Google Search Results From People in Your Social Circle

Simon Fodden mentioned Google social search back in October, but this was the first time I had seen results from people in my social circle be included. I was searching for “listserv alternatives” and was surprised to see my friend Jim Milles at University at Buffalo appear to give me some advice from one of his blogs, Out of the Jungle:

At first I thought it was coincidence, but then when I look closer it says he is included because we are “connected via Gmail.” (Sorry, Jim, if I blew the privacy on that connection!). So, while Simon was musing as to what application this would have to law, I discovered that it pulls up relevant content if you are connected to people who are working in law (or other areas you are interested in) and presumably their content will be as on point–or more on point–than that in the other search results.

I did nothing to set this up, it just appeared. I know I have seen live Twitter posts (tweets) come up on my search results before. I wonder what other little surprises Google will have in store for me?