Google+ .. What the ...?

[ControlD]

I wish they would just give up with this cloud crap. Or should I just say KILL GOOGLE+. Seriously, nobody uses it.

I tend to agree, at least with the way things are currently structured in regards to data (in the US at least, I have no idea how the rest of the world works in this area). We keep getting faster and faster network speeds and more services tied into "the cloud". At the exact same time we are seeing our data caps get smaller and smaller. 4G + cloud service is a complete failure with the current data cap structure.

 

[jpeyton]

What data caps are you talking about? There are still mobile networks without data caps.

Also, Google+ is very explicit in their options when you set it up. Your wife clicked through the "agree" option too quickly. The options aren't simply binary, enable or disable backup. You can enable backup, but choose to backup only when connected to WiFi (which is what I do).

When you first set up G+, it also asks whether or not you want to backup existing photos/videos on your device, which is another option she blindly agreed to without thinking about the 4GB+ of photos/video already on her phone.

Moral of the story is to answer "no" to anything Google ever asks post update.

Actually the moral of the story is to read your options first before blaming Google.

 

[ControlD]

What data caps are you talking about? There are still mobile networks without data caps.

Also, Google+ is very explicit in their options when you set it up. Your wife clicked through the "agree" option too quickly. The options aren't simply binary, enable or disable backup. You can enable backup, but choose to backup only when connected to WiFi (which is what I do).

When you first set up G+, it also asks whether or not you want to backup existing photos/videos on your device, which is another option she blindly agreed to without thinking about the 4GB+ of photos/video already on her phone.


Actually the moral of the story is to read your options first before blaming Google. This is a tech forum. I'd expect a post like this from my parents, both who are complete luddites and can't even configure basic options on their smartphones.

I would say most of the big providers are moving to capped data plans. Do you disagree with this?

Also, I would expect someone jumping in on the second page of a thread to perhaps read a few previous posts before deciding to pile on. I didn't click anything on any phone, I came into this after my non-techie wife was having problems. It was a binary decision. Google+ asked if she would like to backup her data. The choice was yes or no. She never even opened the stupid app (so she claims, it doesn't matter I am willing to believe she clicked too fast). She didn't even know there was an icon for it.

As I said, I realize the initial blame is not Google's. My problem is that it kept backing up data over a mobile connection after (a) changing the option to WiFi only and (b) completely disabling the backup.

 

[whoiswes]

What data caps are you talking about? There are still mobile networks without data caps.

Also, Google+ is very explicit in their options when you set it up. Your wife clicked through the "agree" option too quickly. The options aren't simply binary, enable or disable backup. You can enable backup, but choose to backup only when connected to WiFi (which is what I do).

When you first set up G+, it also asks whether or not you want to backup existing photos/videos on your device, which is another option she blindly agreed to without thinking about the 4GB+ of photos/video already on her phone.


Actually the moral of the story is to read your options first before blaming Google.

This.

 

[Tsaar]

I wish they would just give up with this cloud crap. Or should I just say KILL GOOGLE+. Seriously, nobody uses it.

I use it... Just not like Facebook. It is just a cloud manager so I can easily share things between family and manage my Hangouts. All while using my now terabyte of cloud space for $10/month. I have a 17 month old and sharing his shenanigans with the family through my auto backed up photos and videos is easy (also now with a ton a cloud space for cheap).

Not sure if you need Plus for this, but auto awesome is great.

I know Google wants people to use Google+ like Facebook, but that will never happen. I do like it, regardless, as my "Google manager".

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

What data caps are you talking about? There are still mobile networks without data caps.

Also, Google+ is very explicit in their options when you set it up. Your wife clicked through the "agree" option too quickly. The options aren't simply binary, enable or disable backup. You can enable backup, but choose to backup only when connected to WiFi (which is what I do).

When you first set up G+, it also asks whether or not you want to backup existing photos/videos on your device, which is another option she blindly agreed to without thinking about the 4GB+ of photos/video already on her phone.


Actually the moral of the story is to read your options first before blaming Google.

I think the point is while those options might make sense to us, it's easy to hit the wrong button. I accidentally turned on 3G backup once and I forgot it was on and wasted 700mb of my data within the first month of a new cycle. I quickly caught that thanks to AT&T letting me know I hit my 1gb/2gb already, and so I found the culprit and turned it off.

Even I who typically meticulously scans through the settings of my apps to make sure nothing happens in the background without me knowing can make a mistake. Can you expect everyone else in the world to thoroughly vet their phones? I recently had to tell my GF to turn off Google+ OR Dropbox and to just pick one to backup her photos. By having both on she was not only doubling her data use but likely sucking up a lot of battery. She had a lot of trouble running out of battery at the end of the day with her GS3, and after I helped her comb through her settings and turn off syncing where unneeded (like Pulse, Google Play Newsstand, etc.) her battery shot way up.

