DeKalb | Google has released its very own social networking site called Google Plus.

For now, this free site is in an invite-only field-testing phase, allowing for only a small number of people to join and use it. This is to allow Google time to work out any bugs in the system before it lets everyone in.

Hype about Plus has reached NIU.

“What Google wants, Google gets,” said Robert Miller, associate professor of media studies. “To me, it’s one more piece of the Internet pie for Google. I have no plans to use it, unless they make it necessary.”

Other faculty members were also unsure whether they would use Plus.

“I do think social networking is a brilliant idea, but I don’t really even use Facebook that much, so I doubt I’ll be on Plus,” said Penny McIntire, computer science undergraduate advisor and assistant to the chair.

Despite their Facebook allegiances, some NIU students said they were intrigued to see what Google had to offer.

“I will definitely be using it when it becomes available, and I’m pretty excited to see what it has to offer,” said Brandon Rogers, senior communications media major.

Junior communications major Kristin Jorgenson said she would use Google Plus if it offered more than her current social networking site.

“I haven’t heard of Plus, but I use Facebook a lot,” Jorgenson said. “If what they’re going for is a newer, better version of Facebook, I would definitely use it.”

Google Plus will be coming out with features that Facebook doesn’t have yet, like group video chat and a new kind of group text chat. Google Plus also features instant uploading, where pictures upload themselves instantly after capture to their respective albums. What does this mean for Facebook and Twitter?

“It’s all about the better system,” Rogers said. “I don’t see Facebook or Twitter going anywhere, but my Facebook usage will probably go down once Plus comes out. It’s just too bad I can’t get my hands on it at the moment.”

McIntire said the competition will better the social networking industry.

“I’m all about innovation, and better competition leads to a better industry,” he said. “If Google comes up with something better and more compelling, more power to them.”