Google Gets Social With Circles

Remember when Google CEO Eric Schmidt stepped aside to make room for Larry Page, the search giant's youthful co-founder? Page said at the time that he wanted Google to start behaving like a start-up again.

Looks like he's getting his wish. Google has been on a tear lately – revising its search algorithms to banish junk sites, taking aim at Groupon and other daily deal sites and now rolling out “Google+” – a new service that promises to deliver not only search but also to keep you up to date with what your friends are doing, thinking and sharing.

Sounds like Facebook, doesn't it? Or Twitter. Or Skype, maybe.

Google+ is probably not on your laptop or smartphone quite yet but it's said to be running along just fine in test mode with a limited number of users.

Why would Google do this, other than just to expand its already gargantuan universe? Well, Google always offers the same explanation for whatever it decides to do – the incumbents aren't doing a very good job.

Thus spake Google's Vic Gundotra, as quoted by TechCrunch: “We believe online sharing is broken. And even awkward.”

“Our online tools are rigid,” Gundotra said. “They force us into buckets – or into being completely public.”

So instead of buckets, Google+ is designed around “Circles” that allows users to group people into different categories. For example, Google says you can group your weekend crowd into one category, parents and relatives in another, co-workers in yet another. Then you can decide how much information to share with each group.

Sort of like your different social circles.

And although it won't be serving lattes or martinis, Google+ will also include something called “Hangouts,” where you can join others who are hanging out on the Web. You can set up a video chat with them, upload photos and videos and so forth. Maybe there'll even be a way to buy a round? You think?