If you are currently using Google+ you probably are aware that the discussion about follower counts, suggested user lists, and circle shares are pretty hot topics these days. In fact, these issues have been on my mind lately for several reasons. One, at present Google+ limits the number of people you can actually follow to 5,000. Two, suggested user lists, with the exception of a couple, lack one important feature, a vetted user referral process as to why people should be followed. And three, is the emphasis really a numbers game or are connections with people at the heart of the matter?
Currently, there are over 20 million registered users on Google+ and it hasn’t even opened to the general public yet. Yes, invites can be sent by mass email, but overall, Google+ is still in its infancy and each user is only allowed to follow 5,000 people. Why does this matter? If you consider the amount of fascinating people and content already being shared, choosing ONLY 5,000 people is difficult, so following tons of lists might not be in your best interest if content and engagement are important to you. The Behind the Lens Project alone could give you a circle with almost 800 connections alone. If you are a member of multiple projects like this, your following count will be eaten up rather quickly.
The suggested user lists are all the buzz with many for and against them. Websites are popping up that offer users access to lists, some created by users, and others based solely on how many followers one has. This is a problem to me. I could give a hoot about any list that was created just because someone has a ton of followers. Mark Zuckerberg has thousands of followers and never uses the service. I find no point in following a person who doesn’t engage or bases following on counts alone. What type of list does appeal to me? Lists created by users, vetted by users, where they are given the opportunity to explain why they recommend a certain person. These lists are important because I value the users that are committed to sharing people who they find improve the Google+ experience. I also value these lists when they are contained within a post so that I can hyperlink quickly, without leaving Google+.
Jarek Klimek started a wonderful program called The Public Circles Project. Users can choose to showcase people they follow and share on their About Page why they recommend them. I have found some of the most fascinating people to follow simply by using this list, and I trust the recommendation. Alireza Yavari also started a list, although not scientific, which gave us the opportunity to recommend users with follower counts below 1500. But, we had to follow specific instructions and explain why we felt the person should be included. The explanations were vital in showing us the type of person they suggested and why the “follow” would be valuable. I don’t find this list to be a popularity contests at all, rather, they are the voice of the people saying, “These users offer content that others might find valuable.” To me, that type of list helps improve my Google+ experience which I appreciate and gives me something to share with new users so their initial experience with G+ will be successful. And then there are the most important suggestions for me, those that come from my stream when someone gives a shout out to a new member. I support that type of suggested user more than any other.
Underlying all of this though is an issue that my new friend Ayoub Khote brought to my attention. Is the importance really on follower counts or are ‘connections’ really what makes Google+ successful? For me, it is the later. It doesn’t matter if I follow ten or ten follow me. What I find valuable is the quality of content someone offers. What do I mean by this? Connections are about finding what I have in common with another person, and whether or not that person will engage with me. When I meet someone on Google+ that posts original content, shares their passions with me, offers engaging questions, or even simply responds to posts I share, they make me want to connect with them. Relationships are developed and the connection becomes useful and valuable in my social network experience. These connections can be in the tens, hundreds, or thousands, the numbers don’t matter. The impact they have on my life does. Google+ is becoming a network where people from all walks of life can connect around circles of interests, passions, and knowledge. I look at it like the coffee houses in Ben Franklin’s day that spurred discussions of Democracy. Only today, the engagement is in a virtual world but the impact is none the less important. I am grateful and humbled by those who are following me, and I hope my engagement with them remains meaningful. I also hope that the importance of follower counts fall to they wayside and the importance of connections become what this social network is known for. Time will tell, but for today, my connections are beautiful and I am grateful to have them.