Google+ had Four Failed Precursors

Google+ is not Google's first social network attempt, but so far it is proving to be the best.

Internet giant Google has tried four times in the past to compete with Facebook in the online-interaction department, failing swiftly every single time. Google is good at just about everything, so it's no surprise that Google+ is taking off, finally.

Remember Google's other social networking attempts? Some users probably still have Wave and Buzz.

Google Wave, like Google+, started as an invitation only service. It allowed Gmail users to share links and chat in groups, something which was just as easy to do through E-mail.

Buzz was as annoying to some users as the sound of a mosquito buzzing in an ear. The micro-blogging platform was Google's second attempt to topple Twitter. All Facebook, Gmail and Twitter updates were funnelled into Buzz, and friends could comment on each other's posts. One of the biggest problems though, was that all Gmail users were automatically part of Buzz whether they liked it or not.

Google's first Twitter competitor was Jaiku. Google bought the Finish micro-blogging site, which looks almost identical to Twitter, in 2007.

Finally, there's Orkut, currently still in its Beta version. Orkut is not popular in the United States, but is elsewhere. Nearly 50 percent of all its users are from Brazil. Orkut has also been infiltrated by hate groups, such as neo-Nazi and white supremacist groups. The platform allows users to interact in a way similar to Facebook.