What I'm Doing With Google+ Now

Since I was asked earlier today about my Google+ postings, I think I should share with you how I'm currently using it and what I plan to do with it. When Google+ initially launched you could only sign-up as an individual using your real name. In fact, if you didn't use your real name Google could and did kick you off. I actually liked that element of Google+ because it eliminated the anonymous spamming that can happen on Twitter. I didn't use Google+ nearly as much as Twitter or Facebook at first. I slowly found myself building circles that I did find useful, but I have to admit that I didn't have a real system or plan as to how I was constructing circles. Everything changed this week when Google launched Google+ Pages.

Google+ Pages allows organizations and brands (like Free Technology for Teachers) to create a presence on Google+. Upon learning this news I immediately created a Google+ Page for Free Technology for Teachers. Moving forward, the Google+ Page for Free Technology for Teachers is where I will post links to the things I publish here. I will also use the Google+ Page to share, +1, and re-share interesting things related to education that are posted by others. Right now I am putting everyone that puts Free Technology for Teachers into their circles into my circle of followers so that I can see what you're publicly sharing too. One of the things that Google has done right with Google+ Pages is preventing Pages creators from adding people to their circles that have not been added by an individual. In other words, I can't put you into my Google+ Page circle unless you have put me in a circle. I think that's a good anti-spam measure on Google's part.

Because a lot of people have put me, Richard Byrne, into their circles I will continue to cross post between my personal Google+ account and the Free Technology for Teachers Google+ Page for a couple of more weeks. After that I will only use my personal Google+ account for interacting with friends without posts linking back to Free Technology for Teachers. So for those of you who have put me and Free Technology for Teachers in circles, I apologize for the double posting and promise that it will end at Thanksgiving (the US version of the holiday).

Hangouts are one of the neat features of Google+ that I've been using sporadically with some of my friends. Moving forward I would like to use Google+ Hangouts to connect with readers. I don't yet have firm plans for how I'll do that, but I'll let you know here and on the Google+ Page for Free Technology for Teachers.