How I'm Using the New Google+ "Collections" Feature
Click or tap here to show my Google+ Collections page.
I’ve been using Google+ since it began. I like the ability to interact with people and groups (“circles”) in a variety of ways. Most importantly, I’ve found the quality of interaction there high and (most of) the people who use it I’ve found to my liking.
The fact that it is so easy to control (and if necessary block) asshats and trolls within conversations really helps maintain Google+ quality.
I deleted my Facebook account a while back and have not regretted it. Google+ is a pleasure to use. The constant references to its “death” have become increasingly stale.
Google+ recently introduced an easy to use “Collections” feature. It gives users the ability to create specialized online public collections of linked articles that can in turn be subscribed to and read by others.
I like the feature since I can create specialized collections that combine links to my own writing with selected links by others. Here are some examples:
Things I like about the Collections feature:
- Easy to set up
- Easy to customize front page with your own graphics (I use my own photos)
- Easy to share and embed in other pages
- Easy to subscribe to collections created by others
- Easy to “try out” and share content of potential blog posts
Things I don’t like so much:
- Can’t easily modify the order with which collections are displayed on the main collection page
- Can’t add subtitles or descriptions of the collections
- The Google+ iOS app is crippled as it does not include the Collections feature
The last is a potential dealbreaker in the long run as I really enjoy the Google+ app on my iPhone; it’s one of the best looking and easiest to navigate apps I have.
I’m hoping the lack of the Collections feature on the iPhone is not an example of a coming split between Apple and Google (as has been suggested by Mike Elgan, one of the world’s most prolific Google+ users).
Copyright (c) 2015 by Dennis D. McDonald
