Google+ Hits 10 Million Users - Time to consider a move?

Picture: via http://bit.ly/qXbAoK 

My name is Kevin Pashuk, and I'm a move-aholic.

Over the years of our marriage, we have moved an average of once every two years. Sometimes it was down the street. Other times, across town. But there have also been moves to another province thousands of kilometres away, or even to a different country.

Let me state emphatically that I am not on the run from the law. We have followed my work and my career in technology. More realistically, I am one move away from a divorce, but that's another story.

Almost every time we moved, we had to build a new network of friends, communities (church, sports leagues for the kids), and service providers (good hair cuts, cheap breakfasts, etc.).  I once read it takes three years to get integrated into a community - where you feel like it's home, and I believe it.  It is a lot of work to move.

We have retained great friends from these former communities but the reality is, we no longer have a true connection with the towns we used to live. We can't vote, we don't know all the current buzz, and we only get back on occasion - as a visitor.

There are strong parallels in the Social Networking space.  Larry Page announced yesterday that Google Plus' limited deployment now had ten million users.  Even Mark Zuckerberg had an account for a while. (Aside: In an irony of all ironies, Mark Z had the most followers on G+, an honor that now goes to Robert Scoble).

In amongst those ten million users is me.  My initial reaction was "Meh".

I'm not sure I will switch in the near future from my current mix of social media platforms.

Why?

Moving is a lot of work.  I know.

If you read my previous post (Time for a Friendectomy) you know my position on collecting friends.

Social Media is about relationships. It's about developing professional and personal relationships.  It's a highly effective tool in the arsenal of the IT leader.  You need fluency and presence on social media platforms.  I'll expand on this in future postings.

So far, all the people I can find on G+ are the same keeners on all the other platforms.  I don't need another SM platform to build these connections.  Building a new community of connections takes time and energy - something I don't have an excess of these days since I still have all the duties of my career, and I'm still unpacking from my last move.

It's best summarized by a Tweet I received this morning via @erwinmcmanus;

"A live well lived isn't about who walks the fastest but about who has the most people walking with them".

How about you?  Are you planning a move to Google Plus?