Social networking has rapidly evolved into an almost unavoidable part of daily life. What was once just a growing rage has become an expected part of a person‘s schedule. Moreover, the market is getting saturated more and more social network systems looking to make a mark on society.

It all started with the rise of Facebook, created by Harvard student turned-billionaire Mark Zuckerburg a site that seemed like any other social network system, yet managed to sweep the whole world into its grasp. Undoubtedly, it was an attractive venture and had all the ingredients in the right mix.

At first, it managed to make internet communication simple. Then came the micro-blogging race that nearly overtook Facebook.

Though these initiatives have their bad side, as frequent timewasters for college students, they have also proven useful for the voicing issues on a global scale. The riots in Egypt, Anna Hazare’s fast, and numerous other issues have been brough to the attention of the world through social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Often, theywere the sole medium of communication for people to join, organize and raise their voice against government oppression.

With social networking playing such a large role in modern life, one must appreciate the courage of Google to launch a supposedly novel product to capture yet another million hearts. The Google+ project is a bold step for the company considering the utter flop of their previous attempt to revolutionize social networking through Google Wave.

In order to make an impression, Google+ has put its focus on developing new means of communication for its users. This theme, Google’s focus with the project, has been realized through numerous features, such as Friend Circles, the Huddle video chat feature, and video-based Hangout rooms.

If Google succeeds with its project, it’s not hard to imagine the damage it could do to Facebook’s supremacy. The question is, how much has Google done to differentiate Google+ from Facebook? Many of the features of Google+ are clear derivatives of Facebook features.

Facebook’s driving force is its wall, a means to keep tabs on what a user‘s friends are doing and posting aobut . Google+ has streams, a feature that follows along the exact same lines. the ability to post photos is also nothing new to Facebook users, and though the Google+ Huddle hides behind a clever name, it offers the same options as chatting on Facebook.

Where Google+ distinguishes itself is in its emphasis on group chats and video chatting. The Huddle allows video chat alongside normal text, and the Hangout room is a place for friends ot gather on their webcams and chill out together.

Google+ also has Friend Circles. unlike Facebook, Google+ allows its users to segregate friends into different groups, and then limit what information and postings each group is capable of seeing. In this way, Google+ users can breath easier when posting things they might not want their parents or employers to see.

However, it remains to be seen if Google+ will be able to find an audience in a Facebook-dominated market. For those looking for something new, though, Google+ may be worth a look as another means of staying socially active. Only time will tell if Google+ will be Facebook’s first big rival, or just another missed opportunity for something new.

Quick features on Google+:

Circles: A revolutionary way to segregate your friends list the way you want. If there’s a post you don’t want to share with your mom or your boss, then pick which Circles have access to what material. Posts, photos, and more can be split between Circles in whatever way the user desires.

Huddle: More than just forum-based chat service. Huddle provides the ability for users to conference video, providing a true chat room environment in a social networking setting.

Streams: A feature that should be familiar to social networking experts, Stream is an information wall through which users can read random posts from their friends. In a way, its similar to the Google Buzz, the failed concept launched a few months back to try and make a dent in Facebook’s popularity.

Hangout: A feature meant to simulate the feeling of hanging out with a group of friends in person, Hangout is a video chat feature that allows several users to surf the web together. the main feature is the ability for Hangout groups to watch YouTube videos together in the chat.