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New Google+ is beautiful?

alexdong.com

21–30 of 82 posts

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh.. ya I know how to zoom my browser. But that is gross. By the time I zoom enough to get two columns... everything is freaking huge. I'm not blind... I just don't want random sized blocks randomly thrown onto the page.

if you want single column theres an option under More called Steam Layout

You, sir, are a hero.

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#22

Seems to be operating under the assumption that text = photos for the user. My observations of social networks has definitely not borne that out. People love photos. Due to the demographics of Google+, What's Hot is skew toward tech news. But I am pretty sure the intention of Google+ is not to provide news, but to appeal to the general public. General public loves pictures.

Good point and I agree that we human beings are wired towards photos.

My criticism is not "Text vs. Photo" but rather how to design for "Text AND Photo". The problem with the current design is 1) if there is photo, it's really hard to notice the text; 2) if there is no photo, the text reading experience is suboptimal too.

IMHO, a good design is the one where different elements can co-exist in harmony instead of try to shout louder than the others. It is from this perspective that the new Google+ design failed.

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#23
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I learned from billnguyen's post, you can make it change the number of columns by zooming in and out. With the 3 column layout your mind immediately gives up on wanting to figure out the chronological order. Am I the only one who thinks that the chronology matters?

no, but its pretty apparent that the G+ team doesn't think it matters. 3 columns just helps my brain get on that same wavelength, whether I agree with it or not :)

I think you nailed it there: they obviously don't think that chronological order matters, and so much for that.

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#24
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I learned from billnguyen's post, you can make it change the number of columns by zooming in and out. With the 3 column layout your mind immediately gives up on wanting to figure out the chronological order. Am I the only one who thinks that the chronology matters?

zoom in and out? I don't see that option in G+. And I very much care that things are in order. I can't understand random (or even a complex, non random, non time-based order). This is shit.

We meant zooming in the browser, using C+ and C-. And yes, I agree with the s--t part.

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#25
I commented earlier that I had a hard time figuring out the chronological order of the posts in the stream. I've learned since that Google doesn't want us to care about that. Fine, that's their prerogative. But now I have a new problem: I don't know how to read this thing at all. I can't read it "by column," that is, one column after the other, because it's infinite scroll. But I can't read it "by line" either, because there are no lines, given that the posts have different heights. This is mildly annoying in two-column mode, and impossible in three-column mode (to which it switches automatically if the space is there). How do you read this, particularly in three-column mode, and be reasonably sure not to miss a post?

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#26
post #25

I commented earlier that I had a hard time figuring out the chronological order of the posts in the stream. I've learned since that Google doesn't want us to care about that. Fine, that's their prerogative. But now I have a new problem: I don't know how to read this thing at all. I can't read it "by column," that is, one column after the other, because it's infinite scroll. But I can't read it "by line" either, becau…

You can switchback to one column in the 'more' menu.

>> "How do you read this, particularly in three-column mode, and be reasonably sure not to miss a post?"

I think that might be your problem. Maybe Google doesn't think many people want to see every post in their stream. Personally I just skim through it and see what catches my eye. I much prefer this design (2 column, my 15" monitor apparently isn't large enough for three regardless of the lagre whitespace to either side of the two columns).

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh.. ya I know how to zoom my browser. But that is gross. By the time I zoom enough to get two columns... everything is freaking huge. I'm not blind... I just don't want random sized blocks randomly thrown onto the page.

if you want single column theres an option under More called Steam Layout

That's brilliant (irony directed at Google, not billnguyen, whose posts are great).

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#28
I just checked. Perhaps it's my circles (which have a heavy tech bent) but I really don't see meaningful stuff there. Mostly images are I/O related stuff that I don't honestly care about (do I want to see an animated image of someone giving a preso?)

Re: New Google+ is beautiful?

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook's stream hasn't been chronological (for most users) in a long time - I think years, and it doesn't seem to bother most users.

Mine is. They do reset the sort order back to "top stories" once in awhile which is annoying but I always just set it back to sort by date

Yes but the majority or people just use the top stories sort and are happy with it. I think people who want everything in chronological order are the type of people who don't want to miss a post - even though most posts on Facebook/Google + aren't important enough to matter if you miss them.
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