Don't like Facebook? On the plus side, there's Google

That's right folks, I managed to blag an early invite to Google+. What's it like so far? Empty is one word that comes to mind. The figures I've heard vary enormously but there are somewhere between 10,000 and 1million users right now – but very few people know each other on here yet.

What are my first impressions then? Well, it has a nice clean interface – none of the clutter that Facebook brings, and circles are an interesting feature. I don't think I'm getting the full value of them with only 9 contacts though. There are a lot of features that I think should have been included right from the start; people keep telling me not to expect so much and that G+ is only a beta for what is to come, still, I can't help but feel that like with Google Wave it's a nice product but it doesn't do anything useful yet. Google have had years at this point to develop an industry beater, yet they've launched with so few features (there's no support for businesses or brands, starting a conversation with people on their wall or real-time chat) that they effectively have a pretty website and some circles. I expect this to change, but it certainly doesn't have the wow factor that I'm used to seeing with a Google roll-out.

It doesn't help that I'm not sure what to use Plus for; on the one hand I could use it as a second location to broadcast my twictions, on the other that might take away some of the appeal that made them popular in the first place. That leaves it trying to fill the niche that Facebook currently takes; a place where I can keep in contact with friends and acquaintances – and frankly, right now, Facebook does it better.

Things will likely change over the next few months, and I'd like to think that I'll be made to eat my words, but right now I'm not that impressed.

"Find me on Facebook" or… "Plus me?" We're going to need a better phrase for that…