Google+ is still technically in beta,so there's plenty of room to improve. Before it can start really going after Facebook,it needs to address a few of its common annoyances first.
Here are some suggestions to get Google+ on its way.
Games will draw in users
A lot of Facebook's success comes from online games like Farmville and Cityville. Despite how annoying they may be in your your news feed or stream,the fact remains that they're a huge attraction to millions of users.
Let developers start making apps
Developers are dying to start writing useful apps for Google+. With third-party apps,Google+ has the potential to become a great productivity tool for users. Google has already said it will open up to applications,but the sooner this happens,the better.
The +1 button is about to get a whole lot faster,thanks to an update Google rolled out on Tuesday.
“We’ve begun to roll out out a set of changes that will make the button render up to 3x faster on your site,” software engineer David Byttow said in a blog post. “No action is required on your part,so just sit back,relax,and watch as the button loads more quickly than before.”
In addition to the speed boost,Google also introduced new code that speeds up the +1 button via an asynchronous code snippet. The code allows a web page to load with the +1 JavaScript code in parallel. The result is another improvement in page load time. The code is available on the is Google’s answer to Facebook’s Like Button. Since its launch,it has quickly gained adoption,and one report even claims its more widespread than the Twitter Tweet Button.
Already using Google+? Follow Mashable’s Pete Cashmore for the latest about the platform’s new features,tips and tricks as well as social media and technology updates.
Now that you’ve had a few weeks to get your feet wet with Google+,it’s time to make sure your other web properties are linking to your +Profile in style.
As always,the web is teeming with talented and generous artists who offer their visions of a more beautiful Internet up for free. We’ve sampled their wares and chosen the classiest badges and buttons that will alert your readers in no uncertain terms:“Hey,I’m doing things on the Google+!”
Found any beauties we missed? Link away in the comments.
Probably the defining Google+ icon on the web right now,the subtle gradients and light shadow give David Walsh's contribution the look of a smooth stone. It'll make a nice addition to any webpage or app dock.
At first glance,this pack may seem similar to those previously discussed. But the bevel of light that runs across each one adds a glossier feel. What's more,the set comes with the white versions,as well as their non-glossy counterparts.
This little number makes thematic use the Google+ "circles," and adds the logo colors with a waving banner. It's a great choice for an airy blog theme.
As businesses clamor to join Google+,it may be no coincidence that Facebook has introduced a new site walking potential advertisers through the process of advertising and marketing on the social network.
The site,Facebook for Business,“provides step-by-step guidance for how to best use Facebook’s marketing tools,” a company rep says. Such tools include Pages,Ads,Deals,social plugins and Sponsored Stories.
Though Facebook is sought after by marketers,many have found the process of buying ads on the network complex,which has spawned a network of third-party agencies that specialize in placing ads on the network. With the site,Facebook hopes to offer more of a helping hand. “We want to inspire small businesses by seeing how other businesses have found success on Facebook by sharing their stories,” the rep says.
The new site is the latest effort by Facebook to court advertisers. In April,the company launched Facebook Studio,which showcases successful Facebook campaigns and gives awards for the best work.
Here's an interesting and under-reported story:a developer by the name of Robert Norris Hills recently created a bot that automatically adds users to Circles on Google Plus. The bot runs until it reaches the friend limit of 5,000,then removes the Circle it created and starts again,keeping those who added it back.
Why would such a bot be a problem on Google's new social network? Because,like similar "auto-follow" behavior employed by Twitter spammers in the past,many users will return follow (or in this case,return "encircle") those who follow them. And that can be used to a spammer's advantage.
There is some good news to report,however:Google throttled the bot within days of it going live. But according to Hills,that may not be enough.
Sponsor
Automatic "Circling"
Hills posted this video(see below;warning,rocking soundtrack! adjust your volume!) to YouTube recently,using the catchy title "A Certain Shade of Scoble," referring to power user and startup tester extrodinaire,Robert Scoble,who is currently following the maximum number of friends (5,000) on Google Plus.
As the video explains,the bot runs for a few hours,friending a total of 5,000 people. The next day,it runs again,removing the Circle of 5,000,except for those who had added it back. Last weekend,before Google addressed the issue,Hills tweaked the bot to run 30% faster,and said that the bot could now add 1,000 friends in 5 minutes. But unlike with his first video,Hills was never able to upload proof of these claims to YouTube before Google stepped in to stop the bot.
We reached out to Google to ask how the system was secured. According to a Google spokesperson,this isn't "an interesting story." Our attempts to follow up further were not responded to,unfortunately.
