[redthrowaway]

Completely OT, but I'm really starting to like G+. I deactivated my FB account (reactivated because of a girl--go figure), and found myself browsing G+ for the first time in months. I was shocked by the difference in content quality. My FB newsfeed is full of inane posts by family and a few friends, whereas my G+ feed is almost a reddit/HN replacement. Quite impressed, although I don't see it replacing FB simply due to the family and distant friend aspect.

[progrock]

> My FB newsfeed is full of inane posts by family and a few friends

You can't really blame that on Facebook.

[redthrowaway]

I can, though. It's built into FB's newsfeed algo.

I interact with family and friends I don't often see for geographical reasons quite often on FB. Unfortunately, Zuck et al make the erroneous assumption that this means I care about their daily goings-on. I don't.

My FB feed currently consists of:

1) Instagram pictures from a friend I've known since birth

2) Location checkins from someone I have good banter with but haven't seen in 10 years

3) My cousin's wife talking about getting hammered tonight

4) An ecard

5) Somebody getting tagged.

Conversely, my G+ feed consist of:

1) The same photographer friend, but with better pics

2) Tim O'Reilly talking about MakerCamp

3) Zach Weiner posting an SMBC comic

4) Some random doing something I don't care about

5) Matt Cutts explaining a change in spam detection behaviour.

In short, G+ makes me want to come back because there's interesting stuff to see. FB makes me want to come back so I don't lose touch with some people I care about.

[progrock]

Either way it's easy to have a flood of updates that you don't want to read, or cloud over the bits you are interested in.

If you had two Facebook accounts, one for your close friends and family, and another for interests, would it be any better?

I'm not sure if there is a G+ algo. If you aren't the stalking kind on Facebook, and don't interact with certain people - then some of your acquaintances end up out of sight. And sometimes the wrong ones end up in plain sight.

Both platforms would benefit from a 'turn this person down switch.'

[maayank]

"whereas my G+ feed is almost a reddit/HN replacement"

any suggestions for people like Linus who post well and often to G+ publicly?

[mtgx]

You should probably do a Google search for what you have in mind. Since Google allowed "sharing circles", much like sharing lists on Twitter, a lot of people have shared their "tech circles" or whatever.

[jonah]

Tim O'Reilly: https://plus.google.com/107033731246200681024/

[progrock]

Glyn Moody, does a lovely wrap up of tech news.

[darklajid]

Ah, but if I'd just be able to read and post as throwaway over there..