The 50 Best Websites of 2011

For years, tech pundits agreed that Google simply didn't know how to do social networking. Then the company launched Google+ and instantly silenced most critics — they were too busy having fun using it. G+ feels a lot like Facebook and a little like Twitter, and adds some twists of its own, including video chats called Hangouts and an interface that lets you drag your pals into groups called Circles. It's still not officially open to the public, but tens of millions of people have wangled an invite and joined the club. The quality of the conversation remains high; here's hoping it remains so even if the community grows to Facebook-like proportions.

See the best social-networking applications.