We feel differently about this news,of course. It is interesting,we think. And here's why.
Google Taking a Position on Automation? And,Yes,It Matters
What's interesting about this story is not only how quickly Google made changes to throttle the bot's behavior (within 3 days of the video upload - something it should be proud of!),but it speaks to a larger issue of how spammers could game Google Plus in the future.
Right now,Google is so wrapped up in the war on fake names (Google is requiring that real names are used on the service),that it can't fully focus on this issue,we guess. In addition,the 5,000 friend limit makes this type automation of minimal concern for now. After all,if spammers were to use this type of system in order to amass followers today,they would have to create multiple accounts to reach a wide enough audience to make their link-baiting (or whatever nefarious activity they involve themselves in) worthwhile.
But one day,Google Plus will go live. And one day,the limit of 5,000 may be lifted. Or so we hope. As Marshall Kirkpatrick wrote here yesterday,limits like these seem like architectural shortcomings of our social networks,whether that's a friend limit on Google Plus or a limit as to how many Twitter lists a user can have.
The problem has been addressed for now,Hills says. Google throttled his bot's behavior so that it can only "encircle" one friend every 5 to 8 seconds. Still,any tool that allows for automation like this should be kept under watch,as it means that people can begin to use the service in non-organic ways. Hills suggests that simple CAPTCHAS could be used after set intervals to confirm it's a user on a Circling spree,and not a bot.
Should Google Allow Automation?
Google may be right when it says,essentially,"nothing to see here," but that same sentiment won't be appropriate forever. At some point,Google will have to address how it handles bots and automation and take a position. Twitter did. Digg did. And Facebook did,with notable fallout resulting from the ban of the aforementioned Mr. Robert Scoble.
What will Google's policy be on automation be? Throttle but don't prevent? Prevent but don't ban? (Hills' account is still active,for what it's worth). Happily allow through the yet-to-launch API for developers? What do you think it should be?
Already using Google+? Follow Mashable’s Pete Cashmore for the latest about the platform’s new features,tips and tricks as well as social media and technology updates.
Organizing your circles in Google+ can be the most confusing part of the new social network. Yet people are learning to embrace and even optimize their circles for better productivity,filtering and privacy.
We spoke with some Google+ mavericks about how they’ve corralled their circles to be more effective. Below,they share their clever tricks and best practices so you can learn from both their mistakes and their successes.
1. Sourcing
Technology writer +Mike Elgan will directly address people that circled him. He’ll reach out with a personal question like “Where do you live?” Not only do Elgan’s polls help him get to know his followers,but he often uses the feedback from his circles as a resource. His “What should Google users be called?” poll,for example,generated 181 responses. “I’ve crowdsourced some issues for columns I work on and taken polls to get a finger-on-the-pulse idea of what people are thinking or doing,” Elgan says.
2. Learning
+Steve Rubel,EVP/Global Strategy and Insights for Edelman has organized his circles to focus on early adopters and thus access valuable feedback and information. He uses Google+ as a virtual “Junto,” named after Ben Franklin’s original discussion forum. Rubel’s circles are organized by persona,for example,“Pluserati,” “CEOs” and “Clients.” From there,he shares “semi-private posts just to ask questions … we can explore the issues of the day,much as Franklin did.”
3. Deeper Interaction
Many Google+ early adopters are curious about their followers. Because Google+ doesn’t require mutual friend acceptance like Facebook,many users have gained hundreds and even thousands of followers in the first few weeks of registering.
Mashable‘s +Ben Parr regularly asks his public circles for responses and insight. One recent request,“What’s the name of your favorite Google+ circle?” received funny replies including Purgatory,The Circle Of Trust,The Party Posse,Inbreds,Ppl I’ve Kissed,Ppl I Want to Kiss,People I NEVER want to Kiss,Tila Tequila Wanna-bes,Guys Who Pissed Me Off in High School,Scoblized,People I Call When I’m Dying or Arrested,More Bacon Than the Pan Can Handle,Muggles,and of course,Ubergeeks.
Google+ users are finally able to put faces to their followers and interact with them in meaningful (and sometimes hilarious) ways.
4. Filtering
Google+ users are two to three times more likely to share in specific circles than in public,according to Bradley Horowitz and Vic Gundotra,Google’s vice president of products and senior vice president of social,respectively.
