It's certainly odd that they chose to merge the 2 or even provide my images in Plus. Both apps are for completely different uses - I imagine that they wanted to be able to provide instant-content with lots of images as part of Plus. Aside from all that, Plus seems to remain pretty much a ghost-town. At least for me, no-one else seems to be using it which makes it pointless as a face-book replacement.
Not odd at all. Google is putting 100% behind Google Plus.Social Networks:
Facebook = 51%
Google Plus = 26%
YouTube = 25%
Twitter = 22%
Facebook has been around a _lot_ longer then Google Plus but Google Plus is gain on it every day. Google is using Google Plus to bring many of their services under one roof. I doubt Google created Picasa with any other thought that it would be integrated with Google Plus.
Personally I think G+ is _leaps and bounds_ beyond Facebook. Facebook is 99% people spamming people. This is how FB makes money. Google Plus is about _communication_ and _sharing_. Just as Google Search can make money without affecting a users experience, Google Plus does it the same way. Google Plus is so much more open then Facebook. I love getting content from anyone who posts in my area and reading public posts that are "hot" (or trending).
When people ask me what G+ is I must bite my tongue and tell them it's like FB. However, the two services are really nothing alike. But even saying they are the same type of service, FB is getting left in the dust. FB is a one trick pony. G+ incorporates many of it's services into G+. G+_ is mobile... FB is not (at all). Businesses also don't have a clue as many are not on G+ and even fewer understand how much they can benefit from G+. They don't understand that G+ influences their search results as well as Google ratings of their company.
