This is what users who are not logged in see on the home page of Google. Clearly, folks at Google would very much like you to sign up for Google+.
There’s a lot more to say on this subject, but I’m on the road. Just wanted to capture this for posterity. Google+ is a major play by the company to put digital mortar between all of its offerings, and create a new sense of what the brand *means* – far more than search. It’s Google’s clear declaration that it will be a platform player alongside Microsoft and Apple. More on this over the weekend.
Now, given the antitrust fever that has hit Washington and other international capitals, this move might be viewed dimly by some competitors, depending on how things play out over time. It’s clearly “tying” dominance in one market – search – to another – social media. Then again, no one is forcing you to use Google….