[stfsbrb]

I'm still convinced that Google's insistence on funneling all activity from their services into Google+ accounts (even in cases where it clearly doesn't make sense) is being done solely so that Google can go back to their shareholders and report a large amount of "growth" in their social platform. They don't seem to have any end game or plan beyond merely pumping up the numbers as high as possible. Maybe they are just aiming for the day when they can claim Google+ has more members than Facebook?

[cromwellian]

Shareholders don't care about G+, Facebook's IPO and returns have already shown them that search advertising is way better and social network ads are not the real threat that was sold.

What Wall Street looks at is search and display ads. Reporting 400 million active G+ users wouldn't do anything, anymore than 700 million GMail users, 750 million Chrome users, Android with 80% of the market. None of those really drive any direct revenue. (GMail does, but not much)