What is Google Plus
Google Plus is Google's new social networking site which just launched in June 28, 2011. It is still in "trial mode" where only invited members can join. But once you join, you can invite your friends.
Google Plus is not to be confused with Google +1. Google +1 is considered a "social vote" of what's good on the web. Google Plus is a social networking site where you can define a profile and set up various "circles" of friends to share different things with. Whereas Google +1 is similar to the Facebook's Like button, Google Plus has full social networking features.
Google Plus is not Google's first attempt at a social network. It is its second social network site with their first being Orkut.com which launched in 2004. Orkut never hit it big in the United States. Most of Orkut's members are from Brazil and India.
However, Google Plus may just be the new kid on the block that may be able to compete with Facebook. Within a month of its launch, Google Plus has already gained over 10 million users and 1 billion items shared each day.
With many people now having a Google account (such as Gmail or Flickr) and with Google apps being well integrated with each other, it is not surprising that Google Plus picks up new member so fast. Google +1 and Google Plus are also well integrated where you can share you Google +1 links with your circles.
Of all of the social networking sites out there Google Plus seems to be the one that has the most flexible and intuitive privacy and permission settings. You are able to create circles of friends - as many circles as you like. For example, you can have a circle for your family members, a circle for your co-workers, a circle for your friends, a circle for acquaintances. And even a circle of strangers that you just want to "follow" as in Twitter.
You can decide what you share with each circle. Now you can share photos of your party to your friends but not to your co-workers. And you can share links with your co-workers without bothering your other social friends with them for which they may not be interested. This is how we share things in real life and Google Plus most closely mimics this social behavior.
With Facebook, the current leading social network, this segregation of sharing is too difficult to construct. And it privacy and permission settings can get too complex for many users.
Google Plus got sharing right. It was built with sharing and privacy built from the ground up. Whereas Facebook is now too large to easily re-organize its privacy scheme.
Google Plus is definitely a social network to watch in the years to come. And it may just be the social network that can compete with the monolithic Facebook.