Even more ridiculous is the fact that the minimum order is two of these hideous things.

The first of two problems preventing widespread adoption of Google Plus is the complete misunderstanding that Google Plus is actually a social network. Well it kind of is, but not in the way that Facebook is. And when you start to compare Google+ to Facebook, your comparing apples to oranges, and you’re going to lose in that comparison. As a closed network destination, Facebook has a lot more to offer than Google Plus. It’s easy to make the comparison because G+ has a way for users to post status updates and and a news stream to see what all their friends have posted. But that is not the true point of Google Plus. The true point, and biggest strength about Google Plus is that unlike Facebook, G+ is not a closed, self-contained system. G+ is not one location you go to. G+ is everywhere, all throughout the most popular sites around the internet. Unlike Facebook, you don’t have to go to a single destination to use it. Search Google and you’re using G+. Watch videos on YouTube and you’re using G+. Upload photos to Picasa and you’re using G+. Some have keenly described Google Plus as a “social layer” to the websites you’re already using. When you consider that Google Plus actually includes all of Google’s vast web empire, G+ is actually much larger than Facebook.

The other problem with Google+ is one that I haven’t seen anybody else write much about. It’s a problem that is easy for Google to fix instantly if they actually wanted to. The problem is their highly deceptive “suggestions” for people to connect to (add to their circles).

Everybody I know has at first mistakenly thought that those suggestions were people who were already on G+. I did this too. People see people they know as suggestions to their circles and don’t realize that those are all the people in their Gmail contacts list. They continue on to spam friends, family, and even business acquaintances who were not on Google Plus – never even heard of it before, and are then utterly confused. I for one will not connect to any new people on Google Plus anymore because I don’t want to spam my friends like that. And I’m definitely not alone. A lot of people I’ve spoken with about this are also refuse to add new people to their G+ circles anymore because they’ve been burned before by it. This may sound like a minor issue but Google needs more people to sign up for Google Plus and for those people to add other people to their circles. If everybody is afraid to add their friends and family to their circles then it completely kills the viral adoption of their service, draining the social aspect out of their social “network”.

If only Google would limit their circle suggestions to only contacts who were already on Google Plus, I (and others) would start using it again!

I’m now on FourSquare, the locational social network that allows you to check-in online to places you’re at in the real world. It’s fun but I’d use it a heck of a lot more if I weren’t completely dependent on free wi-fi hotspots. Patty thinks it’s creepy for people to follow where I am, but I decide where and when to check in – it’s not like it’s tracking me all the time. My favorite check-ins so far have been at Bank of America Stadium. It’s cool to be part of a “Super Swarm” on game days, and it’s also cool to check in to the press box due to its exclusivity.

And I’m on GetGlue now too, which is similar to FourSquare but instead of checking-in to places you’re at in the real world you check in to media – like what you’re watching on TV or what books you’re reading. It’s fun to see what shows your friends are watching at the same time. It’s also cool to see real-time trending stats, sort of like instant Nielsen ratings. Or to know that when you’re watching an obscure old DVD that’s not popular anymore, that there are at least a few other people somewhere out there that happen to be watching the same movie as you at that same moment.

And finally – having nothing to do with my Android device – I’m on Google+ now too. I was one of the earliest people with a Google account – a private beta tester – but I had to wait until just recently to be able to get on Google’s new social service because they didn’t roll it out to their Google Apps customers until recently. Most people think it’s like Facebook, only not nearly as good. They are wrong. Google+ isn’t trying to compete with Facebook as a destination. Google+ is a social layer to Google’s existing products. Perfect example: I was searching Google for something and one of the results just happened to be a site that a friend of mine had +1′d. His photo showed up next to that search result as a recommendation, and possibly boosted its ranking in the search results.

I must admit that all these social networks make blogging more difficult. The blog is good for longer posts and subjects of broader appeal, but shorter posts to friends and family are easier to fire off on a social network.

• My Facebook profile
• My Twitter profile
• My LinkedIn profile
• My FourSquare profile
• My GetGlue profile
• My Google Plus profile
• My Flickr photostream

Throughout my mile-long walk through the neighborhood, I was never in a spot with less than four wi-fi signals. That’s a lot of wi-fi spilling into the streets. My first thoughts were about how many people used personal information in the name of their network, including people’s names. Just walking by I could tell that Mary and Anthony were the names of a couple of my neighbors.

Most of the wi-fi throughout the neighborhood was secured networks that you would need a password to get on to. But what surprised me was at least 10 different wi-fi signals were totally open, unprotected from anybody like me stealing their bandwidth. One person (Anthony, mentioned above) had two very strong network signals. One that was secure named “Anthony-secure” and another totally unprotected signal named “Anthony-guests”. What the heck is the point of having a secure wi-fi signal if you have another insecure signal on the same network? That’s like having a lock on your back door but having the front door wide open.

