Tackle It Tuesday – focus down on your bigger projects and or tasks today.  You know the one you avoid the most…. commit to do it today and get it done, you will fill great when you can cross it off your list, and usually you find out it was not as bad as you made it out to be!  So get in there and Tackle It!

Google +, What Is It?

Google + is a new social platform put put by Google.  It is intended to go after the Facebook community and others alike. Google says: Google+ makes connecting on the web more like connecting in the real world. Share your thoughts, links and photos with the right circles. Use easy, spontaneous video chat to strike up conversations with as many as nine people at once. Get everyone on the same page with fast, simple group chat.

When Google + first came out, you had to be invited to test the “beta” version.  The buzz was big. Everyone was asking anyone “Do you have a Google + account, can you invite me?” We had to try it – I was lucky to be one of the few to use it from the first day it launched – it is cool and I am still learning more and more about it.

You need a Google account to have a Google + profile.  If  you use Gmail, Blogger, Google Calendars, Google Alerts and so on you have a Google account – just go to Google + and join.  Be sure to look me up and add me too, I will be happy to add you to my circles!

Google + Layout…

Google

Google + navigation icons

Google + has a home page that works as a feed from your peeps in your circles, they do status updates not unlike you would in Facebook.  You can comment and share other people’s posts.  It is very easy to manipulate around on your home page!

Google + has circles that you categorize your people in like lists – it starts out with the default Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and Following – people can be in multiple “circles” and you can create your own circle heading.  This allows you to segregate your messages and who hears what so you are not spamming your family with business opportunities or spamming your business contacts with family personal stuff.

Google + has made a leap with photos and videos. There is also included an image editor! Sharing photos is so easy now, with most people having smart phones and/or tablets they have created “an ap for that” if you will.  There is a Google + ap you can download to your phone and connect your accounts.  Not only can you post from that easily BUT when you take pictures, Google + automatically uploads them to your account – they are there until YOU share them but no more of the struggle of uploading images or videos to your social media account!  Nice feature BUT word of caution – be careful of the pictures you take, they will be pushed to Google + and with Google (like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and so on) is a free tool and Google has certain rights you signed off on that they have access to your account – so just be sure NOT to take any photos with your phone you would not one someone else to see.

Google + has a place for your profile.  You have the ability to really get in here and fill in a lot of information for people to be able to get to know YOU and what you do – fill it out completely (I am still working on mine).  In your profile you have a new navigation bar that allows you to see your posts, like your wall in Facebook, your photos (the ones you shared or are in Picasa too), your videos you have shared, your + 1’s – posts you have made directly to Google + and Buzz (it has connected your Google Buzz account within it so you and others who are looking at you profile can see your Buzz posts too.  You can also view your profile as others do to be sure what is shared and what is not with people who are NOT in your circles!

You can choose to view all of your “connections” and drag and drop them into your circles and add circles from this screen – this is a delight to be able to click on a person, see the circle they are currently in light up and be able to reassign them or add them to a different circle!

AND there are GAMES – just like in Facebook BUT they are more games you would play on your smart phones not just their games – I am not too much of a social media account game player so I cannot comment on this one too much but they are there.

How do you communicate with others in Google +?

Google + has that home page – it shows everyone’s “stream” – there you can write a message to share with everyone.  You can tag people in your message using the @theirname – when you do that you have the choce to share that message with just that person, the circle they belong to or both – you can even add other circles to receive the message too.  Very easy to see who is getting what message! You can even go in and “edit” you post once it has been put up – you know for those last minutes.. Oh no I forgot a word in that sentence!

Google + has a chat feature, not unlike the one in Google Chat – it is easy to see who is there and what kind of messages they can take – chat or video.  You can also send people in your circles private messages as well.

There are “Hangouts” where the user starts a hangout and is in a video chat room alone a message goes out to your social circles you included in your hang out that you are “hanging out” and they have the opportunity to join you.

Google + has a multi chat feature – where you can chat with one person or a few at the same time – this is without video.  You can show a chat in your stream while you are chatting – this is a feature that is by default disabled so you would have to allow it.

So this is a short overview – look out for more details and video tutorials about Google +.

For me I like using Google +, I like the simplicity as well – It is a place where I intend on spending more and more time – so connect with me and let me add you to one of my circles!