You can’t search for people you know like you would on Twitter or Facebook. You can’t even search for groups to join since every group is private.  You have to be invited to a group to know it even exists.

But getting started with Glassboard is easy if you forget the idea that you’re supposed to share with everyone.  Glassboard isn’t designed for that.  It’s designed for sharing only with the people you want to share with.

The first thing you do is create a board (that’s what we call a group in Glassboard).  After you create a board, invite some people to it.  They’ll be the only people who can see what’s posted to that board.

Perhaps you want to share pictures of your kids with your extended family?  Create a board and invite your family to it, without worrying that your pictures will show up in a Google search.

Working on a project that you don’t want the world to know about just yet?  Create a board and invite your co-workers to it.  That’s what we did – we created a board just for those working on Glassboard, and we freely shared ideas in private.  We built our app using our app, and it worked wonderfully.

Or maybe you’re at a concert and you know a bunch of your friends are there somewhere.  Create a board, invite your friends to it, then share messages, photos and videos of the show.  When it’s over, you can even delete the board and know that it’s gone forever.

There are countless examples of other boards you’d create in Glassboard, but it all boils down to this: after you install the app, create a board and invite only the people that should belong to it.  Then enjoy the private conversation.

That was when I joined my good friends at Sepia Labs, and set out to create the Android version of Glassboard.  It’s been a lot of work, but today I’m thrilled to announce that the first public beta is available.

So what is Glassboard?  Glassboard is a social sharing app for Android and iPhone.  Yeah, I know – that sounds like a lot of apps these days.  But what sets Glassboard apart is its focus on private sharing.

Facebook and Twitter are wonderful – I share things on them every day.  But there are many things I don’t share because I only want to share them with specific people.

This is where Glassboard comes in.  When you create a group on Glassboard, you’re the only one who can invite people to share in that group.  You can create a group containing only the people you want to share with – perfect for sharing with family members, co-workers, or whatever group you want to define without worrying that others will suddenly show up.

Want to try it out?  If you’re using Android 2.2 or later and have the ability to install non-market apps, you can give the beta a spin by visiting this link from your phone.

This is, of course, a beta, which means it’s far from done and may look or act weird in places.  But if you’re willing to try it out, we’d love to know what you think.