Google+ spreads like web-based wildfire

Google+ has been sweeping the Internet for the past two weeks, with the amount of users quickly approaching 10 million. Paul Allen, founder of Ancestry.com, projects that the number could grow to over 20 million this weekend. This is with the site still being in beta and membership being invite-only.

For those of you that haven't heard of Google+, here's the quick version: Google has created a social network that's expected to be a Facebook killer. The real draw of G+ is the existence of Circles. With them, users can classify their friends as whatever they'd like, and then choose to only share certain information with them. It keeps your boss from seeing your drunken party pictures or your grandma from reading you swear in your status. 

G+ is still having the wrinkles ironed out and new features have yet to be implemented. For example, companies cannot currently have G+ accounts, only real people. Users can log in using a previously existing Google account (from Gmail, YouTube, or other services) and there is already an Android app to access their account from a mobile device.

Ideas for changes and improvements are coming from the users. Senior Vice President of Social at Google Vic Gundotra recently posted that  G+ will be changing based on users' criticism. Geek.com has reported that those changes range from improving the Android app to raising the 5,000 Circle cap (wow).

This isn't Google's first attempt at social networking, either. the service it offered previously, Orkut, has remained mostly undiscovered since its creation a few years ago. Currently, there are no plans to integrate Orkut with G+. 

G+ seems to be taking the Internet by storm, as is the wont for several very successful sites (remember when Twitter first launched?). For those looking to sign up, ask your friends if any of them can send you an invite. More may have tried it than you'd think.