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>Contrary to popular belief, Google+ was never created to directly compete for people's time on the internet. A simple, ad free system, Google+ was launched to compete for users' personal data. Becoming the primary platform for social networking would simply be a bonus

So it is a Facebook competitor then?

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I think the author is trying to make a poorly articulated argument that the _intent_ of G+ is not to "kill" Facebook, but instead improve Google's targeted advertising capabilities. To some extent, this is true, but I'm not sure if it is a relevant distinction. If Google had the option to replace Facebook wholesale, I'm sure they'd jump at the chance. Perhaps "not competing" is merely a way of lowering expectations?

Out of curiosity, how does g+ collect any more useful personal data than, say, google reader's follow lists or google buzz interactions? Is it about the circles and people who you "add"?

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