As of last night, the Google Doodle is a bold blue arrow inviting the masses to join Google+, the social network that was introduced in late June as a “field trial” that aimed to fix “awkward” online sharing. Users could join the project by invitation only, which made building one’s circles kind of dull. I was eager to be on the bleeding edge of this newest thing, and a well-connected friend scored me an invitation; however, it wasn’t until later that I could send my own. When I did, some of my friends hadn’t heard of Google+, and some of them had and didn’t care. Even so, in less than a month of the launch, Google+ was estimated to have 20 million users, according to web-traffic tracker ComScore. About that same time, Facebook confirmed estimates that it boasts 750 million users.
If you’re tired of Facebook or just intrigued by the ideas of the Circles and Hangouts — or if you just need one more site to log into — sign up for Google+ today. You’re good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, Google likes you. (Just be sure to use your real name. See post below.)
What is this? Why can’t I just know you on Facebook?
~Real response to a Google+ invitation
EARLIER:
Google+ (NASDAQ: GOOG) has revised its profile policy and is suspending accounts with pseudonyms. Saurabh Sharma explains the change in a one-minute video.