Google Reader, Google Plus and the Future of Social Networks

Though more informed people seem to be treating the notion as speculative or wistful, it seems clear to me that Google GOOG -0.01% intends to deliver the underlying service of Google Reader in Google Plus. Instead of subscribing to the RSS, you simply follow the blog in question.* This makes sense and is the obvious evolution of Google Plus as your “Window to the World.”

This is basically the same idea as the old Portals except now the window is “curated” by your social network. Since, this is how actual human beings interact with the world – through the lense of their ingroups – this should be perfectly natural. As widely mentioned the circles feature maps on to how real networks behave and if you can keep the boundary between the circles firm, it should mimic natural human behavior well enough for ‘Work’ – as in your actual workplace network, not just you work friends – to be essentially no different than “Family” or “Drinking Buddies” or what have you.

Google Reader, Google Plus and the Future of Social Networks