Going round in circles
Jinfo Blog

By Dale Moore

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I was tempted to call this post "All my life’s a circle" after the 1972 hit Circles, by the UK band The New Seekers (yes, I’m old enough to remember it). Why? Well, it seems that many people are seeking something more than is currently offered by the current giants of social media i.e., Facebook and Twitter. Google has a little something called Circles - which is part of the Google+ platform and seems destined to make a big splash in the social collaborative space. But then I thought this was probably a bit too cryptic, hence the arguably more appropriate title chosen.  

In an intriguing article, originally published back in June, and revisited a few days ago, the author Marshal Kirkpatrick reports that Google is having another shot at getting into the social media sphere by adding a crucial element lacking in other "status sharing" platforms; namely, the ability to manage different groups of people – or "personas" – quickly and easily. This main feature here is an attempt to add a highly desired level of privacy to one’s social circles. The Official Google Blog shows how Circles fits into the Google+ suite.  

The main advantage of this over existing tools is that it’s now possible, and very easy, to separate "friends" from "colleagues" using the same tool for connecting with people inside and outside the organisation. Social Media (W2.0) and Enterprise Social Media (E2.0) have hitherto been separated by the company firewall. Will Google+/Circles change this? As usual, time will tell. For many people though, anything that simplifies and streamlines the social media experience can only be a good thing. Well, how many online social media profiles do you need? 

I guess the big question here is will Circles, part of a larger Google offering (think Apps or Accounts), replace such well established E2.0 platforms as Yammer? An interesting thought! 

In his recent post, How will the social media bubble burst?, Tim Buckley Owen observes that, “A large crop of vendors with overlapping features is competing for a finite audience”.  Will this, the latest offering (and attempt) by one of those vendors, succeed in convincing us to streamline our collaborate efforts into a single platform? Again, take up – and time – will tell. Personally, anything that enables me to collaborate with colleagues, share status updates and manage my list of acquaintances can only be a good thing. 

So, as we approach 2012, what will the social media/enterprise collaboration convergence space give us? Plenty if Google can get it right this time. Full circle? We’ll see. 

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2012.

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