But at the risk of showing my age (I haven’t been 25 in about 20 years), I’m often scratching my head at the alphabet soup of acronyms found in more and more posts on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and even the good, old-fashioned comments section.

“FTW!” they say, or “TIL!” Or maybe the “OP” really meant this, or a lengthy post might end with a brow-furrowing “TL;DR,” followed by a brief synopsis.

Say what?

Before you head for Google, I’ll save you the trouble and spill the beans on six of social acronyms I’m most often asked about, starting with…

1. FTW

Stands for: “For the win!”

What it means: A cheerful, triumphant acronym that celebrates something—almost anything, really—that absolutely hit the ball out of the park.

Usage: “What makes the best coffee, you ask? French press FTW!!!”

2. FML

Stands for: “[Four-letter word that rhymes with “duck”] my life!”

What it means: Something bad—anything from a hangnail to a pink slip—happened to you. As it always does.

Usage: “I was running late for work, so I took a warp-speed shower, threw on my clothes, got my kid ready for school in record time…only to discover that I’d locked my keys in my car. FML!”

3. IMHO

Stands for: “In my humble opinion”

What it means: Nope, you’re no expert, and you’re not trying to offend anyone. You’re just tossing out your two cents—and fingers crossed, you won’t draw too many angry comments in the process. Sometimes tinged with a hint of sarcasm.

Usage: “IMHO, our fearless leader totally blew it when he cancelled casual Fridays.”

4. TIL

Stands for: “Today I learned”

What it means: Here’s a funny, surprising, or otherwise notable fact that you just picked up and want to share with the world.

Usage: “TIL that a pound of any combination of dimes, quarters, and half-dollars is worth $20.”

5. TL;DR

Stands for: “Too long, didn’t read”

What it means: Sometimes at the end of a lengthy post, comment, or rant, the author (or a helpful commenter) will boil everything down to a small, easily digestible nugget.

Usage (in this example, after five blood-drenched paragraphs about how he’s sick of his office mates leaving the coffee pot empty): “TL;DR If you’re pouring the last cup of coffee, make another pot for everyone else. Thank you.”

6. OP

Stands for: “Original poster”

What it means: Referring back to whoever wrote the original post on a given (and typically lengthy message thread.

Usage: “I think what OP was trying to say was that Cyrus should’ve known all along he was being set up.”

So … got more confounding social acronyms to share? Let me know!

Update: Here’s another great acronym submitted by reader Diana…

TTFN

Stands for: Tah, tah for now

What it means: I’m signing off now. It’s
casual, like ‘later, gator’, gotta go’ or ‘cheers’.

It is used when you want to sign off but not say love or love you.

Usage: Running late. TTFN

Image credit: phozographer, via Flickr; Creative Commons license 2.0.

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Twitter’s Advanced Search page will let you pinpoint tweets with smileys or frownies.

Indeed, you can dive head-first into the Twittersphere without ever signing in.

That’s because almost every tweet on Twitter is viewable by the entire world, save for the relatively few Twitter users who have locked their accounts.

Twitter boasts a powerful search tool that lets you pinpoint tweets by specific users, hashtags (those keywords or phrases with a “#” before the first letter, like “#Facebook” or “#IHateMondays”), date ranges, or even by location.

You can even filter your results to see only tweets with smileys (“:)”) or frownies (“:(“), or tweets with a question.

Best of all, your Twitter search results are updated in real time—perfect for following, say, a fast-moving Wimbledon match.

Clicking the “Photos” filter will give you a neat-looking mosaic of tweeted snapshots.

So, ready to search? Let’s get started…

• First, skip the main Twitter home page and head directly for Twitter’s search site (http://twitter.com/search). From here, you can plug in search phrases, names, hashtags, you name it—and no, you don’t need to sign in to Twitter to search.
• So, get some search results? Try the filters in the left column to narrow the torrent of tweets. For example, click People to find users with your search term in their Twitter handles, or Photos, Videos, or News to see only tweets with images, video clips, or web links to news articles. (Clicking the “Photos” filter will give you a neat-looking mosaic of tweeted snapshots.) Want to see only tweets from Twitter users near you? Click the Near You link in the left column.
• By default, Twitter’s search results only show you “top” tweets—that is, tweets that are being heavily retweeted, replied to, favorited, or otherwise interacted with. Want to see each and every matching tweet instead? Find the “Top / All” toggle at the top of your search results and make sure “All” is selected.

