iGoogle has traditionally been styled around displaying multiple gadgets on a single page, but you might recall that "canvas view" was recently added, allowing you to expand and use a single gadget across the entire screen. With canvas view—especially for Gmail and Google Reader gadgets—a significant portion of the standalone service's functionality can now be used directly within the gadget, dramatically improving convenience.

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While it has already been stated openly, this shift in iGoogle foreshadows OpenSocial support and hints that Google as a whole may eventually evolve into a social network. In fact, signs pointing toward Google turning itself into a social network can already be seen in various places.

The Socialization of Google #

Gmail Contacts (Contact List) #

When it comes to the social graph—the most crucial element in forming a social network—Google placed it right in Gmail/Google Talk. Naturally enough. These contacts are also imported into Android phones and used as an address book, which makes it distinctive in that it inevitably forms a real-world social graph.

Google Maps Profiles #

Google Maps, which has recently been in the spotlight over privacy concerns, actually includes a profile feature. Clicking the "Profile" link at the top of the screen lets you create and view your profile. This is linked to Google Profiles, which I'll mention next.

Google Reader Sharing Features #

Google Reader is an RSS reader, but it includes a feature that lets you share articles of interest with friends with a single click. The underlying social graph used here is drawn from Gmail contacts, serving as another example of its integration.

Google Profiles #

Google Profiles seems to have been rolled out quietly out of nowhere. How this feature develops moving forward is definitely worth watching.

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The top-left corner of the screen displays the user's photo, nickname, and location, while detailed profile information appears below it. Currently, it includes fields for current address, places you've lived, schools attended, companies worked for, a short bio, and even quirky entries like things you can't find using Google, superpowers (?), and more, all editable from this screen.

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Then there are "Links." For now, they really are just links, but you can register external services you use. What's interesting is that when you add FriendFeed, for example, suggested candidate services automatically pop up one after another. Clearly, this is where the Google Social Graph API comes into play. Indeed, FriendFeed embeds microformats such as rel=”me”.

Messaging Feature #

A messaging feature was recently added to Google Profiles. While its presence can currently only be confirmed in the English version, it allows users to send messages directly from the profile page. This too is likely designed with OpenSocial support in mind.

How Will Google Evolve from Here? #

Here are a few predictions on how different parts of Google might change as it continues its social evolution.

Gadgets in Google Profiles #

Almost certainly, we will be able to add gadgets to Google Profiles.

OpenSocial defines four views: home view, canvas view, profile view, and preview view. Putting aside the preview view used for confirming gadget additions, iGoogle already provides the equivalent of a general SNS my-page (home view) and a gadget-only view (canvas view). Extending this to the profile page (profile view) is the most natural next step.

Integrating Google Profiles with iGoogle #

Integrating Google Profiles with iGoogle is by no means far-fetched. Even now, you can view your Google Profile information within the iGoogle Sandbox environment. For instance, making transitions between the two seamless could bring users closer together and make iGoogle feel far more inherently social.

Activity Streams #

While glimpses are already visible in the iGoogle Sandbox, the OpenSocial activity stream feature should begin to emerge much more clearly. An activity stream is essentially a log of user activities—comparable to friends' diary entries or recent community updates on mixi.

OpenSocial specifies functionality for gadgets to publish activities, but iGoogle might take this further by automatically mixing in feeds from linked services, creating a FriendFeed-like experience. A similar feature was also recently added by Microsoft to Windows Live Home.

Conclusion #

I originally set out to write an article about Google Profiles, but the scope broadened into a much bigger conversation. That said, as Google steadily and implicitly expands its social graph centered around Gmail, it's hard to fathom just how influential it will become once it takes the full shape of a social network. Did they really foresee all this back when they first created Gmail? It will be fascinating to watch what happens next.