The weather and wellness

The weather is mostly warm and pleasant in my little slice of Philadelphia. Spring is a season that fills me with joy because watching the days grow longer and everything return to life is amazing. April brings a special treat when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom and they add splashes of pink and white to an increasingly verdant landscape. The end of winter and warming weather also brings a sense of renewed energy and boundless opportunities. It certainly is easier to be productive when you don’t dread leaving the house because of freezing temperatures.

This spring feels especially meaningful thanks to recovering from a bout of illness. During the last weekend in March I began to come down with a chest cold. I took a night off from work to recover, but decided to dive right back into my job once I felt a little better. Not only that, I spent a Saturday cleaning a kitchen which included the use of strong chemicals. I thought a paper face mask would be enough to protect me from the fumes, but breathing in the fumes caused my cold to transform into bronchitis. I had to take two more days off from work, one of which was unpaid because I ran out of sick and personal days. The coughing was so terrible that I vomited at times. When I was well enough to return to work, I was unable to sleep at night due to the persistent cough. I’m finally mostly over the bronchitis.

The time I spent absolutely miserable in bed gave me a full appreciation of being able to recover and get myself back on track. I’m thankful to be well enough to work, and to do side tasks from time to time. I also feel less anxious about dedicating some days to personal projects and others to relaxation. Finally, I’m just grateful to be feeling like myself.

 

Has ever being sick given you a more appreciative outlook after recovering?

Cherry Blossoms by calamity_sal of Flickr

RIP, Google+

On April 1 Google shuttered Google+ for non-business users. I briefly wrote about the initial announcement back in October. Since then, Google moved the August shutdown date up by four months. As one of the few people who still used Google+, I couldn’t let the social network’s death pass in silence.

In 2011 Google+ was created. It was originally invitation-only, but by year’s end was open to anyone. With Google’s might behind the network, many saw it as a potential Facebook killer. In 2012 Google+’s user base grew to 90 million, but the growth was due to a forced merger with YouTube. That action soured many on the social network in its early days. Also, user engagement never approached Facebook’s numbers, making the earlier claim of overtaking the world’s largest social network laughable. That said, those who did use the service found the experience to be meaningful.

Unlike Facebook or Twitter, Google+ did have one useful feature. Users had the option to categorize those they followed into circles—i.e., friends, family, co-workers, and much more. A shared post could go to all of a user’s followers, or just followers in certain circles. Likewise, users could choose to follow people from selected circles. It was a great organizational tool. Other features included uploading photos, Hangouts, and location sharing which added in making the network a viable Facebook alternative. In later years, photos uploaded to G+ would be spun off into Google Photos, and the other services were removed or scaled back. The major draw of the network would eventually become circles, pages, and groups.

I joined Google+ in 2011. I loved how users shared articles and pictures along with discussion that felt more meaningful than what I found on Facebook. Conversations in groups (for the most part) felt a lot less divisive as well. Unlike Twitter, shared content had more staying power and didn’t immediately disappear into the void. When I found out part of my job for Epic Careering would be sharing content on G+, I was already familiar with the social network. Additionally, content shared for my personal projects seemed to get a decent amount of traction compared to Facebook and Twitter. (Sadly, finding followers was much more difficult.) I will miss Google+’s distinctly different feel.

Google’s ambitious social network spent the years from its birth to premature death as a niche service. The users who actually engaged on the network loved it, especially as an alternative to Facebook and Twitter. Now with Google+ gone, there aren’t many alternatives. Some replacements include MeWe, Mastodon, and Diaspora, though I personally haven’t tried any of these networks.

Sometimes you don’t know what you have until it is gone. So RIP, Google+.

What are your thoughts on Google+’s demise?

Google Plus is truly gone now.