"Also ran social network?" It's been running for how long? Second only to facebook and isn't a neverending class reunion? SIGN ME UP.
Only days before this functionality was announced, I and my writer friends were bemoaning the fact that you can't email people you 'know' quite well through G+. Now you can. I'm happy.
By all means, of course, control the access others have to you, but Doctorow's lack of perspective is disappointing.
http://boingboing.net/2014/01/10/howto-prevent-people-from-send.html
Less poisoned-well post from cnet: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57617033-93/how-to-prevent-google-users-from-e-mailing-you/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title
#wp?
I just saw that too. Lame.
A good, balanced (i.e., sane) article on it here from an initial skeptic: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2086360/google-broadens-integration-between-gmail-and-plus-with-email-autosuggest.html
Not the new feature I've been wanting, but I don't hate it.
I just quit Facebook. Keeping G+.
Honestly, I've never undershoot how Doctorow has any influence in technology writing as Doctorow isn't really sure how anything works. As for how long Google + has been running – 2.5 years (launched June 28, 2011) and it has roughly 8% of the market share that Facebook does.