And now... A musical interlude

And now... A musical interlude
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR3VpvkAd0E

A deeper look at the Nimbus Screencapture

A deeper look at the Nimbus Screencapture
I've used this for ages but never really got in to the editing part- Neat!!!!!

Originally shared by Beyond Social Media Show

Nimbus Screenshot & Screencast Demonstration [VIDEO] - https://youtu.be/YftRyWPt0VU #Screencasting
https://youtu.be/YftRyWPt0VU

Need to control your Home Stream? This will help.

Need to control your Home Stream? This will help.

Originally shared by John Skeats

How to Get Rid of Trash in Your Google+ Home Stream

Many Google+ users see a lot of trashy posts in their Home streams -- but many other Google+ users see none because of actions they've taken to prevent the trash. This post will explain what you can do to join the ranks with trash-free Home streams.

Actions to prevent trash from appearing in your Home Stream
Content appears in your Home stream for different reasons. You must take different actions to deal with the content depending on where the trash came from as follows:

* Poorly moderated communities -- Google provides community owners and moderators powerful tools which can guarantee that members would not see inappropriate posts. Unfortunately, not all community owners have chosen to use those tools. If you are seeing inappropriate content from a community, it means the community is not being moderated as well as it could be. There are a huge number of well-moderated communities on literally any subject, so there is no reason to put up with poorly moderated ones. Leave the poorly moderated communities and find others that are well-moderated.

* People you are following -- If people you are following are sharing content you don't want to see, unfollow them or the collections they share those posts in.

* Collections you are following -- If you are seeing inappropriate content in collections you explicitly followed (as opposed to having followed the people who created the collections), unfollow the collections.

* Posts +1ed by people you follow -- If you don't like the kinds of posts that people you follow +1, your best course of action is to unfollow those people.

* Recommendations from Google -- Google occasionally makes recommendations for things they believe you might be interested in. Google tailors that for each person, so much of what they recommend to you can be based on who you follow, what collections you follow, and what communities you are a member of. Taking the actions mentioned above should go a long way towards cleaning up the recommendations you see. If that's not enough, you can turn off those recommendations in Google+ Settings.

Reporting content that violates Google's policies
Google works very aggressively to prevent trashy posts from reaching you, but there is something you can do to help. If you believe that content you see violates Google’s User Content and Conduct Policy (http://www.google.com/+/policy/content.html), please report it. Your reports will be most effective if you also block the people who shared the content and leave them blocked. See the following post for more details about dealing with undesirable content on Google+:
https://plus.google.com/+JohnSkeats/posts/F86Hv3L6kE3

* Michael Daniels was kind enough to provide the following selection for my use in community postings.

* Michael Daniels was kind enough to provide the following selection for my use in community postings. -Thanks Michael!

Do you know anything about setting up BuddyPress and bbpress?

FRIDAY - 30 Dec 2016 - Join Us!

FRIDAY - 30 Dec 2016 - Join Us!
12:00 Noon & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Great little guide that shows you how to give feedback in each Google product!

Great little guide that shows you how to give feedback in each Google product!



Originally shared by Michael Daniels

Here is a great list that shows every way to give Feedback for every Google Product https://davidking.xyz/google-feedback/#home

h/t David King
https://davidking.xyz/google-feedback/#home

Just a reminder...

Just a reminder...
10AM Pacific / 1PM Eastern
https://business-hangouts.com/biweekly-product-demo

LIVE! - THURSDAYDAY - 29 DEC 2016!

LIVE! - THURSDAYDAY - 29 DEC 2016!
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

For Michael Daniels and other Google Home users

For Michael Daniels and other Google Home users
Just in case you missed it

Originally shared by Michael Dopp

Just realized Google Home will work with Google Play Movies - sort of.
Similar to another post I made pointing out that you can start a stream to a Chromecast via the Netflix app on your phone or tablet and then take control of that stream with Google Home, the same works with Google Play Movies. And I suspect because of this that it will probably work with a wide variety of services. I would think Google Home is simply working with the deck controls built into Chromecast and any service which can make use of those can also be controlled by Google Home.

So - for example:
1. I initiated a Chromecast stream - device name 'Screen 1' - via the Google Play Movies app on my Android tablet.
2. Once playing I instructed Google Home to "Pause Screen 1". It will pause the stream. Note that I gave it both the command and the device name there. Home will remember that this is the stream it is currently issuing commands for. So all subsequent deck controls can just be issued without naming the stream device. 'Play', 'Go back 1 hour', 'Fast Forward 10 minutes', 'