I miss Google+

Yea yea, I know I'm probably the only one.  Maybe there are others out there.  I hope there are.  Looking back at it, it really was a good social network.  And it was better than what Facebook was, and maybe what Facebook is.  

There are things that I would have updated or changed.  I really wish people would have given it more of a shot and tried it out more, maybe it would still be here.

A lot of its features were also copied by Facebook and integrated into its site.  Groups?  That was on G+ more with Communities.  Topics in groups, yea that was copied too.  Circles were a great way to show your friends and contacts.  Facebook had that with lists.  That is gone, or well hidden.  Pages?  Google and Plus already had that for businesses.  Video calling?  Meet and Hangouts was on Facebook before Rooms.  And photos, which was the best thing on G+ is amazing on Google.  Facebook has Instagram but Google Photos is the best for photos on the web.  

Everything was integrated too.  YouTube, Photos, Events/Calendar.  It all worked.  AND look at what is going on in the world today.  Bullying, hiding behind a screen name and causing chaos.  Google had you sign up with your real name.  Comments flowed into YouTube with your name.  Would you say or comment some of the things you say if your identity was shown?  NO.  That's called character.  Who are you when no one is watching.  We could really use some of that today huh?  I liked the +1 a lot better than that of the "like" and all the reactions now.  

Watching The Social Dilemma on Netflix even adds to my opinion that Google Plus was and is still better than Facebook.  Facebook and these other sites can't survive with out advertising.  Sucking your data up and showing you what you want and keeping you online with random notifications.  Google Plus had NO advertising.  Nothing random popping up.  You were in control.  Think of the integration with Stadia and communities now?

I spent a lot of time on Google+, it was my favorite social media platform with Twitter.  Here are a few things I would have changed.

• In the end it did get clunky and swamped, it needed more guidance of "Fake News" and all the groups that were posting hateful speech on it.  All social media sites need this and it needed it
• Events was great, and I used it a lot.  Here are a few things I would have changed with it.
• Header photos needed to be a certain size...It was difficult sometimes getting larger photos for it.
• Posts in it.  When posting in Events, if you would post a hyperlink, it gave just the link.  Update that like posts in the normal feed to update and show the image preview.
• With the integration into calendar, SHOW THE WHOLE IMAGE and information of the event in the calendar feed and info while on that app.
• Replies on posts were not like a reply to the comment.  That feed should have been like BULLET as a comment and sub bullets for replies to the comment.  Similar to this layout of the bullets above.  It would have flowed better.
• Same with that on Replies in communities.  It would have made that a much better experience.
• When new gmail users signed up, they got a Google+ account.  Which wasn't a bad thing, that is the way it is all across the Google Eco System.  BUT I think they pushed it to hard through the searches and what not. Google should have been the main connection then allow G+ to be secondary.
• Allow a historical/memories section.  It has it in Google Photos, that would have fed over great.  

Again I really miss it, and wish more people used it.  I have deleted more social media apps and limited my exposure and kids exposure to them.  It really is surprising how your phone reacts when you don't have them all installed.