I know I like to praise the iPhone for doing well in battery, but I know a lot of idiots who complain their iPhones die too fast. It's easy to spot issues like photo backup, Find my Friends, etc. all being battery drainers. You just have to know where to look. All these services sound great to users who aren't critical techie thinkers like us, and who won't realize immediately that battery and data are easily jeopardized. So yeah, i think it is upon companies like Google and Apple to make it so that users won't easily slaughter their monthly quota of data.

 

[Bateluer]

Yeah this is a very dangerous setting, and while some people might not take that many photos and it might be ok, the average consumer doesn't know how much extra data AND battery you could be draining by auto uploading everything. I set my auto upload to not only Wifi but also when charging. That way it doesn't just try to upload when I'm at work because work wifi likely blocks a lot of things to begin with.

I use a similar setting with my Photo upload to my Dropbox. Not quite the same as the Google+ app though I don't recall getting a similar prompt myself.

 

[Red Storm]

I think the point is while those options might make sense to us, it's easy to hit the wrong button. I accidentally turned on 3G backup once and I forgot it was on and wasted 700mb of my data within the first month of a new cycle. I quickly caught that thanks to AT&T letting me know I hit my 1gb/2gb already, and so I found the culprit and turned it off.

Wouldn't have been an issue if you just set a proper warning and/or limit in the data usage settings. Should be the first thing everyone with a limited data plan should do. It's right there near the beginning of settings too, not way down the list.

 

[ControlD]

Wouldn't have been an issue if you just set a proper warning and/or limit in the data usage settings. Should be the first thing everyone with a limited data plan should do. It's right there near the beginning of settings too, not way down the list.

Yep, for sure we should have done this no doubt. I guess it's one of those things you don't know you need to do until something bad happens. We are such light data users (usually around 300MB combined per month) I never even thought to look for such a setting. Live and learn.

 

[Red Storm]

Yep, for sure we should have done this no doubt. I guess it's one of those things you don't know you need to do until something bad happens. We are such light data users (usually around 300MB combined per month) I never even thought to look for such a setting. Live and learn.

Unfortunately yes, a lot of times technology is a live and learn experience, that's why I always go through every setting option just to see what it is. It definitely helps to avoid mishaps.

 

[cronos]

Unfortunately yes, a lot of times technology is a live and learn experience, that's why I always go through every setting option just to see what it is. It definitely helps to avoid mishaps.

The first thing I do after I got a new phone (or factory reset/flash a custom ROM) is install a firewall. I let everything pass through wi-fi but only let a handful of apps through mobile data. No need to worry about a forgotten setting somewhere or some rogue app draining my balance.

 

[JoeMcJoe]

By default google+ photo backup is set only to backup on wifi.

So a setting must've been changed to make it backup over cellular.

 

[cronos]

By default google+ photo backup is set only to backup on wifi.

So a setting must've been changed to make it backup over cellular.

That's impossible, that means this is not Google's fault

 

[ControlD]

By default google+ photo backup is set only to backup on wifi.

So a setting must've been changed to make it backup over cellular.

I can't say for sure what happened in this case, but I can pretty much guarantee she didn't change ANY settings in Google+ except enabling the backup (when prompted). She didn't even know there was an icon for it.

 

[ControlD]

That's impossible, that means this is not Google's fault

Just for the record, I am not saying all of this is Google's fault. I can accept the initial mistake was completely user caused.

What I DO have a problem with is the fact that Google+ continued to upload almost 2GB worth of data via 4G after (a) the option was changed to WiFI only AND even worse (b) the backup option was completely turned off. I still don't think that behavior is acceptable. If you do, that's wonderful for your wireless carrier I suppose.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Wouldn't have been an issue if you just set a proper warning and/or limit in the data usage settings. Should be the first thing everyone with a limited data plan should do. It's right there near the beginning of settings too, not way down the list.

But I set my warning at 1.5gb for a 2gb limit. I on average consume 1.1-1.5gb.

So if I'm on my first day of use and Google+ misbehaves and 500mb are used, I would never catch it. The only reason I even caught my mistake was because AT&T emailed me about 50%? (or was it 65%) of data use and this was within the first week.

It's not Google's fault I agree, but it's not a very consumer friendly system even with the Data Usage tab. It's almost on me to continuously check it to make sure I'm on track.

Just for the record, I am not saying all of this is Google's fault. I can accept the initial mistake was completely user caused.

What I DO have a problem with is the fact that Google+ continued to upload almost 2GB worth of data via 4G after (a) the option was changed to WiFI only AND even worse (b) the backup option was completely turned off. I still don't think that behavior is acceptable. If you do, that's wonderful for your wireless carrier I suppose.