Google+ circles encourage user etiquette,sparing certain members of your network from updates they can’t relate to or flat out don’t care about. “You share each item with only the people who deserve to know. And simultaneously,you spare the masses from seeing news of no interest to them,” wrote David Pogue of The New York Times.
Technology journalist +Steven Vaughan-Nichols divides his circles into three basic categories:personal,work and interest. He warns about proper circle etiquette on ZDNet’s blog. “Just keep in mind that if you want to keep people reading your words,show some sense about what you post,” he advises. “For example,I can already tell you that a lot of Google+ users are already sick and tired of animated GIF graphics,no matter how cute they are.”
5. Personal Memos
Advanced Google+ users have discovered a way to use circles to save personal memos,drafts or articles to read later. Think of it as a type of Google+ reader,especially when articles that you’ve “+1′d” don’t make it to your profile.
Creating a circle-of-one (just your own profile) can function as a type of scrapbook,a history of interpersonal notes or private memos. Blogger +Charo Nuguid created a circle only composed of herself. “I created two ‘private’ circles,one for private messages and another for my notes-to-self,” she writes. “So far it’s worked out well. The posts show up in the circles. I finally have a way to keep track of my notes and the messages I post.”
6. Organizing
Technologist and startup advisor +Christopher Allenexplains his method for organizing his circles (seen above).
Although Google+ is not yet offering sub-circle organization,Allen figured out a way to organize circles within circles. For example,under “1.0 Kin,” he’s added sub-circles called “1.1 Immediate Family” and “1.2 Extended Family.” All in all,Allen has created 42 circles. It may sound daunting but it does allow him to better target his posts to specific audiences.
Still,that’s a lot of sorting to do especially if you already have a lot of followers. Allen suggests reviewing a few circles every day:“I do so by going to ‘Manage Circles,’ then selecting ‘People in your Circles’ and sorting by last name. I choose that letter of the alphabet that corresponds to the day of the month and hover my mouse over each name … If they’re in the wrong Circle,I move them.”
7. Preparing for the Future
Many Google+ users have already begun to think about future uses for circles. Although Google is still tight-lipped about additions,our early adopters have certainly been chiming in with suggestions.
Search:Mike Elgan suggests that “standard search,plus a lift on the limit of people in circles (something rumored) would enable me to follow a gazillion people without actually seeing the full stream generated by that gazillion — only the most relevant items.”
Organization:“I would love to be able to organize my circles any way I want (alphabetical,most used,etc.). I also would love to color code them,” says indie film producer +Adam Cohen.
Topics:Steven Vaughan-Nichols writes,“At the moment,Google+ circles aren’t ideal for interest circles. For example,if you were to follow me in a dog-lovers circle,I might only mention pups once every other day or two. It’s my understanding though that Google intends on making it easier to post by topics. I certainly hope they do.”
Google+ circles have surprised and stumped the world’s greatest technology leaders. Hopefully these quick tips will help you optimize your own circles and become a Google+ master.
A Google source tells us people inside the company are shocked – pleasantly – by that figure.
Just like us outsiders,he said that doubters inside the company worried their co-workers were about to release yet another Buzz-like dud.
Didn't happen.
This Googler says insiders credits two factors:a stronger-than-expected anti-Facebook sentiment – best typified by this xkcd comic strip – and invite-only membership.
The invite-only membership helps because it keeps early adopters from complaining about how little content there still is on Google+.
"When you show up to an invite-only party and you're the only one there,it's not weird."
Already using Google+? Follow Mashable’s Pete Cashmore for the latest about the platform’s new features,tips and tricks as well as social media and technology updates.
Do you still consider yourself a noob when it comes to Google’s social platform? If so,we’ve got some handy hints to help you out.
From quicker sharing options to better content curation via savvy privacy settings,we’re bringing you 10 tips and tricks that will soon have you Google Plussing like a pro.
Take a look through the image gallery below and please share in the comments any Google+ tips we haven’t mentioned — your suggestion could be featured in a forthcoming Mashable article.
1. Add More Info to Your Profile Pop-Up Window
To most Google+ "strangers," you're just a thumbnail. If they do care to hover over your avatar,then you're a thumbnail with a few words of description,likely your company name,profession or location.
There's a simple "hack" that can make Google+ display much more info when someone hovers over your avatar -- similar to the appearance of Twitter.
Go to edit your profile,select the employment section,and in the first "Employer name" box,write your bio and check the "current" box. Whatever you have written should now appear when people hover over your avatar,as in the screengrab above.
Circles are a useful tool for organization of content. Thanks to the fact you can create empty circles,there's a variety of organizational options open to you.