Now what?

Click the alert to see all the new tweets since the last time you refreshed your search results.

• Keep an eye out near the top of your results; every once in awhile, you’ll see an alert that reads (for example) “39 new results.” Click the alert to see all the new tweets since the last time you refreshed your search results.
• If you want to get a little more specific about your search, click the Advanced Search link in the left column to jump to Twitter’s Advanced Search page. Once there, you can search for exact words and phrases, tweets that don’t have a particular word, tweets near a specific city, tweets in a certain language, or tweets directed to or from one or more Twitter users.
• The Advanced Search page also lets you search for tweets within a particular date range, handy for finding tweets from the past rather than the here and now.
• Last but not least, you can find tweets with smileys and frownies by checking the boxes in the Other section, at the very bottom of the Advanced Search page. Only want to see tweets with a question? Check the “Question?” box.

Got more Twitter questions? Post ’em below!

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Read on for 10 free iPad apps that you shouldn’t miss, from Amazon’s Kindle reader and Flipboard’s customizable “social” digital magazine to Skype video chat and Google’s Office-friendly cloud storage utility.

Note: Yes, there are actually more than 10 apps on my top-10 list, but I figured you wouldn’t mind a few extra.

1. Kindle / iBooks / Google Play Books

Curl up with your iPad and dive into a great book from Amazon’s Kindle store, Google Play Books, or Apple’s own iBookstore with these easy-on-the-eyes e-reading apps.

Each one lets you flip pages with a swipe, choose your favorite font, sync bookmarks, and download any previously purchased volumes.

Download: Kindle | iBooks | Google Play Books

2. Netflix / Amazon Instant Video / Hulu

Cinephiles and couch potatoes, rejoice. You can press “play” on tens of thousands of movies and TV shows from Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu with these streaming video apps for the iPad.

The apps themselves are free, but you’ll need to be a paying subscriber ($8/month for Netflix and Hulu, or $79/year for Amazon’s “Prime” service) before you can start watching.

Download: Netflix | Amazon Instant Video | Hulu Plus

3. ABC Player / The CW Network / NBC

Not a Netflix/Amazon/Hulu subscriber? No problem. You can still watch scores of free network TV shows on your iPad from the likes of ABC, A&E, The CW, NBC, and more.

The catch? Unskippable (and relatively frequent) advertisements.

Download: ABC Player | The CW Network | NBC | and more…

4. Skype for iPad

Sure, the iPad already comes with Apple’s FaceTime video-chat app, but it won’t do you much good if you’re hoping to say hello to someone who isn’t using an iPhone, iPad, or Mac.

The free Skype app for iPad, however, will let you chat face-to-face with any Skype users, even those with a PC or an Android phone.

Download: Skype for iPad

5. Google Catalogs / Catalogue / Catalog Spree

Do a little shopping and save a tree while you’re at it with these catalog-shopping apps for the iPad, each of which lets you flip through virtual, iPad-sized versions of catalogs from such big-name retailers as J. Crew, Crate & Barrel, L.L. Bean, and more.

Download: Google Catalogs | Catalogue | Catalog Spree

6. Pinterest for iPad

Wish you could “pin” your favorite fashions, products, and other online goodies to your Pinterest boards on the iPad’s jumbo screen?

Well, you could try the laborious process of adding a “Pin It” button to the iPad’s Safari browser, or you could just install Pinterest for iPad, which boasts its own “Pin It”-equipped (but otherwise bare-bones) browser plus a gorgeous, touch-friendly interface for browsing the latest pins from fellow Pinterest users.

Download: Pinterest for iPad

7. Flipboard

One of the most innovative apps yet for the iPad, Flipboard turns your Twitter and Facebook news feeds into a beautifully formatted virtual magazine, complete with bold headlines and vivid images.

