Lovely Little Sunshine

I was on a mad computer spree yesterday, and I'm deeply ashamed of myself. You see, it started innocently enough. I wasn't really happy with the tumblr set up for keeping a blog and letting a wide range of people view and comment on it, so I came back and started another blog on blogger. That lead me to realize that I still had all of this widely distributed Google technology. So then, obviously, I had to clean up my accounts and try to connect them. Naturally, this lead me to adding new profile pictures, updating my information, clearing irrelevant history, trying to get my twitter to sync up with everything, and asking Google if I thought I was pretty enough. That was an afternoon.

Well, things got worse. In doing all of this, I discovered that Google was running a limited beta of its new service called Google+. Essentially, Google+ is supposed to take the Facebook model but make it parent proof by allowing users to decide with whom various things are shared. So all those 15 year olds who were at that totally rad basement party at Johns can post their solo-cup wielding pictures without fear mom and dad will be able to see it. For those of us who aren't teenagers, this perhaps just gives us a renewed sense of privacy. There's also the neat little feature that Google has given its users that allows them to completely wipe themselves off the server (allegedly). Its like an Internet cyanide pill. You take it and drift off into oblivion. What's so important here is that, unlike Facebook, it appears Google is offering those who get way to weirded out a way to escape.

I've been using my Google+ account and I have to remark on a few things. First, I like the circles idea and the Hangout option. When it comes to the Internet, I'm pretty OCD about making sure that all my stuff is organized and controlled. Second, I like how much it is tied in with the regular Google interface, including a little "+Nicholas" in the top corner next to my "Gmail" tab. But there are some things I'd love to see from updates. It would be great if I could tie in my other Google services to my profile such as blogger and youtube. It would be great if a post in one would show up on my posts in Google+. Also, it would be awesome if Google could add some sort of App that would allow movement between Twitter and Google+. Again, it may just be my Internet OCD talking, but I love being able to go to one place in order to see all my internet accounts and then break off from there if I want.

Now, I know it may appear that I am asking Google to basically take over my Internet life. Hell, I already have a blog with them! But I'm ok with that for the moment. I don't get my news from Google (and I'm not digging Google Reader much anymore) and I visit a lot of other websites that aren't dominated by Google. But having my homebase on the Internet be one, well integrated source is very appealing to people like me (you know, crazy people). I do the same thing with my hardware, except with Apple (though I own an Android phone). Maybe I'm just too obsessed with streamlining my Internet experience, but damnit, I love all this technological sunshine. I, for one, welcome our new Google overlords.