Introduction

Google+ is Google’s answer to social sharing on the Web. Soon after its launch of a limited field trial on June 28, 2011, Google+ already had tens of millions of members; thousands more joined every day, eagerly seeking out invitations from friends and colleagues. When Google+ opened to the public in mid-September 2011, its user base jumped more than 30 percent within days.

If you use other social sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, the basic concepts of Google+ should seem familiar to you. You can post text-based updates, photos, videos, and links; comment on posts from people you know and follow; share interesting content from around the Web; and much more. Google+ has several unique features as well, such as the power to maintain complete control over how you share each piece of content you post. Google+ also extends beyond traditional social networking to offer unlimited uploading and storage of photos and videos, video chats, group text messaging, and more.