You can also add hand-picked web collections from Flipboard editors or add your own favorite blogs.

Download: Flipboard

8. Dropbox / Google Drive

Both Dropbox and Google Drive will let you sync files and folders from your PC or Mac to your iPad, although Google Drive comes with a nifty bonus: the ability to edit, create, and share Word- and Excel-compatible documents.

Download: Dropbox | Google Drive

9. Facebook / Twitter

Feeling social? Browse your Facebook and Twitter feeds from your iPad, complete with jumbo-size photo galleries, “push” notifications when your friends post updates or replies, and easy photo posting from your iPad’s camera roll.

Download: Facebook | Twitter

10. YouTube

Diving into the YouTube rabbit hole is all too easy on the iPad, and Google’s new YouTube app for iPad makes it even easier to sign into your YouTube account, add videos to your “Watch Later” list, subscribe to new channels, create playlists, and wade through an endless number of related clips.

Download: YouTube

Looking for more iPad tip? Click here!

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1. Facebook / Twitter

 
Rejoice, social mavens: mobile apps for both Facebook and Twitter are available for Android phones, and each will let you post updates, browse the latest stories from your pals, upload photos, and share links.

Download: Facebook | Twitter

2. Netflix

 
Are you a Netflix subscriber? If so, get ready to start streaming. You can browse tens of thousands of movies and TV shows through Netflix’s glossy new mobile interface, manage your instant video queue, and stream videos over both Wi-Fi or 3G/4G cellular networks. Just be careful not to bust over your carrier’s monthly data limit.

Download: Netflix

3. Kindle / Google Play Books

 
Yes, bookworms, you can use your Android phone as an e-reader with the mobile Kindle or Google Play Books apps, which let you download and store, and flip through purchased e-books, even when you’re offline.

Download: Kindle | Google Play Books

4. Pandora / Last.fm / Slacker Radio

 
No need to go without free, streaming music if you’ve got one of these music apps on your Android phone. Each app serves up all the streaming tunes you can stand—albeit with advertisements.

Download: Pandora | Last.fm | Slacker Radio

5. Amazon MP3

 
Browse, purchase, stream and/or download new and catalog tunes from Amazon’s massive digital music selection.

Download: Amazon MP3

6. Pocket (formerly Read It Later)

 
Similar to Instapaper, Pocket (also available for the iPhone and iPad) saves and formats web pages you’ve bookmarked for mobile (and offline) reading. It’s the perfect app for Android users looking to dive into lengthy news and magazine articles on a small screen.

Download: Pocket

7. WeatherBug / The Weather Channel

 
How’s the weather out there? Both WeatherBug and the Weather Channel serve up current conditions and forecasts, plus animated radar maps, video forecasts, and webcam images from local weather stations.

Download: WeatherBug | The Weather Channel

8. Lookout Security & Antivirus

 
In addition to scanning your handset for the latest crop of mobile viruses; Lookout’s mobile security app will also track your lost or stolen Android handset, similar to Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature. An absolute must-have app, if you ask me.

Download: Lookout Security & Antivirus

9. Google Reader

 
Perfect for keeping tabs on your favorite blogs and news sites, the Google Reader app syncs with the free, web-based Google Reader service and even saves new articles for offline reading.

Download: Google Reader

10. Yelp

 
Where to go, what to do … and what’s for dinner? Yelp for Android will pinpoint your location and list nearby stores, restaurants, banks, museums, hospitals, you name it. Each listing includes details like street addresses, hours of operations, and plenty of user reviews.

Download: Yelp

11. Dropbox / Google Drive

 
Your most important desktop files will never be more than a swipe away with these powerful file-syncing apps on your handheld. Dropbox offers free syncing for up to 2 GB of documents and will (if you wish) automatically sync all your mobile snapshots with your other Dropbox-linked devices.

Google Drive, meanwhile, taps into your online Google Drive account (up to 5GB of free storage) and adds the ability to create and edit Word- and Excel-compatible documents directly on your phone.

