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I was initially very excited about G+ because Twitter continues to be such a disappointment, but I find that I'm using Twitter more than ever (and, it should be

I was initially very excited about G+ because Twitter continues to be such a disappointment, but I find that I'm using Twitter more than ever (and, it should be said, disliking it more than ever). It has become clear to me that -- like the transition from black-and-white to color television -- the winning replacement for Twitter will be the one that doesn't force the world to choose overnight. To that end (and apologies if this obvious observation has already been made): could Google not allow me to associate my Twitter stream with G+ such that my tweets automatically show up as G+ posts? This would allow for the advantages of G+ (namely, discussion and follow-up) without me having to abandon Twitter followers -- and would allow me to gradually increase my use of G+ over time. Clearly this is technologically trivial, and if there is a legal reason that this isn't done, it seems to me that it should be circumventable. So is there a reason this hasn't been done? (Or perhaps it has?) Or maybe my fervent hope for a Twitter replacement has clouded my thinking, and this kind of bridge wouldn't be the panacea that it seems?

k-mcgrady 15y ago
1. Why do you use Twitter if you dislike it so much? (I'm actually curious) 2. Syndicating your tweets across multiple networks would annoy people - and you would probably lose followers. The most annoying thing I see on Facebook is a stream of someones tweets. People tend to tweet a lot. They also tend to update their Facebook status a lot. But G+ is different. People post less and their is more discussion. Allowing tweet syndication would ruin that. You can however easily share your G+ posts to twitter (although not automatically) using one of several Chrome extensions.
- bcantrill 15y ago
  I use Twitter primarily because of the network effect -- and secondarily because of the benefits of the 140-character narrative. (In particular, this allows for a much higher density view than I get with G+.) As for syndicating across multiple networks: I don't really see how I would lose Twitter followers -- and if I lose G+ followers over it, then G+ was probably never meant to be (at least for me). But I think you raise the essential question: is G+ meant to be different or better? And if better, how am I to migrate from Twitter (or FB) without having to manage two social networks?
  - k-mcgrady 15y ago
    I think it's meant to be different, not better (or at least that is how it is right now). It allows the follower model of Twitter but with the long form post ability (+profiles/photos) of Facebook. For me they are all best used separately: Facebook for friends & family; twitter for news/content that won't instigate discussions; Google+ for blog post style content and discussions.

k-mcgrady 15y ago

1. Why do you use Twitter if you dislike it so much? (I'm actually curious) 2. Syndicating your tweets across multiple networks would annoy people - and you would probably lose followers. The most annoying thing I see on Facebook is a stream of someones tweets. People tend to tweet a lot. They also tend to update their Facebook status a lot. But G+ is different. People post less and their is more discussion. Allowing tweet syndication would ruin that. You can however easily share your G+ posts to twitter (although not automatically) using one of several Chrome extensions.

bcantrill 15y ago
I use Twitter primarily because of the network effect -- and secondarily because of the benefits of the 140-character narrative. (In particular, this allows for a much higher density view than I get with G+.) As for syndicating across multiple networks: I don't really see how I would lose Twitter followers -- and if I lose G+ followers over it, then G+ was probably never meant to be (at least for me). But I think you raise the essential question: is G+ meant to be different or better? And if better, how am I to migrate from Twitter (or FB) without having to manage two social networks?
- k-mcgrady 15y ago
  I think it's meant to be different, not better (or at least that is how it is right now). It allows the follower model of Twitter but with the long form post ability (+profiles/photos) of Facebook. For me they are all best used separately: Facebook for friends & family; twitter for news/content that won't instigate discussions; Google+ for blog post style content and discussions.