Google Plus

Google Plus is a new social media venture by the team at Google. Google has tried before with Orkut and Google Buzz but they never took off as planned. Buzz has been ditched in favor of Google Plus, however Orkut is still popular in Brazil but never took off anywhere else.

Google plus is a mixture of different social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and others. Like Facebook it allows people to post statuses, pictures, videos, edit your profile and the +1 (like Facebook's like). So like any other social media platform it allows for two way communication.

One unique thing that Google Plus has that blends ideas from most social network sites is Circles. Circles are the Google Plus way of following someone, however you can sort them into different categories like a Facebook list. You can sort whose posts you see by these circles or you can post things just for certain circles. So it makes communicating more efficient if you want to get a message out to a certain crowd. Say you're having a birthday party and you want to let your family know, you can post it just to your family circle, easy as that.

Google Plus also has a tool called Hangouts, it allows for 10 people to video chat at once. The people in the chat can also jointly create a document, draw or share pictures. This allows for easy collaboration and communication through webcams and the use of the different things you can do while video chatting.

Google Plus however has an identity crisis however. Is it a social networking site like Facebook where it's about your actual self or is it an open identity where you can post content or whatever you feel like Twitter or Blogs. It appears as if Google Plus wants to go towards more of an actual self with deleting pseudonyms on the site. But with the new What's hot on Google+ it seems as if they want more of an open approach.

Google Plus is trying to put all of the best features of Social Networking sites that allow people to communicate easily. However the site isn't the best utilization since not everyone isn't on it. Google is the leading search engine in the world but most people don't think of it as the communication hub of their life. Google Plus could be great for all kinds of computer mediated communication but with Facebook, Twitter and all the other Social Networks out there it kind of falls flat. People are already on one place and they don't need another for the same exact communication features.

Second Life

Second life is a new place to connect with new people online. Second life is exactly what it sounds like, it is a second life for yourself. You create a virtual creation of yourself where you can be anything that you want to be. You can shop at stores, throw exotic parties, go scuba diving and a whole lot more. The homepage for second life is extremely interactive by showing quick videos of all of the amazing things that this site can do. There are labels at the top of the website and keywords at the bottom so it is very easy to find what you are looking for. The website is designed to make you interested at first glance by showing video clips of created avatars. You can then click on the label on the top called What is Second Life? and then there is a video of all the things that you can do on the site. You start up by creating an avatar and uploading your profile and then the whole world is in your hands. There is a help label at the top of the homepage that can easily assist you if you are having any issues. Second life is a way to get away from your boring everyday life, and it is a way to get out there and do what ever you want to do. It is a social website so while adventuring around the world you can meet new people and start up relationships. The homepage is designed to show you how quick and easy it is to sign up. You can connect your second life to your Facebook so you can easily see what your friends are doing. On the bottom of the homepage, you can like second life on Facebook and you can also follow it on twitter. Second life is a fun interactive virtual world where you can be whatever you want to be.