Hi Paul,

 

Thank you for your comments on my Google+ article. Like you
I am not particularly fond of hyperbolic phrases like “Facebook-killer” which
is why the headline was phrased as a speculative question rather than a
statement.

 

I submitted half a dozen possible headlines with the piece
and that just happened to be the one that ran. My favourite was Google+: Hands-on and thumbs-up. I
mention this because on the whole I think Google+ is a great product, despite
my criticisms of it.

 

I also agree with your assertion that it isn’t Google’s
fault if your contacts aren’t up to date, but I think it’s important to note
for non-Android users. I only made the effort to tidy my contacts when I first
used an Android phone, and for those who’ve never had the need to sort out
their Google contacts it’s alarming when you’re suddenly presented with
hundreds of contact suggestions, many of whom you don’t know because you may
only have emailed them once or twice.

 

In terms of Google’s contacts-automatically-added debacle, you’re
quite right, I did mean Buzz rather than Wave. That was simply an error and I’ll
see to it that it’s corrected accordingly.

 

As you point out, “Google’s wording doesn’t include the
right to sell the photographs, just reproduce and manipulate them,” and perhaps
I overstated the issue, but it was precisely the Twitpic uproar that prompted
me to note it. I’m sure we both agree that creative professionals should keep
their work off social media if selling it is their livelihood. Still, an
amazingly large number of people don’t realise this.

 

I’m sorry you felt my piece seemed poorly researched. I’ve
been playing with Google+ since last Friday when I first got access, and spent
hours reading about it over the last few days. However, with all of the
articles about it out there already I wanted to offer a simplified look at the
product, and a look at why it might work.

 

Thank you again for your comments, it’s readers like you
that keep writers like me on our toes and continually trying to produce better
work. Hopefully my next piece on Google+ won’t leave so bad a taste in your
mouth.

 

All the best,

 

Craig