As a social networking tool, Google+ hasn't had much of the limelight in the way that Facebook and Twitter (News - Alert) have. But there were those who suggested that Google+  had one particularly impressive tool in its arsenal—so to speak—that just wasn't being put to use in the form of YouTube (News - Alert), one of—perhaps even the—most popular platforms for streaming video on the face of the Earth. That tool is now being put to work in Google+'s favor, as a new YouTube commenting system based on Google (News - Alert)+ is now arriving on all the site's videos.

It's set to be a gradual rollout, and given the sheer quantity of videos on YouTube that will require modification to take the upgrade, it's not surprising that YouTube won't be able to throw one big central switch and make the changeover happen. So those who watch plenty of YouTube videos may find that both commenting systems are in place for a while, or the Google+ system may not yet have arrived, depending on which video is actually being viewed at the time.

 The Google+-based commenting system has been in the works since last September, at last report, and got something of a start on channel discussion tabs. But with successful tests in hand, YouTube was apparently ready to make the full rollout happen. One of the biggest things that the YouTube comments system will do is attempt to inject a note of relevance into the commentary system, putting more of an emphasis on conversations over short blasts of comment, and getting some more discussion of the footage presented going. But those who prefer the current system will have the option to carry on with that, as the “top comments” view that powers the whole thing and keeps the highest-rated comments to the front can be replaced with “newest first” at any time.

 At last report, fully four out of five users have taken the next step to connect a Google+ account with a current YouTube account, a step that some might well have thought wouldn't be taken. The clearest value here is for video creators as well, who can block comments based on the use of certain words, automatically approve comments from some fans—particularly those fans that have a Google+ circle in common with the creators in question—and even review the rest of the comments before said comments get posted.

 Though it is sort of a kick in the teeth for the regular, unconnected YouTube commenter—how is anyone supposed to see a new comment, even an insightful one, and give it any kind of upvoting if it's buried under a slew of connected Google+ users who got in before that user did? It's still likely to prove a useful step for clearing out the host of YouTube comments that really aren't that helpful, friendly, useful or even much fun. It might have the step of getting some more users into Google+, though, in a bid to take advantage of the new situation on YouTube.

That's likely to prove helpful in its own right—blocking the trolls often is—but it's easy to see where Google might be throwing out the baby with the bathwater and will incur some collateral damage in ignoring some users due to lack of connection. One way or another, though, the end result of all this should be visible soon, and it will be something to see just how it all goes down in the end.