Download: Dropbox / Google Drive

12. Pulse News

 
A sleek, magazine-like mobile news reader that syncs with Facebook and Google Reader, Pulse News boasts featured sections from the likes of TIME, The Huffington Post, CNNMoney, and more.

Download: Pulse News

13. Flipboard

 
Don’t want to cough up the cash for a pricey digital magazine subscription? Build your own “social” magazine with Flipboard, an app that creates beautifully designed, magazine-style pages using stories from your favorite blogs, not to mention headlines shared by your Facebook and Twitter pals.

Download: Flipboard

14. Instagram

 
Armed with dozens of groovy filters and frames, Instagram turns your mobile snapshots into works of pop art—and if you’re feeling social, you can share your eye-popping pics on Facebook or Twitter, or with other Instagram users.

Download: Instagram

15. Skype

 
A must-have for new parents (as I’m just now discovering), Skype makes it easy for far-flung relatives with PCs, Macs, iPhones or iPads to say “hi” to baby via video chat. Also on board: crystal-clear voice calling and instant messaging.

Download: Skype

16. Pinterest

 
Browse all the fashions, products, food, and other online goodies that’ve been “pinned” by fellow Pinterest users, and create your own pins using the automatically installed Google Chrome “pin it” bookmarklet.

Download: Pinterest

17. Fandango / Movies by Flixster

 
Wanna see a movie? Fetch local showtimes, reviews, photo galleries and trailers for the latest box-office draws, buy tickets, or check out new movies on Blu-ray or DVD.

Download: Fandango / Movies by Flixster

18. Google Chrome

 
Why settle for the browser that came with your Android phone when you could get the mobile version of Google Chrome, a web-browsing speed demon that lets you sync bookmarks, tabs, recent searches, and other settings with Chrome on your desktop.

Download: Chrome for Android

19. Evernote

 
Don’t let that brilliant thought slip away; instead, jot it down with Evernote, an easy-to-use digital notebook that syncs your notes and web clippings with your (free) online Evernote account.

Download: Evernote

20. Google Goggles

 
Confounded by those blocky, black-and-white squares stamped on everything from magazine ads to billboards? Those are QR codes, and you’ll need a mobile QR reader to translate them. Enter Google Goggles, a free Android app that’ll quickly scan a QR code and reveal its secrets.

Sightseers will also appreciate Google Google’s ability to cough up factoids about notable buildings, statues, and other landmarks in your field of vision.

Download: Google Goggles

Keep in mind, of course, that these aren’t the only must-have apps in the Android Market. Have any suggestions for more? Post ’em in the comments below!

Update [1/3/13]: I’ve replaced Listen, the Google podcast app that hasn’t been updated in nearly six months, with Flipboard. I’ve also added Google Drive, Pinterest, Fandango, Movies by Flixster, Chrome, Evernote, and Google Goggles to the list.

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1. Follow us on Facebook
Yep, here’s the thing is on Facebook—and indeed, we just converted our Facebook page to the new timeline format. Just click the big “Like” button on our Facebook page to see our latest posts in your news feed.

2. Follow me on Twitter
Even if you’re not big into tweeting, you can still follow my Twitter feed, where I post my most recent stories and answer tech questions from fellow Twitter users.

3. Subscribe via email
You can get a daily digest of our latest tips, how-tos, and reviews sent straight to your inbox; all we need is your email address (and yes, you can always unsubscribe if you wish).

4. Subscribe to our RSS feed
If you use Google Reader, Flipboard, My Yahoo!, or another RSS-friendly web service or app (“RSS” stands for “Really Simple Syndication,” by the way), you can subscribe to our RSS feed by clicking this link.

Have a tech question you’d like me to tackle? Send me an email!

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Back in the day (and we’re only talking six or seven years ago, mind you), any cell phone with a built-in camera was verboten in most courthouses, and security may even have given you a hard time about bringing in a laptop. And free Wi-Fi in the waiting room? Please.

In recent years, though, courthouses from coast to coast have become much friendlier to gadget-bearing jurors. Cooling my heels in a jury assembly room in Brooklyn recently, I spotted dozens of electronic devices like laptops and smartphones, including my own MacBook Air and iPhone.

