Ask HN: Does anyone still uses Google+?

I follow a bunch of GNU/Linux developers on it. They seem to have moved to G+ instead of personal blogs:

https://plus.google.com/+LinusTorvalds

https://plus.google.com/+gregkroahhartman

https://plus.google.com/+AlanCoxLinux

etc.

Not really, but I miss it.

Not that it ever had the popularity it needed to be really useful, but I did use it to reach out to my programmer friends. As a kind of minimal effort blog. The biggest advantage with G+, as I used it, was that I could post technical stuff (like I would on Twitter) without confusing my other friends (like I would on Facebook) and it would actually be read (unlike Twitter).

I do. It has enough users to be a good place to follow specialized communities and topics of interest. I think of it as a long form version of Twitter.

Neither Twitter nor G+ have the ubiquity serve Facebook's purpose of collecting every random person you know. I keep up with the people I actually care about in real life, so personally find G+ and Twitter useful on a daily basis, and Facebook as a once a month supplemental sort of thing.

I don't understand why everyone complains about Google+ being a "ghost town." Google+ has become a vibrant social network for individuals of common interest, cliques if you may. Vibrant, active, and engaging communities of science-enthusiasts, technology geeks, developers, politics, writers, etc. are all reviving on G+. There are tons of interesting people on G+ who post frequently and make a bunch of rather interesting and thought provoking posts. For example, one Googler whom I follow, he's active, and always interesting is Yonatan Zunger[0]. John Baez makes some very educational and interesting math-related posts[1]. There are many others.

[0] https://plus.google.com/+YonatanZunger

[1] https://plus.google.com/117663015413546257905

I don't like using things when I'm forced and unfortunately for google+ - you could not use youtube withoud signing up for google+, that was the tipping point for me to decide I will never use this platform.

I used G+ actively for many years (more often than Facebook, in fact), up until a year or two ago when a format change caused it to suddenly take up far more resources -- I use fairly old machines & use them heavily, so having some hunk of javascript taking up 100% of one CPU is grounds for ditching a site entirely. If Google would improve their performance for that site, I would still be using it regularly: it always had a better signal to noise ratio than Facebook or Tumblr.

Today, my only involvement in G+ is as an administrator for a handful of communities (mostly relating to the fandoms of 60s and 70s countercultural figures -- one of a handful of subjects where, like tech, the G+ communities are more active and have a better signal to noise ratio than FB).

I use it to share Google Photos with my family. While Google Photos is great for organizing your own pictures, it doesn't provide a built in means of sharing.

Some communities do, like Ingress[0] players for example.

[0]http://ingress.com/

Just to stay informed about Android Development

I do. A fair number of Linux kernel and systemd folks like to post on G+. Sometimes they gripe at each other. I wouldn't say they post often, but it's usually interesting when they do.

Depends on how one defines the use. I prefer it over every other general purpose networks: in fact, I've never had an active Facebook or Twitter account. However, I have not posted in public on G+ for a few years. I have hard time keeping up with the info flow from RSS and GitHub, which leaves little time for G+ or HM, and knowing that others are no less busy I really don't want to bother people with my musings unduly. 1594 days on HM that resulted in only a dozen or so comments can attest to that.

This question would have been good as a poll.

I don't. I actually forgot about it until this question was raised, and I couldn't tell you the last time I visited it.

It is what it is.

A+ for circles, G+ for content.

Nope - I deleted my G+ profile last night.

I accidentally created a profile years ago, when it became a part of Google Apps. I took one look round and haven't used it since.

It felt like work to use, and seemed like it was built for Google's needs to counter Facebook and collect joined up data on its users rather than a compelling platform for its own sake.

I do. One guy I know (Dan Kegel) posts interesting stuff there, and so does Torvalds. It's a very low volume, high signal stream. I don't use Facebook because it's a very low signal (approaching zero) stream and I don't want to waste my time with that crap.

My employer uses it as an internal company wide message board for cross-functionality cross-discipline communications (company composed of several subsidiaries and offices across the continents, headcount just under 10K, workforce composed mostly of engineers and B2B sales)..

Among my interest groups, it only found a niche among the old-school renaissance RPG bloggers, people like Eric Tenkar of tenkarstavern.com. I logged in, and those guys are still posting on Google+ regularly. I rarely go there, however.

I use it for tracking Tech communities. I use Hangouts and Photos a lot, although they're no longer a part of Google+.

I am pretty sure Google will phase out G+ in a year or two. Like Allo and Duo, they will bring something new.

To follow communities like Ubuntu, etc

I don't have anyone in my circles and enjoy the guilty pleasure of seeing the auto suggested bland but worldly "interesting stuff", hot cars, volcanoes, a spicy recipe, pictures of mars,smart quips and bold quotes with pets followed by my favorite happy ending of finding where click to log out...

I do, although rarely.

One ex-colleague of mine whom I was connected with at FB left that site and is only available on G+, and in anger I "unfriended" another ex-colleague on FB whom I'm still connected with on G+, and there is no way I'm going to send a friend request on FB (I've only ever sent a single one myself). That's because I think my anger was justified. Don't send me friend requests if you then basically tell me you don't like what I'm writing. I was not angry enough to sever the connection on G+ too, however.

Since I only use FB as a "bookmark service" where I post links to stuff I want to remember myself ("sciency" stuff mostly, zero politics or personal information) it does not really matter much to me.

Very few connections on either website (FB or G+) post much that I'm actually interested in, which is pretty limited: Anything posted that's not a science or engineering topic (and nothing superficial from the mass media, please) is just noise. I don't know those people well enough to care about their private lives - when I do care I would not use FB to exchange such news.

As a general rule I don't use social networks because of the signal to noise ratio, but G+ is certainly a more intelligent network.

G+ is certainly something I'll browse if I'm bored, which is probably couple of times a month. It's replaced StumbleUpon (from years ago) for me.

Never. I would though if they integrate with another platform - such as Slack. But that will never happen.

I see some people still there, most of the content seems to be the one replicated by some social tools that post it everywhere

(Most of my connections there are tech oriented so sometimes I post a one-off thing that I found interesting)

I do. I think it's great for providing public support / community for consumer software, specially after their latest revamp, which undid the confusing multi-column layout.

No. I wanted to, but it's never been a compelling platform.

It's great for nerdy niche interests, like retrocomputing.

I do. Sometimes. I follow some IT stuff, chili growing, photography etc. Would possibly have used it more if I had time.

(Don't use any other network either.)

Yes, for sharing photos ~3 times a month with selected family. Good integration with Google Photos for those small updates. Otherwise, no.

I Don´t.

Yes, everyday. There are many communities for developers, woodworking, vegan,... in one place

Google still provides G+ results in search, so it does benefit some of your posts if you have a blog

I use it all the time.. to sign into sites I don't feel like making an account for

No, never figure it out... Do you think it helps to improve SEO ? (I read it before)

I still use it fo follow Googlers who share stuff only on G+ (e.g. François Beaufort).

Why is this in free fall down the front page despite 36 points in less than an hour?

Sometimes.

I do.

the one person that I remember using it was Linus Torvalds.

I do daily. And there are many people who do more than I.

I was wondering EXACTLY the same thing today!

Using hangout can be considered as using G+?

Never.

A bit.

Every once and a while.

Never was, never will.

always... lots chinese friend there

Not at all

no