So in Charlotte they are currently painting the World’s Largest QR Code on the top of a warehouse. I’ve seen businesses like Lowe’s Home Improvement paint their logo on their roof before, either to be seen while flying overhead or more likely when viewing the satellite view in Google Maps. So it only makes sense to take it to the next step with a QR code.

I think this is a great idea, although I do think it’s ironic that you can’t capture the code on your smart phone while flying overhead, since all electronic devices must be turned off during takeoffs and landings. (Note: The NoDa neighborhood (where this QR code was created) is not on any flight lines anyway.)

A year ago I created The Usual Susspects for the purpose of separating all of my professional work from my personal ramblings. I moved all my personal ramblings here to this site with the goal of transforming my original domain into my professional portfolio website. It’s still not 100% done, but it was close enough for me to launch the new website publicly a few weeks ago. Check it out.

MikeSussman.com

1. Silent Monks Singing Halleluia (all the singing signs in the background)
2. The leg lamp from the movie “A Christmas Story” is in the background.
3. Office Chair Rowing
4. Where The Hell Is Matt (which repeats over and over again)
5. From the poster for the movie Office Space, but How To Pick Up Girls With Post It Notes*could fit too.
6. (I have no idea what that little gray character in the corner is.  It looks like a silver version of a minion from Despicable Me.)
7. Ask A Ninja
8. Will It Blend
9. Three Wolf Moon T-Shirt *
10. Old Spice | The Man Your Man Could Smell Like
11. Zombie Kid Likes Turtles
12. Evolution of Dance
13. (I have no idea what the Melbourne 9 is supposed to be.)
14. Average Homeboy *
15. lolcats
16. (something was on the screen behind the lolcat girl but I don’t know what it is)
17. Scary Maze prank
18. Where The Hell Is Matt again
19. Giant Lego man found in Dutch sea *
20. The Great Office War
21. (I have no idea what the guy with the headphones is supposed to be.)
22. Leave Britney Alone!
23. Chocolate Rain
24. Diet Coke + Mentos
25. Trapped In An Elevator for 41 Hours
26. The fax machine scene from the movie Office Space
27. Boom Goes The Dynamite *
28. All Your Base Are Belong To Us
29. Rick Roll
30. (I’m not sure but possibly Pop Moonwalks in Wal Mart *)
31. Tron Guy
32. Terry Tate, Office Linebacker
33. Nunchucks Pro
34. (I have no idea what the muscle/doctor is supposed to be.)
35. I think this is supposed to be Mahir Çağrı (aka The real Borat) I now know this is Cigar Guy
36. JK Wedding Entrance Dance (one of the all-time best memes)
37. (I have no idea what Where’s Waldo is supposed to be, other than an old childrens’ book.)
38. (I have no idea what the piano singing to Asian girls thing is supposed to be.)
39. John West Salmon “Bear Fight” commercial
40. Free Hugs campaign (I knew about this one but never saw the actual video before)
41. It’s Peanut Butter Jelly Time! (one of the stupidest memes ever)
42. Brawndo commercials * (which was the inspiration for this fake Farmville commercial)
43. (I have no idea what the guy with the moose glass is supposed to be.)
44. Double Rainbow!
45. Strongbad from Homestar Runner
46. I’m assuming this represents any one of many night-vision celebrity sex tapes
47. Office Worker Goes Absolutely Insane
48. (I have no idea what the hoola hoop girl is supposed to be.)
49. Crazy Old “DJ” *
50. Miss South Carolina
51. (I have no idea what the two stomping girls in yellow shirts is supposed to be.)
52. Chuck Norris Facts (this link may not be the original source)
53. Where The Hell Is Matt again
54. Reference to Festivus, from the TV show Seinfeld
55. O RLY
56. (I have no idea what the weapon fighting is supposed to be.)
57. **** In A Box from Saturday Night Live
58. Star Wars Kid (although the many remakes were even better than the original)
59. Where The Hell Is Matt again
60. And finally Flash Mobs, as everybody appears for the final scene then quietly disperses

Without giving too much away, you start off by entering an address that Google Maps has StreetView for.  They suggest the address where you grew up but it really doesn’t matter.  The website then showcases a music video that is customized with both aerial and street level views of the location you entered.  But that’s not the impressive part.  What’s really impressive is the choreographed display of multiple windows that open and close and actually interact with each other in sync.  There are also some pretty cool effects with animated overlays (especially one part near the end).  If you have Google Chrome installed, go check it out!

Tip:  When you first visit the home page, you can interact with he birds using your mouse.

h/t Kristen