Dear Google: A Petition To Improve Circle Sharing

Circle sharing is getting has a bad rep - and it is only going to get worse; but it doesn't have to be this way. I would never bring a problem to your attention without offering a solution; so here is the problem as I see it, as well as a proposed solution.

Adding shared circles are one of the ways users find people to follow on Google Plus; therefore, it stands to reason that many of those who wish to gain a following would want to be included in shared circles in the hopes of increasing their following when the circles are added. As someone who has had success sharing circles, I know that getting a circle shared outside my community by as many people as possible is the key to reaching new people who are currently not following me.

Those who have 'mastered' circle sharing are generally the ones who strongly encourage or even require sharing in order to stay in - or get in - the next circle. This can promote a circle sharing frenzy by those included, as well as attract spammers attempting to get into subsequent shares. The frenzy surrounding these circles, and the fear of being spammed, causes many seasoned Google Plussers to be leery of sharing or adding circles at all. On the other hand, the frenzy entices those who are new to circle sharing - the newbies who have no clue what they are doing and often add and share every circle they are included in before finding themselves with streams filled with junk, notifications that are out of control, and circles that are a mess.

It takes time to vet a circle so it is easy to see why shortcuts are taken in order to get the next share published; many of the larger shared circles are not properly vetted and are often filled with people that even the circle creator does not know. Some of these people might not wish to be included in public circle shares, especially the ones filled with spammers, but there isn't a way to "optout" short of blocking those that include you - after you have already been included.

Even worse than taking shortcuts, some circle "creators" have built a following routinely adding circles (many will follow them back), sharing these circles as new circles with themselves included (so others will add them) and then immediately deleting the circles (so they aren't following anyone back and can continue the process without hitting their 5K limit). This is in essence flooding Google Plus with their circles, circles of people that they never "really" circled in the first place, circles of people that didn't have them circled, and that they likely never interacted with at all.

So what is the solution?

The solution is very simple. Rather than allowing a circle creator to share a circle of people they are following, only allow them to share circles of people that they are following who are also following them back. I have followed this practice of only including those who are following me rather consistently and believe this is one of the reasons I have been looked to as someone with "decent" circle shares. Don't get me wrong, there are still many who frown upon my circles, because as I said, circle sharing has a bad rep on Google Plus.

While this solution will not eliminate the circle sharing frenzy, it would certainly give people more control over who is allowed to include them in a circle share. Furthermore, limiting the pool that the circle creator has available to only those that are following them back would go a long way toward preventing spammers from creating their own circle shares; after all, if no one was following them, they wouldn't have anyone to share.

Sincerely,
+Christine DeGraff

Do you agree with this solution? 
If so, please sign the 'petition' below by saying "I agree" in the comments below or offer a better solution if you have one. If you do not think there is a problem, you are welcome to state your case.