As Google+ currently has no way of bookmarking content (+1-ing a post does diddly squat,other than giving the poster a thumbs up),Plussers have devised workarounds.
You can create empty circles to "share" under different headings. Create a notepad. Make "bookmarks" for links you want to check out when you have more time,"read later" for longer posts and articles,and even "test" if,like us,you want to muck around on the service without annoying your followers.
Once you've set this up and shared content to your various empty circles,viewing that circle's stream will bring up all the Plus bits you wanted to save.
One really neat trick Google has built into Plus is the ability to scroll through all of a user's uploaded profile pics directly from the profile or posts page.
You can do this by clicking on the person's avatar image at the top left of the screen. If they have added more than one pic,Plus will flip through the album there and then.
While on one hand this is a handy way to see profile pics at-a-glance,some Plussers have gotten creative with the concept. Designer Phouthong Luong has two profile pics you can scroll through. They are the same except for the fact the second cartoon avatar winks!
One of our favorite things about Google+ is limited,rather than public,sharing. You can share a post with one person -- or the entire world.
However,there's nothing to say that one person won't click "share" to expose your previously private post to the entire world.
Thankfully,Google+ offers the ability to disable sharing on posts. If you've posted something you'd like to stay private,click on the drop down menu arrow at the top right of the post and select "disable reshare."
For obvious reasons this also disables "+mentions" in the comments of the post,even if you want to mention someone who has commented previously.
Do be aware this doesn't mean people can't screengrab your post,etc,but it will at least communicate that you'd like the post to stay private.
5. How to Find Post's Permalinks
If you want to find a post's permalink,it's simple. If the post was shared publicly,you can hit the drop down menu arrow at the top right and select "link to this post." This will open the post in a separate tab,allowing you to copy and past its URL.
If the post has limited sharing options,this setting won't appear in the drop down menu. Instead,click on the time or date stamp toward the top of the post. This will also open the post in a new window and reveal the URL,although not everyone will be able to view it.
If you expand the "share" box,you can drag and drop content into it. This works for video,photos,links and even other Plus profiles.
7. Change the Visibility of Your Circles
Google+ displays all people in your circles at random on your profile. However,you can change the default options to show only certain circles and hide others.
In Google's own words,this is so you can "hide that weird aunt you’re embarrassed about,and show off the coolest people you know."
To change your circle settings,click "Edit profile" and then hit the circles boxes on the left of your screen. You can now choose which circles you want the world to see,and even decide whether to display people who have added you to circles.
8. Notify People About Posts
Rather than risk burying an important post in the stream,Google+ offers a way to notify people in a circle about the post,without having to add their Google+ username.
To set it up (and please,use wisely because we've all got overflowing inboxes these days),click on the circle you're sharing with (as per the grab above) and check the "notify about this post" box.
Spammers beware -- it only lets you activate this option for groups of up to 100.
Did you know Google+ offers some cool,Picnik-style,built-in photo effects? There's even an "I'm Feeling Lucky" option!
Click on one of your photos to bring up the dark background view,then hit the "Actions" menu at the bottom right. In addition to useful options such as "Auto Contrast" and "Auto Color," you can also Cross Process,Orton-ize,or turn your image black and white.
As far as we can tell,the "I'm Feeling Lucky" option will randomly apply an effect.
10. All the Google+ URLs
Did you know you can find Google+ at various URLs? There's:
http://google.com/+
http://plus.google.com,and
http://google.com/plus.
In addition,if you type in http://plus.google.com/me it will take you right to your own profile.
Google Plus memberships are growing rapidly to an estimated 18 million of them as of today — and the service hasn’t even been around for a full month yet.
We duly note that half of the 6,237 PCMag.com readers polled say they would “ditch” Facebook altogether in favor of Google Plus — although the actual question used the present tense,“Are you ditching Facebook for Google Plus?”
So we’re long overdue for our own reader poll. We’re curious to see how sentiments may have changed since we asked you all in March whether you’d use the +1 in addition to the Facebook like to share content with friends.
By all means,please share you opinion in the poll below;in the comments section beneath this post you can also give your rationale for your vote. Then come back later to see how everyone else is voting.
Here's an interesting and under-reported story:a developer by the name of Robert Norris Hills recently created a bot that automatically adds users to Circles on 
Organizing your circles in 
Google Plus memberships are growing rapidly to an estimated 18 million of them as of today — and the service hasn’t even been around for a full month yet.