The massive Google is scared of Facebook. While people spend hours on Facebook, they spend only minutes on Google.
UPDATE (7/18/11): Google, by making a new social network, will make users sign up for for Google if they want to use this new feature. Google is pushing for more Gmail users, and for ads on the side in Gmail, and Google+. (Thus, gaining them money. Google does everything for the money.)
Now, instead of the competition for how many likes your page can get, the competition will be for how many "1 ups" your page can get. (See video below)
By having a Google account, you can now have Email (Gmail), a blog (Blogger/BlogSpot), a social network (Google+), news (Google news), videos & pictures, share videos (YouTube), and much much more. Why not just use Google instead of using multiple services.
UPDATE (7/17/11): Google+, is still in free trial. You can only join the Google+ in it's limited field trial if someone else invites you. (Sometimes even then you can't join as it says "Already invited? We've temporarily exceeded our capacity. Please try again soon.")
Another name for Google's new social network would be "G+"; short for Google+
Downsides?: I got the impression when I was researching that G+ might not be very private. Also, you must be 18+ to use Google Plus! Google has recently explained why when they said "The reason for it right now is that they don't have the proper protections or restrictions set up to keep people from posting stuff that could get Google in trouble if they allowed you to access it." When Google is done with the free trial, more than likely the social network will open up to users 13 and up. Obviously kids will still lie about their age. ;) (Big thanks to Brittany for helping me research! See her blog here: http://www.brittany-sims.com)
UPDATE (7/16/11):While Google tried to make their own 'Facebook' a while back called 'Buzz', is didn't turn out to be what was expected; it turned out to be a flop. Now Google is trying to launch another version of Buzz, or something along the lines of Facebook... It will be called 'Google+'. Google+ will be trying to take on Facebook.
This new social network that Google is coming out with; you have to be asking a few questions right now. Will this new 'Google+' become a bigger thing than Facebook? Will it be another flop, so to speak, like Google's last attempt at a social network (Buzz)? How will Facebook react to this? What will this new social network by Google be like?
Although most of these questions I can not answer, I can and will answer the last one. I was able to be one of the few people who was able to get a Google+ account. I will be showing you below what the new Google+ will look like.
This is only a test that Google has put out. It might change.
