2. The people I used to see only occasionally on Google+, seem to be spending more and more time here.

3. I'm getting more email from readers of my blogs, asking about Google+.

Something BIG is happening and we're involved!
#Thunky

Google+: Reshared 8 times
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Suggestion: How about you call us your reader community?
#Thunky

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#Thunky

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Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate
Capture the whole page or any portion, annotate it with rectangles, circles, arrows, lines and text, blur sensitive info, one-click…

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Here are what I see as 3 keys to getting the most from it. Please add your suggestions below!

1. Learn how Google+ works
Google+ provides a number of extremely useful tools for it’s users, to help us get the most from it. However, in order to find the tools and use them correctly, you need to be prepared to invest a little time.

This post by +Debbie Ohi contains links to all the resources you need, to get started: Read it here!

2. Circle interesting people and brands
The quality of your experience on Google+ is largely determined by the people or organizations you circle (or follow) here. When you circle interesting people, who make you think, smile or feel good – your experience is magical. When you circle people who bore you, the experience is exactly what you would expect. So, find interesting people and circle them.

3. Communicate, rather than broadcast.
If all you do with Google+ is send out links and broadcast, you’re missing the greatest asset the service has to offer: Its users! Talk to people. Share ideas. Ask and answer questions. Communicate!

So, what would you add to this list? Share your thoughts!

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Google+ posts on WordPress

This is because I am running an experiment, using a plugin, which pulls in selected updates I share on Google+.  I simply add a hashtag to any of my updates I would like shared, then they arrive in my WordPress pending folder, ready for publishing.  I then tailor them slightly and post them here.  It takes a minute or so.

Google Plus and duplicate content

I am not currently recommending anyone else tries this, as I have concerns regarding duplicate content.  If Google sees a site, which it believes is using content from other sites, en mass, it penalizes them (quite rightly too.)  This is in an effort to stop content scrapers from building valuable sites, from content “stolen”, usually without attribution, and makes for a better search experience.  Google cover duplicate content, in this post.

So, I will be monitoring the results here over the coming 4 weeks and will let you know what happens.  Currently, traffic into the blog has increased, but purely because it’s publishing regular content again, thanks to the plugin.  It’s currently too early to see any measurable climb or drop in search traffic.

According to a negative post in The LA Times, Google+ is fading away. That said, since they initially wrote this piece, they have already had to publish a retraction for quoting the wrong numbers!

They originally claimed that Google+ had 2million users in it's first 2 weeks, which was 500% below the actual number:

The LA Times: "The post initially said that Google+ had ramped up to nearly two million users in its first three weeks… The number of users that had started a Google+ account by then was closer to 10 million"

Anecdotally, I have seen an increase of 50% in the number of people connecting with me on Google+ over the past few weeks. I also get a massively better response to anything I have on Google+ than any other platform.

You can check out the while LA Times piece, below.

#Thunky

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Google+ continues battle with fading user interest, data say
Google+ traffic: According to data given to The Times by Hitwise, U.S. traffic to Google+ has dropped in 11 of the 21 weeks since its launch in late June, regularly falling between 10% and 20% from on…

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Today, they have revealed a little more on what they do:

Facebook doesn’t track everybody the same way. It uses different methods for members who have signed in and are using their accounts, members who are logged-off and non-members.

The first time you arrive at any Facebook.com page, the company inserts cookies in your browser. If you sign up for an account, it inserts two types of cookies. If you don’t set up an account, it only inserts one of the two types.

These cookies record every time you visit another website that uses a Facebook Like button or other Facebook plugin — which work together with the cookies to note the time, date and website being visited. Unique characteristics that identify your computer are also recorded.

Facebook keeps logs that record your past 90 days of activity. It deletes entries older than 90 days.

If you are logged into a Facebook account, your name, email address, friends and all of the other data in your Facebook profile is also recorded.
You can read the whole post on Mashable: http://mashable.com/2011/11/17/facebook-reveals-its-user-tracking-secrets/

#Thunky

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Facebook Reveals its User-Tracking Secrets
For the first time, Facebook has revealed details about how it tracks users across the web.

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I know I said I would listen to you, after ignoring you last time and making a huge mistake.

However, this time I mean it!

Yours,

Jim

Reshared post from +Google+

Rock the House. Google Music Sharing on Google+ Has Arrived
#GoogleMusic #GooglePlusUpdate #Android

As you may have just heard, Google Music is now open for business (starting in the United States), and will be rolling out to the Android Market for all Android Phones on Froyo (Android 2.2) and above. You can upload as many as 20,000 songs from your personal music collection, and purchase new tracks from the Music store on the Android Market.

But music is more fun when shared with friends. You can share any purchased track with Google+, and your friends can get a full song preview. You can also share 30-second previews of songs you haven't yet purchased. So bring on the noise.

Find out more on the Official Google Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/google-music-is-open-for-business.html and the Android Market: https://market.android.com/

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Here are some ideas from the good folks at LifeHacker.Com on how to stay safe online:

1. Learn to Identify Phishing and Spear Phishing Attempts
2. Beware Suspicious Emails and Attachments
3. Keep Your Anti-Malware Software Up-To-Date
4. Use HTTPS Everywhere (Or At Least Everywhere You Can)
5. Use Strong, Secure Passwords, and Different Ones On Different Sites
6. Be Skeptical, Be Informed, and Be Careful

Here’s the full post: http://lifehacker.com/5858197/how-to-protect-yourself-from-online-fraud