The New UI has eliminated the ability to remove or edit descriptions when posting a URL and I feel this is a very grave error. Many web sites simply do not adhere to rules or recommendations with regard to sharing content. The text and descriptions that are pulled into G+ posts can often be incoherent, inappropriate, or simply strings of code if the site owner is collating real time results from a news or weather feed into their posts. The new inability to edit URL descriptions will give rise to unsightly posts that totally negate the goal of enhancing and beautifying content on G+.
This is an issue with the UI that I and many others consider a showstopper. For even if users post their own lovely and informative descriptions and details into the post that they are sharing, it may very well be followed by text and descriptions that are ill formatted and unpleasant to look at. It is highly likely that such posts will be given a quick glance and passed over rather than engaging followers.
This has been a problem with YouTube videos from the inception of G+ and even though I and many others have submitted requests to address the issue, it seems to have gone unnoticed. The ability to eliminate and/or edit titles and descriptions of YouTube videos is an ability that other social networks allow freely, with no ill effect, and I would imagine to great benefit of their respective platforms. As things stand, when a G+ user posts a YouTube video into their stream, they must accept that the description of the video inserted by the original poster is going to appear in their stream whether it is appropriate or not. Many text descriptions on YouTube videos often encourage people to click on links to download pirated software, are misspelled and inaccurate, or make political or racial comments that you do not agree with and that you certainly aren't looking to share with your followers. G+ users should have the ability to correct these things and beautify the overall look of G+ while delivering accurate and on topic descriptions of the content that they wish to share. |