Google AboutMe is your info placard for the public

Google appears to have torn another feature from Google+ with "Google AboutMe," a public place for your "About" information. Here you'll place your personal contact info, work contact info, Education and Work History, Places you live and have lived, Gender, Birthday, Occupation, and a list of sites where you contribute content or participate in social networks. At this time, it would appear that this system is not entirely separate from Google+ (it still has the Google Plus-centric "Circles"), but as with Google Photos, it certainly could be.

What you're seeing above is a view of Google AboutMe as I'm editing my own page. Below you'll see what comes up if I try to view my AboutMe page "as Public." We can imagine this will be a system that's not altogether unlike what Google+ pages are now, but simplified somewhat.

Given the major success Google has had upon separating the Google+ Photos system into Google Photos, you can't blame the company for trying to separate every other component of the social network. SEE ALSO: Google+ is being dismantled, and that's a good thing. While the Google+ social network system is interesting, and certainly full of lively voices, it can be too much to swallow for the common user.

As a set of separate services, smartphone and web users will be able to pick and choose which bits and pieces they want to use. Without devoting themselves to another social network, Google is allowing users to keep services separated. Soon.

To access Google AboutMe, simply head to AboutMe.Google.com right this minute. Chances are you have a thing or two already entered in the many panels already. And remember – none of this is public unless you've already got a Google+ profile – but it will be soon!