Google+: Can this social network succeed? (#googleplusorminus)

A screen shot of the Google Plus social network. REUTERS/Google/Handout (HO)

So on Tuesday, when Google unleased Google+, its newest attempt at social networking, I reacted to the news with what I think is a healthy degree of skepticism.

First of all, Google’s invite-style beta launches drive me batty. Let’s jog our collective memory back to 2009, when people were selling Google Wave invites for $70 on eBay — the mad scramble led those chosen ones to a platform that was largely confusing, pretty buggy and, well, mostly empty. (In the end, we saw how well that venture worked out.) The Wave’s problem was that it was just too antisocial, the next-door neighbor that couldn’t quite figure out how to join the party.

While Google Wave felt like an island, it’s invite-free cousin, Google Buzz, was too chatty, spamming our mailboxes with friend-approved posts on everything from kitten photos to hard news. In my world, pruning your Gmail inbox to be free of spam-like e-mails can feel dangerously close to a competitive sport. With Buzz, the din was overwhelming.

There’s no sweet spot with Google, no Goldilocks product that has made us turn our collective eyeballs away from Facebook. Although initial reviews border on the positive, and I’m intrigued by the fact that an Apple alum designed it, I think I’ll take a few seconds before declaring Google+ The Next Facebook. And, from the looks of it, my fellow denizens on Twitter are also reacting with a raised eyebrow:

But even amongst all that eye-rolling, people are still cruising for invites.

What do you think of Google’s newest foray into social networking? Tell us what you like about it and what you don’t. Give it a #GooglePlusorMinus on Twitter and we’ll post your replies back here.