Don’t wait for Google’s +1 Chrome Extension, you can install one already

Last month, Google attracted attention for a +1 Chrome extension which appeared in a TV ad. While we’re yet to see this extension emerge in a form which we can download, that hasn’t stopped an enterprising developer pushing out an unofficial solution.

Italian Stefano Pochet’s extension, which can be found here, does pretty much what you’d expect it to. Click it while on any web page and it will show you how many +1s the page has. You can then add your own +1, or if you’ve previously voted up a site, you can remove undo the action, removing your +1.

While the success of the site voting system within Google’s search results is yet to be proven, the company is clearly serious about making it a success. Just yesterday, Google unveiled a +1 button for websites.

Meanwhile, social media and PR commentator Steve Rubel wrote a guest post here on The Next Web discussing why the +1 system was one of the main reasons he closed down his two previous blogs and moved to one Tumblr-powered blog – all the +1 votes for him will go to one site, rather than two. That’s a pretty big gamble on the success of +1, but Google’s most likely pleased that people are taking the concept seriously.