So, is anyone still using Google+ much?

I still dip into Google+ now and then, but it seems to have quietened down over the last few weeks as people revert back to Facebook.

Any opinions now the shine has faded?  Personally I think that the Twitter/Facebook fidelity is quite strong and Google+ just isn't quite compelling enough to get people to switch.

Herbie

I had a quick look yesterday but concur with your opinions - Google did a good job but not stunning enough to get people to move away from the established platforms. 

 I guess we will have to wait for i+ then.

I created an account, had a look around, but as 90% of my friends are only on Facebook and of the remaining 10%, 9.99% are on both Facebook and Google+ I gave up and only use Facebook.

As others have said, the value of a social network is not in the shiny toys, but who's on it. It's a shame g+ has some nice ideas. I'm not really interested in maintaining two accounts. If you could federate the two, that would be cool.

I think it is like coming out with a new cola, the Facebook brand is so ingrained into people, I just don't see a sudden exodus so they will need a long term strategy, and most importantly a transfer tool from facebook to g+

It doesn't really matter if Google+ is better than Facebook, in terms of features or looks or anything. People won't switch just because it gives them a better way to do something they already do. People will switch if a) Facebook becomes annoying for them (low availability / bad UI changes / whatever) and b) if Google+ gives them something new to do. 

I use both (and twitter too) because the two have different audiences and different dynamics - basically, I use Google+ as a Facebook for Twitter-folk, while I use Facebook for people I know from real-life. But it's all blurring.

@Dr Herbie: The same reason why folk won't ever switch en masse from Windows: it's good enough, and changing to something else would be a real pain for not enough gain.

I play games more on Google+ than I do on Facebook, but most of my posts are still done on Twitter and Facebook. I dip into Google+ but rarely find anything that I haven't already seen posted on Twitter.

I use G+ to follow people that don't know me, people like Guy Kawasaki, Scott Hanselman, and Robert Scoble. And I lurk on Facebook to see what people, who know me, are doing.

-Josh

i was only ever in there once or twice, it was allright but not exactly groundbreaking.  i dont really buy the "g+ failed just because everyone has fb" argument, "everyone" was on myspace before facebook and they still won the market

The secret is the apps imo, you can customize and add to the facebook experience to a degree that no other social network including g+ has come close to.. apps is what made the iphone such a hit as well.

I never joined g+. I didn't (and still don't) see the point in having yet another social networking site. Facebook will be king for at least another few years.

Have to say I haven't bothered checking g+ in a while. maybe I'll try it now and see if people are still posting.

@aL_: I disagree on both counts. 

First off, not "everyone" was on MySpace. At its peak, MySpace boasted 100 million accounts (not active accounts, just accounts created). When G+ launched, Facebook claimed some 600+ million accounts. This is important, since it meant the market was mostly saturated. Facebook picked up many social network newbies, while G+ came into a market where most people who wanted to be connected, already were.

Secondly, MySpace was a lot more customizable than Facebook, visually. Facebook's apps weren't really "customizations", as much as more features the platform offers. I agree with you that apps were an important feature for new users for quite a while, but at least from what I can see, they're a relatively minor part of Facebook feeds these days (at least in my vicinity), with the status updates, pictures and Pages taking the lead. 

Love the competition but so far G+ has not exactly surpassed fb in terms of features. I agree with _aL that there's no such thing as an eternal #1; fb cannot afford to be complacent or it will become obsolete, sooner or later. One + for G+ so far is the "data liberation" tool; in less than a minute I had a full backup of >500 MB data from the entire Google service ecosystem -- I'm still waiting for the fb backup mail to arrive after weeks of requesting and re-requesting the backup.

I use G+ for posting stuff I would consider putting on a blog or a LiveJournal like site. Facebook is different. It's mostly for photos and tiny little posts.

I also use G+ for following people I don't know in real life and Facebook for real people.

Neither FB or G+ have a well organized commenting system because they're not threaded like LiveJournal. It makes it difficult to replay to someone and make it obvious who you're replying too.

No comment. I am a super late FB user. I refused to have an account to access some co-workers stuff. And I refused to have an account to access some regular friend stuff. I hated that I have to be forced to have an account to view few photos. And finally I caved in.

For me to use G+, basically everyone has to have one before I cave in again. Although it will be even harder as they still have FB. And another reason I started being active in FB is because of the FarmVille. I quit it, meaning, it will be even less reason for me to use social network.

Yeah, I guess I am an old geezer in this respect.

@magicalclick: haha,. same here!

But now on my birthday, my Facebook is full and no-one calls my anymore! I love it!

I will only go onto G+ if I am forced to, by a project or employer. I don't trust the G-Mail man.