Google+ red box syndrome: Deal with it!

There are different ways to to look at your Notifications:

When you click on the Bell icon, wait for the posts to load and then click on the grey text  'Google+ notifications', you get the all notifications stream view; there are different ways to view your mentions and comments.

Check the top of the page and see more choices:

- Your posts (Other people have commented, +1:d or shared)

- Other people's posts (posts with your own comments or posts that others have directly shared with you, also posts from any Notifications / Subscription circles)

Understanding Google+ visually

Visualize Google+:  Click on the images to enlarge.

Text formatting on Google+ posts

While we are waiting for a simple WYSIWYG -editor or similar to appear on Google+ (I'm sure it's being worked on) here are some shortcuts that you can use to format the post texts.

Sometimes you have to leave one or two extra spaces before the _ or - especially after a +mention or they might not work.  With paragraphs the characters have to be repeated, for instance when using  _italics_.  If this doesn't work, edit it again, perhaps deleting the characters including the spaces before and after the word / paragraph, then try again.

EDIT:
I've noticed that 3 spaces should be enough after the last word, but sometimes it works with only 2, especially when you are copy pasting and type the _ first.
I just commented on a post and wrote _blushes..._ with 2 spaces: It didn't work so I edited and added the third space and that worked.

Saturday: Google+ photo themes for the day!

The hashtags used on Google+ work in two ways:
You can click on them and they will take you straight to the search, showing posts with the hashtag in question. People who search for a certain topic can do so with or without the # and a keyword: You get slightly different results with either method, I've noticed.

Using hashes is a good way to get your posts noticed by the public, not just in photo themes but on any topic.
Of course that means posting in Public, otherwise only those with whom the post was shared can see the results.
So you can use your own unique hashtag, share posts only to yourself or an empty circle and easily find the posts later with the Google+ search.

The Google+ searches can be saved and will appear under your circles "More" drop down list on the Home page.

You may use capital letters, it doesn't make any difference in the search.

Let's do Business - Tips on Pages Part 1

Differences between Google+ Pages and Google+ Profiles:  Pages are extremely similar to profiles, but they have some key differences.

- Pages can be made for a variety of different entities whereas profiles can only be made for people.
- The default privacy setting for elements on your page profile is public.
- Pages can’t play games.

- Pages don’t have the option to share to ‘Extended circles’.
- Pages can’t hangout on a mobile device.
- Local pages have special fields that help people find the business’ physical location.

Pages can’t add people to circles or +1 their comments / posts until the page is added first or mentioned. Learn more
Pages can have multiple administrators:  Learn more
Pages have the +1 button: Lean more

Musings on successful presence and Google+ topics

The people you circle, what are you looking for there? If your friends are not yet on the Plus side, so what?

I started on Google+ with no-one I knew, even today only a handful of my friends are here.

I'm no techie or celebrity, just an ordinary middle-aged female from Finland. Love sharing my thoughts and  photographs, posting (hopefully) interesting content, engaging in conversations and helping out Goobies (newcomers). 

I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone. 

- Bill Cosby

The words from Bill Cosby have been my guideline on social media and blogs, I'm not a willing part of any popular clique, just been doing my thing all along.
If a nobody from a small country can achieve to be in so many circles (thank you, my dear Circleverse!), then anybody can. It just takes time, effort and perseverance. And posting in public, getting noticed.
Find your niche and be yourself, that's my advice.

Sharing to Google+ from outside websites

Using the +1 or the share button:

The difference between the old +1 button and the fairly new Share button

+1 is always public. Share can be to circles or a person only.

It seems not all of the people have known that you can share a webpage or a blog post directly to Google+ from the +1 button.

Wherever you find a +1 button and you click it, then wait for a while: It should open up a tab where you can add some text and share it to your circles or public. By clicking at the image displayed you should also be able to change the pic you want shown on your post.

There are extensions for this as not all the webmasters have added the add-on, this one is for Chrome:
With it you can +1 and share any outside website.  Add-on for Firefox.

The main difference in the use of FB, Twitter and Google+?

Can we enjoy the best of all the social media worlds?

The simplest way I can describe the difference between Facebook and Google Plus is that while Facebook helps you to keep in touch with the people you already know, Google+ helps you to get in touch with the people you want to know.

With Twitter you can keep abreast of the fast paced news world, see where your friends have checked in lately and how they're feeling at this moment.  But trying to follow conversations on Twitter is a pain...  You always see just the latest comment and have no idea what people are talking about. Half of my Twitter stream is full of disjointed scraps of discussions.


On Google+ you can follow anyone without them having to follow you back and without sending them any invite that they’d need to approve, which is a lot like Twitter. However, unlike Twitter you can also choose exactly who sees what, making G+ the only social network where you can have one account while still easily separate business posting from personal.

Don’t be shy or afraid to circle as many people as possible, you can always uncircle later if they’re not up to your expectations.  Join Communities:  Sharing your interests and passions are another great point for Google+: It’s easy to find like minded folks with the aid of the G+ search using keywords or hashtags.

Why would I log in to Facebook?

The importance of your Google+ profile

There's a gazillion people who have circled me and so many are without a profile picture... = Blueheads

Create your profile!

What is the most important thing when joining Google+?
It’s not finding friends or family, though you might think so, especially if you’re used to using Facebook.

Your profile is like your business card:
Fill up your profile’s “About” page with photos and information about who you are, where you work, what your hobbies and interests are.

This will help you to find like-minded people among the Pluserati, i.e. the other G+ users. The more you share about yourself, the better.

Tools for Chrome and Google+

In the Chrome Web Store there are many helpful extensions or apps for making Google+ work better for you.

What are extensions?

Extensions are small software programs that can modify and enhance the functionality of the Chrome browser.

EDIT:  The Hover Zoom was found to contain malware, remove it!

Welcome to the Circleverse!

New here? Need some tips? Ask away!

Google+ is different from other platforms and needs a bit more work than, lets say Pinterest. But once you've understood what the idea behind Circles is, the rewards are great. Don't wait for your friends and family to join you but venture outside your comfort zone and you might be surprised!

Image by Claude Rieth

I started using Google+ in June 2011 with no-one I knew, first of my nationality, non-geek and middle-aged. I'm burdened with a double vowel and an umlaut in my name but still I've enjoyed G+ hugely from the beginning. Even now only a handful of people I know IRL are here. But I really don't care as I have a Circleverse full of great new acquaintances and in many cases, new friends, too.

It's just a question of finding your niche. And making an effort.
My 5 C:s are: Circle, curate, create, communicate & consume!

From Facebook Village to Google+ Galaxy

Image courtesy of the Guardian

I’ve heard and read so many opinions for and against about the Google+ vs Facebook dominance game and who’s killing who, that I wanted to take a look at the whole state of affairs from another perspective.

Where everybody knows your name...

Mystery writer Agatha Christie’s heroine Miss Jane Marple lives in a small village called St Mary Mead. The people of the village know each other well; gossip and sometimes also scandal seem to be part of their everyday lives. The village is a safe place to be, you know what the topics you can safely discuss are, interacting with familiar people on a day-to-day basis. Birthdays, marriages, children, weather and diet are widely discussed.


Sometimes life can be a bit boring, too. Like in a stagnant pond, even fairly insignificant activity may get a lot of attention. Travelling to London every now and then helps brighten up the life and give it the much-wanted flavor that the village life is incapable of providing!