Top 5: Why I like Google+ more than Facebook

Social media is HUGE in today's world. Not only is it a way to stay connected with friends and family, but it has become the main method of information and news dissemination in the digital age, more so than traditional newspapers, TV or radio. There are so many different choices for social networking, each offering different features. Facebook is undoubtedly the king of social media, with 1 billion active users monthly. Second place belongs to a network that might surprise some. It's not Twitter, Twitter is 3rd with 200 million active monthly users. Second place belongs to Google+, with 235 million active users monthly.

I tried out Twitter, but found out it didn't really suit my style. I'm active on Facebook and thanks to a friend's recommendation, Google+. After a few months of using Google+ regularly I find that Google+ is much better than Facebook in terms of features offered and the user experience. Here's my top 5 reasons why I like Google+ more than Facebook. 

5. No friend requests
Google+ takes a page out of Twitter's playbook here by adopting a "follow" structure when it comes to connections within Google+. You add people of interest to circles, which you create. Circles can be for friends, close friends, family, colleagues, any group of people. No requests, no approval or rejections, and the choice to add someone who added you is optional. You are not forced to add someone who added you. 

4. Support for GIF format
Everyone loves a good GIF. GIFs of fails, cats and Nicolas Cage are basically what keeps the internet alive and well. Despite the widespread use of GIFs all over the internet, you can't view them on Facebook. You can on Google+.

If this was on Facebook, you would only see a still image. Image: Google+

3. Support for text formatting
Google+ supports text formatting. That means you can bold, italicise and strikeout text when you post. That makes posting and commenting so much more fun than on Facebook.

2. A superior mobile app 
Mobile technology plays a huge role in the acceptance of social media into our lives. Being able to post, comment and view our social media feeds on our phones and tablets makes it so engaging. Can you imagine only being able to access Facebook, Twitter or Instagram from your computer? This is why the mobile app of a social network is vital, and Google knows that. I could write a whole separate list of why the Google+ mobile app is miles ahead of the Facebook app, but I'll just give one reason. In the Facebook app, posts with images and video are HUGE. Usually just one post will fill up the entire screen. Google+ does things differently. Posts are shrunk down, even with images and video, and only when you tap them will they enlarge to full size.
One post with an image, taking up the entire screen.
This is the view of the feed, not full screen of the image.
Several posts visible, the image of the
aquarium is shrunk to accommodate other posts. 


1. A better notification system

Lets face it. Notifications are the heart of any social network. We want to see if anyone commented on our status, liked our self-portrait or tagged us in their post. And the notification system is where Google+ blows Facebook out of the water. On Facebook, notifications are basically links. When you click on them the page will load the post, or you will open a new tab just for that post. On Google+ however, you can interact with notifications directly without loading a page for it, similar to how Android allows you to interact with notifications without opening an app. When you open your notifications and click on one, the post opens directly in the notification system, where you can view and comment directly without losing what you were doing in the page. As an added bonus, Google+ notifications can be viewed in other Google services, meaning I can access my notifications in Gmail, YouTube, Blogger, the Play Store and even Google Search. Now that is great functionality. 
Accessing my Google+ notifications from within Blogger, without losing my work.
There you have it. That's why Google+ is better than Facebook in my opinion. Google+ is not popular among Malaysians, but if you want an excellent social media experience, I highly recommend you try out Google+.
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