Crafty, Google+. Very Crafty.

A quick observation: on most social networks (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.) you’ll see the option to connect with folks that you know.

Google+ applies this intuitive concept, but with a twist to its own benefit.

On the right-hand side of the Google+ home page, I noticed the option to add folks, and (wrongly) made the quick assumption that these folks are already on the network, despite the fact that some buttons are instead labeled “Add and Invite”. Picture below:

Notice the difference? You might not at first glance.

It’s not the end of the world or anything, but if G+ just duped me into inviting 10+ people unwittingly, it likely has gotten many more sign-ups this way.

A subtly shady tactic on Google’s part. They might argue that they’ve streamlined the process, but to me, inviting someone actively to a social network (i.e. telling them they should join) is a much different vibe than adding them if they are already on the network.

I just made this mistake with a few former co-workers and friends I haven’t connected with in a while (sorry if you got a weird invite, all!), so I wanted to make note of the design difference.

Makes me appreciate all the more that sites like LinkedIn make it clear with an icon who is a member and who isn’t yet.