Not too much has been happening in the world of Google+ recently but on Tuesday (April 24th) Google’s developers introduced a Google+ Share button. The basic idea is that while browsing content around the web you have the ability to share content to your Google+ stream without having to leave a +1 on the site. The idea might seem a pointless practice at first glance but Google (as always) have their reasons for the feature. Let’s say you were reading a controversial article about negative war practices for example, you wanted to share the article with your circles but at the same time did not wish to appear insensitive on the topic by giving a +1, the Share button gives you an opportunity to do this.
What is your opinion on the new button?
There have been a few Google+ users who are sceptical about the feature either claiming that it’s functionality isn’t different enough to have it’s own button separate to the standard +1 or that introducing an additional button will cause poor interface usability experiences. Cihan Demiral commented on the official Google+ Developer post the following –
“All right, let me get this straight: When you click on the +1 button, it lets you share via a pop-up — now we’ve got another button that only lets you share content, sans +1-ing it. Correct? Fantastic.
You could’ve made it so upon clicking a +1 button, it would give you the usual sharing pop-up, but there could be a +1 button right next to that green ‘Share’ button; that +1 button I proposed would also function as ‘Close’ — ‘+1 and close this pop-up’. Boom, ~5kb less js on every page on the internet and, more importantly, less confusion about the functionality of G+.
But no, it would be too simple. You’re right. Congrats.”
A discussion also took place in the official AdWords community on whether introducing the button would create too much clutter within threads –
http://www.en.adwords-community.com/t5/Community-lounge/The-new-G-Share-Button/m-p/18617
I think it will be interesting to see whether websites make use of the Share button or simply leave it alone, what are your opinions on it?