Because there really is no exit button in Android, you should be sure to kill the process or at least kill it out of the Recents screen. To be extra sure, since syncing is highly tied into the system level, I'd even reboot the phone. Just be careful with on the fly changes. Once again, not your fault and I wouldn't expect the average user to figure this one out.

Edit: While I think us techies should understand what's going on, to expect the average user to make it through painlessly with the current system is not fair. I think Google can be doing more to make this process easy to understand. It's kinda like the typical user doesn't understand while installing PC apps that an extra checkbox will install Bonzai Buddy and slow your system to a crawl. While I will typically catch those and even if I fail I can get rid of those apps, it's no surprise that your average PC has a bunch of bloat ware running in the background back in the Windows XP days.

 

[ControlD]

Because there really is no exit button in Android, you should be sure to kill the process or at least kill it out of the Recents screen. To be extra sure, since syncing is highly tied into the system level, I'd even reboot the phone. Just be careful with on the fly changes. Once again, not your fault and I wouldn't expect the average user to figure this one out.

That's a good point. I know we rebooted the phone several times but I bet not after turning Google+ off.

This whole thing makes me appreciate the "Apply" button common to Windows applications.

 

[cronos]

Just for the record, I am not saying all of this is Google's fault. I can accept the initial mistake was completely user caused.

I was just teasing, but still the title of this thread and the content of your OP...

But anyway..

What I DO have a problem with is the fact that Google+ continued to upload almost 2GB worth of data via 4G after (a) the option was changed to WiFI only AND even worse (b) the backup option was completely turned off. I still don't think that behavior is acceptable. If you do, that's wonderful for your wireless carrier I suppose.

Now this is something I actually experienced as well, in a different way. I have two Google accounts on my phone, and sometimes I like to switch around which account my phone's photos are uploaded to. One time in a freshly installed phone after I added the accounts I mistakenly checked the 'update' box on the wrong account, so I immediately turned it off, flip to the other account, and set the update there.

Then I waited for the photos to show up in the second account, but nothing comes out. It turns out that since the update process already started on the wrong account, instead of switching to the correct account it just keeps uploading to the first account until it's finished (no more new photos to upload). This wasn't a big deal to me so I let it, but for the future I know to be careful with this type of thing.

So you are correct, a Google+ autoupdate setting change won't retroactively affect a sync process that's already started. I'm guessing though you can kill the process by force-stopping the right application (either G+ itself or a separate sync process, not sure), or probably an easier way just restart the phone.

 

[ControlD]

I was just teasing, but still the title of this thread and the content of your OP...

Ha ... yeah, I probably should have given it a few hours before posting. I keep saying never post mad or drunk, but somehow I forget that sometimes.

 

[JoeMcJoe]

The autobackup is pushed onto the user, I can see why a person selected it.

I hate it like that, they want people to use it and then pay for the drive product when the user runs out of space.

But really by default it is set to wifi only, you can change this to only upload when on wifi and charging. This is a good setting to use if you use it. I have it disabled totally on mine.

 

[midwestfisherman]

Of course Verizon was a huge help when I took the phone in to be looked at. "We can upgrade you to a 8GB data plan so you can avoid any overrage costs". No kidding? Blow me.

LOL!!

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

The autobackup is pushed onto the user, I can see why a person selected it.

I hate it like that, they want people to use it and then pay for the drive product when the user runs out of space.

But really by default it is set to wifi only, you can change this to only upload when on wifi and charging. This is a good setting to use if you use it. I have it disabled totally on mine.

Yeah, that's the other thing. Even if the default is Wifi Only, the default photo size is FULL RES, which means that if you take a lot of photos like me, I'll run out of space in no time. I always have to remember to set it back to 2048x2048. My gf just asked me the other day why her Gmail/Google/G+ space is running out so quickly and I had to point that out to her. I can imagine a lot of frustrated users soon unless they continue upping the storage capacity.

 

[mikeymikec]

nvm

 

[vshah]

Yeah, that's the other thing. Even if the default is Wifi Only, the default photo size is FULL RES, which means that if you take a lot of photos like me, I'll run out of space in no time. I always have to remember to set it back to 2048x2048. My gf just asked me the other day why her Gmail/Google/G+ space is running out so quickly and I had to point that out to her. I can imagine a lot of frustrated users soon unless they continue upping the storage capacity.

100 gigs is only 2 bucks a month now

 

[Red Storm]

Yeah, that's the other thing. Even if the default is Wifi Only, the default photo size is FULL RES, which means that if you take a lot of photos like me, I'll run out of space in no time. I always have to remember to set it back to 2048x2048. My gf just asked me the other day why her Gmail/Google/G+ space is running out so quickly and I had to point that out to her. I can imagine a lot of frustrated users soon unless they continue upping the storage capacity.

How often is always? I set it once and have never had to mess with it since.

Are you saying that Google should provide you with enough free storage to store all of your images at full res?