But just because you can bring your phone to court doesn’t mean you can use it in a courtroom—and indeed, expect a stern rebuke (or worse) from the bench if you start tweeting from the jury box.

Read on for a few dos and don’ts about bringing your mobile electronic devices court, starting with…

DO: Check online or call ahead for your local courthouse’s gadget policy

While most courthouses now allow cell phones, smartphones (including those with cameras) and laptops, others are more strict when it comes to bringing your gadgets. Make sure to call your local courthouse in advance and ask before heading in for jury duty with mobile gear in tow.

DON’T: Talk on your cell phone in the jury pool waiting room

Sitting for hours in the jury assembly room waiting for your name to be called is bad enough; no need to make matters worse by annoying fellow would-be jurors with loud phone conversations. Take your calls out in the hallway, or in a separate jury lounge if there is one.

DO: Use your laptop or text/surf on your smartphone in the jury assembly area, or in a hallway

Chatting on your phone in the waiting room might be a no-no, but there’s (usually) nothing wrong with texting, tweeting, or working on a laptop—provided you’re not texting or tweeting about a case you’re hearing as a juror, that is. (More on that in a moment.) And if you’re taking a break in a courtroom hallway, feel free (again, pending courthouse policy) to power up your gadgets.

DO: Ask about free Wi-Fi

Many courthouses offer free Wi-Fi in the jury room, perfect for catching up on work or checking email while you wait. Just make sure to get the exact name of the courthouse Wi-Fi network; don’t just connect to the first Public Wi-Fi network that you find.

DON’T: Use your cell phone or laptop in a courtroom

Once you’re sitting in the gallery or jury box of a courtroom, all bets are off as far as your gadgets are concerned—particularly if court is in session (and if you’re a prospective or chosen juror, it most likely is in session).

Most judges will demand that all cell phones and other electronics to be turned off and stowed, and if the judge catches you sneaking a peek at your iPhone, expect a scolding or even a visit from the bailiff. And don’t even think of snapping a picture unless you get approval from the bench … which you probably won’t get, unless you’re a news photographer.

DON’T: Search for information about your trial online

If you’re chosen to sit on a jury, resist the urge to Google your particular case during a break. Jurors are only supposed to base their decisions on evidence and testimony from the trial itself, and if the judge finds out you’ve been reading up about the defendant on your Android phone, that fact alone could be grounds for a mistrial.

DON’T: Tweet, text, or post updates about your case

The usual admonishments for jurors about discussing a case while the trial is in progress also apply to text messages, Twitter, and Facebook. Why? Because anything your text, post, or tweet could be used as evidence of bias—and yes, grounds for a mistrial. If you’re sitting on a jury, think twice before you update your status online; after all, you don’t want to become another headline, do you?

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Naturally, the crush of callers following Tuesday’s scary earthquake here on the East Coast soon jammed the airwaves, leading AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile to urge subscribers to text, e-mail, or tweet their friends and family—just please, don’t call.

“Call delays due to temporary mass calling event,” Sprint said on its official Twitter feed. (“Mass calling event?” Nice one.) “To contact loved ones following earthquake, please use text mesgs rather than call.”

T-Mobile had the same much the same advice on its own Twitter feed, reporting that its network was “experiencing higher call volumes in all areas affected by the earthquake.”

AT&T users (myself included) also had trouble making connections, while Verizon Wireless owned up to “some network congestion” following the 5.8 (or 5.9, depending who you talk to) temblor.

But scared East Coasters who had the good sense to hang up their phones and turn to Facebook, Twitter, or good old-fashioned texting had much better luck getting through to their loved ones.

Moral of the story? When the earth shakes beneath your feet, resist the urge to call home and try texting, posting, or otherwise tapping instead.

Did you feel the quake—and if so, were you able to get in touch?

