Well, first of all groups are flat categories for messages, not tags.
You cannot have, say, a smaller group included in a larger group like for example: your former classroom colleagues group included in the larger group of all high-school colleagues from your school, included in yet another larger group of all people you know from your city from the same generation (useful in a small city were you know most such people).
Then, there's the interface.
I just looked at it and I can't find an interface to re-organize my current list of friends in Lists. I also can't find a way to filter the messages only from people in a certain list. Lists also have the same problem as groups, they are categories for people, meaning that one person can only belong in one List. And when posting a message on your wall, is there even an option for posting only to a certain list, as I can't see it.
And then, their biggest problem (I think) is the legacy.
People have been building huge lists of friends without thinking about organizing that list. People now post updates and engage in conversations like on Twitter - as if their message will reach their hole list and even people outside of it as well.
Embarrassing comments are a minority, as people in general are aware that their coworkers or family will see their drunken pictures (except many teenagers that don't give a shit, but someday they will). So it's a lot of self-censorship, not to mention the vanity contest.
On the other hand if you knew that your message will reach only your friendly-neighborhood buddies, I don't think you'll show much restraint, since sounding smart or cool is useless and even condescending to people who actually know who you are; getting much nicer and exciting conversations.
I haven't tried Google+ yet, but I'm excited that Facebook may finally have some competition, much needed IMHO.
Some good points, some odd ones (why would you really need a hierarchy of groups inside of other groups?), but the interface part is mostly wrong/exists already.
I just looked at it and I can't find an interface to re-organize my current list of friends in Lists.
Account->Edit Friends, each friend has "Edit Lists" next to them on hover
I also can't find a way to filter the messages only from people in a certain list
Click the arrow beside Most Recent on the News Feed, then you can filter by any list
Lists also have the same problem as groups, they are categories for people, meaning that one person can only belong in one List
One person can belong in as many lists as you want them to
And when posting a message on your wall, is there even an option for posting only to a certain list, as I can't see it.
Click the lock beside the share button -> Custom edit -> Specific People -> Type whatever lists you want
You cannot have, say, a smaller group included in a larger group like for example: your former classroom colleagues group included in the larger group of all high-school colleagues from your school, included in yet another larger group of all people you know from your city from the same generation (useful in a small city were you know most such people).
Then, there's the interface.
I just looked at it and I can't find an interface to re-organize my current list of friends in Lists. I also can't find a way to filter the messages only from people in a certain list. Lists also have the same problem as groups, they are categories for people, meaning that one person can only belong in one List. And when posting a message on your wall, is there even an option for posting only to a certain list, as I can't see it.
And then, their biggest problem (I think) is the legacy.
People have been building huge lists of friends without thinking about organizing that list. People now post updates and engage in conversations like on Twitter - as if their message will reach their hole list and even people outside of it as well.
Embarrassing comments are a minority, as people in general are aware that their coworkers or family will see their drunken pictures (except many teenagers that don't give a shit, but someday they will). So it's a lot of self-censorship, not to mention the vanity contest.
On the other hand if you knew that your message will reach only your friendly-neighborhood buddies, I don't think you'll show much restraint, since sounding smart or cool is useless and even condescending to people who actually know who you are; getting much nicer and exciting conversations.
I haven't tried Google+ yet, but I'm excited that Facebook may finally have some competition, much needed IMHO.