiple lists of friends, which we will see your message, just one. Prohibition of commenting and repost also absent.

Winner: Google+. It is much easier, more flexibility and opportunities.

Privacy settings

Privacy is the last point in this article, but not because it is not important, rather the contrary. Protection of personal data is one of the most important aspects of a social network and it is important that they be deployed at the same time understandable to each user.

Google+ for various reasons until recently avoided charges of violating the privacy of users, unlike Facebook. But this does not mean that this is a perfect order. Privacy settings are part of the Google+ network settings of your profile in Google and is the length of the page, a rich variety of options and switches. Probably, there is a possibility of privacy settings for all tastes, but find the switch may not be so easy.

Facebook, on the other hand, do not kick over privacy just lazy and the company has worked on this issue for many years. For this reason, we now have access to the privacy menu directly on the upper toolbar, where you can control who sees your messages by default, anyone can contact you and who can not.


Other settings are organized in such a way that working with them is quite simple, and certainly much better than on Google+. This will help you maintain the security and confidentiality of their activities on Facebook at the proper level.

Winner: Facebook. Social networks always have specific requirements for privacy and Facebook allows these requirements, at least partially satisfy.

Results of

To summarize, we see that Google+ in almost all respects looks better its main competitor. It looks more modern, its setting is clear, and search and filtering allows you to read exactly what you want, not the creators of the social network. So why do we still sit in Facebook?

The main reason for the continuing dominance of Facebook is very simple: there is everything. Google+ also no longer gives the impression of a scorched desert, but compared to Facebook, its population sparse and of little interest.

Why is this happening? Probably because that was the first FB. Perhaps soon pick up a critical mass of Google+ users and people will go there not only to look at the beautiful design, but also read interesting news. But while we all sit in a crooked, awkward and slow Facebook, just because everybody else is doing the same thing. A vicious circle from which Google searches for an exit.

What do you think about these two social networks? Who prefer and why? Google+ or Facebook?

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