Update: Even the Department of Homeland Security now says you should stick to Facebook and Twitter when it comes to contacting loved ones about the quake:

If White House town hall meetings via Twitter and Facebook weren’t proof enough that we’re moving well into the Gov 2.0 era here in the US, then this might help sway your opinion. The Department of Homeland Security, seeing massively clogged telephone connections on the East cosat following a Virginia earthquake, is encouraging the use of social media to contact friends and family.

via The Next Web

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Feel the same way? Then you might get a kick out of Snail Mail My Email, a free “community art project” in which a staff of more than 200 volunteers take submitted email messages (100 words or less, please), write them out in beautiful, honest-to-god handwriting, put them in stamped envelopes, and hand them over to (human) postal carriers.

Why? Because “there’s something warm and fuzzy about coming home and checking the mail and getting a letter from a friend,” Snail Mail My Email creator Ivan Cash told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s such an intimate form of communication, especially in today’s world.”

Nice, but nothing lasts forever—particularly when it comes to free “interactive” art projects.

Volunteers at Snail Mail My Email will only keep scribbling until August 15, when Cash’s online experiment in old-school communication is slated to close up shop.

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Following on Facebook
Getting regular updates from here’s the thing on Facebook couldn’t be much easier. All you need to do is visit our Facebook page—it’s right here—and then click the big “Like” button next to the title of the page. You can also click the “Like” button in the Facebook module sitting in the right-hand column of this page.

(Related: What happens when you “like” something on Facebook?)

Easy, but what happens now? Basically, you’ll start seeing updates from the here’s the thing fan page in your own News Feed.

Only you will see the updates, mind you, not your friends—although if you do want to share a particular story with your Facebook pals, just click the Share button to post the article to your wall.

Another, even easier option is to simply “like” a post by clicking the Like button.

I’ll only post two to four items a day on the here’s the thing Facebook fan page—but if that proves too much, you can always hide my posts by click the little “x” next to a story and selecting “Hide this post” or “Hide all posts by Here’s the thing.” And if you’ve truly had enough, you can choose “Unlike this page.”

Following on Twitter
You can also use Twitter to keep an eye on here’s the thing—and the best way to do so is to follow yours truly.

Just click here to take a gander at my Twitter feed, where I post most of my daily here’s the thing articles. You’ll also see occassional chit-chat between me and other Twitter users.

If you want to see my updates in your own Twitter feed, well … first, you’ll need your own Twitter account, of course.

Visit the Twitter.com home page to sign up and pick a Twitter handle; mine is “benpatt,” or @benpatt as we say in the world of Twitter.

Once you’re all set with an account, visit my Twitter feed again and click the “Follow” button—and from then on, you’ll see my tweets in your main Twitter page.

You can also simply click this button here: Follow @benpatt

There are plenty of other people to follow on Twitter, of course, from Lady Gaga and Oprah to President Obama and the Pope—and who knows, you may end up tweeting a little yourself, too. Just remember that on Twitter, your updates are public by default, so don’t tweet anything you wouldn’t want the whole world to see.

Have any questions about following here’s the thing on Facebook and Twitter? Don’t hesitate to let me know.

See you online—and have a great weekend. I’ll be back bright and early Monday.

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Just select the people you want to add, then drag them into the Google+ "circle" of your choice.

Probably the biggest question Google needed to answer about Google+, its ambitious new social network, isn’t “how” or “what,” but “why?”

Why would anyone want to add another social network to their lives when we’re already wasting hours a day on Facebook and (to a lesser extent) Twitter?

Well, the answer isn’t all that obvious until you’ve used Google+ for a bit—and indeed, the initial list of features (including virtual “hangouts” where you can video chat with entire groups of friends, instant photo and video uploads from your phone, and feeds of “highly contagious” topics to comment on) wasn’t initially all that awe-inspiring (or at least, it wasn’t to me).

As it turns out, though, the subtle yet powerful appeal of Google+ lies in how you add fellow Google+ members to your distinct social “circles.”

Instead of forcing you to deliberate whether to accept that random Facebook friend request from someone you met exactly once, Google+ lets you add near-strangers to your social network—but you can also banish them to a far-flung Google+ circle with little access to your personal updates or information.

