Google Enters Social… Again.

Is Google + just another attempt by the search giant to collect your data?  Some say the company’s most recent social networking effort is just another attempt to jump into the social networking arena.  Others are concerned about Google + being a giant data collection effort.  What do you think?  My guess is that the answer lies somewhere between the two theories.

This is not the first attempt to jump into the social networking ring by Google.  Hopefully Google + will be more successful than Buzz and Wave, which both were met with criticism and even a lawsuit based primarily on privacy concerns.  One more social media flop will not be good for the company’s social reputation.  Some predict that Google is working so hard to break into the social market due to the increasingly strong relationship between Facebook and search rival Microsoft.  It is hard to deny the resemblance between Google + and Facebook, with its feeds and friend groupings.

What does it take to join the new social network?  A Google profile, of course.  Here’s where the privacy concerns come into play.  Google is requiring at the very least, a name and a photo to set up an account.  Everyone has heard the rumors about Google fine-tuning their facial recognition, and opinions on the technology run the spectrum from totally creepy to super cool.

So what do you think?  Is Google looking to broaden their ever-expanding empire through a new avenue, or via creepy data collection?  My best guess is that one of the theories is the main goal, and the other is an added benefit –the key is in figuring out which is which 😉