Google Plus (Google+), Google’s opposition to Mark Zuckerburg’s global sensation, Facebook (News - Alert), has now reached a new milestone of 235 million users. Google now adds another component to Google+ to counter Facebook and Facebook Groups: Google+ Communities.

The large number, 235 million users, can be a bit misleading, as not all of the users are active daily users. People who purchase or use an app from Google (News - Alert) Play can give the app a +1, and people on Gmail Hangouts are included in that number. 

There are approximately 135 million daily users of Google+, but those numbers still impress the senior vice president of engineering for Google, Vic Gundotra, who claims, “Google+ is the fastest-growing network thingy ever.”

Gundotra said the holidays give him pause for reflection on Google+; “During the holidays we reconnect with loved ones and rediscover what makes us tick. And it’s times like these that remind me why we started Google+ in the first place: to make online sharing as meaningful as the real thing.”

Google+ was initially launched as a testing project called Google Circles in June of 2011. It was launched as an invitation-only social media site. After an unbelievable number of requests, Google briefly halted invitations and re-launched in September, without the need of an invitation, restricting use to those 18 years of age and older. 

The popularity of Google+ quickly rose, and in January of this year, they made the site available to anyone 13 and older – the same age guidelines that Facebook follows.

Even though the current number of members falls far behind rival Facebook’s more than one billion users, the start for a service that is just over one year old is impressive. During the invitation-only stage, Google+ garnered 10 million users in the first two weeks, and after four weeks, it went to 25 million users.

The new addition of Google+ Communities will make using Google+ easier for new users. Once a community is created, it will show in searches and make it simpler to find people similar interests and likes. 

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