So far, giving the barely two-week-old Google+ a test-drive hasn’t been all that easy. Entry into Google+ is by invitation only, and until just a few days ago, Google+ invites were scarce—and hot—commodities. The good news is that Google seems to have loosened its grip on Google+ invites, making them far easier to snag. (If you don’t have one yet, drop me a line and I’ll send you one.)

Still, all the chatter about Google+ “circles” feature is just academic until more people join Google+. Some unofficial estimates claim that about four million souls are signed up—not bad for just a week, but a drop in the bucket compared to Facebook’s mammoth, 750-million-member network.

Once you do manage to sign up (you’ll need a Google or Gmail account to get started), Google+ will present you with a wall of thumbnailed tiles, each representing a member. Beneath the tiles, you’ll see a row of four blue circles, marked “Friends, “Family,” “Acquaintances,” “Following,” and a fifth labeled “Drop here to create a new circle.”

Google+ lets you share—or not—specific personal details with only the circles you choose.

Here’s where the fun begins. As opposed to Facebook, where adding a casual acquaintance puts them in the same bucket as your closest family and friends, Google+ immediately asks you to put (or rather, drag with your mouse) a new Google+ contact into one of your social “circles.”

Why is this such an important point? Because with Google+, there’s no agonizing about whether that person who’s trying to add you to their network is close enough to add to your friends list.

For example: That person you just met at a business conference, or at the store—you know, someone you might normally think twice about adding on Facebook? In Google+, you can just drag them into your “Acquaintances” circle rather than, say, your “Best friends forever” circle.

Also, these Google+ social “circles” aren’t just circles in name. Any updates you write, photos you post, or any other content you share with a circle stays within that circle, unless you specify otherwise. You can also specify which bits of personal trivia in your Google+ profile (including your resume, interests, relationship status, and phone number) get shared with a specific group—and which don’t.

Now, Facebook also allows you to create its own version of friend circles—although on Facebook, they’re called Groups, and when you add a friend to a group (like, say, “People I don’t know very well”), they’ll know about it.

In Google+, on the other hand, your contacts won’t know which of your circles you’ve added them to; instead, they only know that you’ve added them in one way or another, thus eliminating the possibility of hurt feelings by adding them to your “Can’t remember where I met them” circle.

Another difference between Google+ “circles” and Facebook Groups is that on Facebook, Groups are intended to act more like clubs—that is, you won’t see anything posted to a Facebook Group wall that wasn’t specifically intended for that particular group. If your Facebook friends don’t take to the Group you created for them, you’ll hear nothing from the Group but crickets.

Click a link to see updates only from a particular Google+ circle. (The updates pictured here are all public, by the way.)

With Google+, though, clicking on a particular circle filters out status updates in your Google+ news feed from anyone that isn’t a member of your circle. Click on your “Family” circle, for example, and you’ll only see updates from mom and dad, or your brothers and sisters. Click on your “Office mates” circle, and you’ll only see posts from folks in the office—even if they’re not even aware that you’ve relegated them all to their own circle in your Google+ network.

To be fair, Facebook also lets you filter your news feed using Friends Lists, which you may have to hunt around to find. Try clicking the “Friends” link below your profile picture, then click the “Manage Friend List” button at the top of the page; you’ll then see you lists (if you have any) in the left-hand column. Once you have some lists set up, return to your main profile, click the link next to “Top News” above your news feed (the link probably reads “Most Recent”), then scroll to the bottom of the drop-down menu and select a friend list by which to filter.

But Facebook’s friends lists are really only for filtering your news feed—there’s no way to specify that, say, you don’t want your phone number shared with people on your “Old pals from high school” friend list. Correction: Actually, you can share specific updates and personal information with individual friend lists in Facebook. It’s not nearly as seamless a process as in Google+; still, apologies for the oversight.

In other words, Google+’s social circles are more than just window dressing. They’re powerful sharing features that can (potentially, at least) ease your anxiety about whether to accept, reject, or ignore those incoming friend requests.

So, what do you think: Does the world need another social network? Like the idea of choosing “circles” for your friends? Need a Google+ invite? Let me know!

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