For those of you still in the dark, over the last few weeks Google have been rolling out their new service designed to compete with the likes of Facebook. While this offers nothing new to the average denizen of the web (yet another social network), it presents a wealth of opportunities for those in the business of creating web applications.

Google+ ("Google Plus"), is virgin territory for those wanting to gain exposure for their creations. In the space of only a few weeks, the uptake of the new service has been in the millions. The figure currently stands at 12 million users and, if you're reading this post in the far future, that figure will seem laughably small when compared to the forecast growth predictions.

If you subscribe to the theory of diffusion of innovations, it's possible to map out the rate of growth for the new platform. Though it's difficult to say for sure, Google+ is not like other new technologies. The platform merely presents a way for users to structure existing information in a more intuitive manner. Indeed, if you already have a Google mail account, joining is a one click process. The most important variable at this point in time is the power of the Google franchise. Even if people are unsure of what Google+ is, they want to be a part of it.

It goes without saying then that what we have here is a currently unsaturated market, waiting to be populated by all kinds of content. It certainly goes beyond the idea of 3D gaming but keep in mind the effect that time has had on the app store and how it has affected competition for presence.

Maybe this is a good time for Google to continue the development of their O3D browser-based 3D engine. They certainly have a new space for it to fill.

Google+, with as many questions as it raises, is fresh territory with colonists moving in fast. As they say, hesitate and all is lost.