After much rumor and speculation about a new Google social feature of some kind, the Internet giant finally unveiled what it calls its +1 service today. The service as Om explained in his post on the launch is an attempt to add social validation to search, via Googles version of the Facebook like button. While these kinds of social cues may help improve search, however, the move also appears to be the latest attempt to jump-start some kind of Google-oriented social network, something that seems to have substantially less likelihood of success, at least as its currently configured. Why? Because people dont go to Google to be social. As Om describes in his post, and as Search Engine Land lays out in more detail , the main feature of the +1 system is that it allows users to vote on search results or ads. Their vote is then displayed next to the result for anyone in their Google-based social network. And what is that Google network? Good question. At this point, its people in your Gmail...
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