

Walking Around In Circles: Will People Start Using It Correctly? - fedd
http://techcrunch.com/2011/06/29/google-plus-circles/

======
nextparadigms
Circles is probably its main weapon against Facebook (other than being a great
product by itself and being made by Google, for people who don't want to use
Facebook).

But so far it doesn't look like Circles is going to be used that much by
DEFAULT. This means even if Google+ is successful, it will become almost as
_messy_ as Facebook. But I worry this might actually affect its potential
success, because as I said, it's one of the main reasons you _would_ switch
from Facebook.

Google needs to make it so you WANT to use Circles 80-90% of the time. It
shouldn't even take you any thinking. It should be a snap decision, almost
automatic. You should want to _intentionally_ make your share public, but the
_default_ action of a user should ALMOST ALWAYS be to use the Circles.

Right now that doesn't seem to be the case. The default action of users seems
to be to make things public. I don't think this is a user issue, because users
don't really decide anything about it. They just do it. So it's a Circles
design issue. They should _just do it_ by using Circles, not by broadcasting
to everyone.

Google, I strongly believe this is VITAL for Google+'s success not only in the
mid-term (i.e. beating Facebook), but long term as well (not becoming messy
like Facebook, even after it kills it). The Circles idea was the RIGHT IDEA.
Now just make sure people actually use it as intended and as promised.
Otherwise it's just a useless bullet point in Google+'s feature list.

Get it right, Google, before the service becomes public!

------
fedd
i guess TC read HN ;)

i wrote yesterday that it might be hard / dull to admin circles

and that it should not _mimic_ the real world

<http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2706410>

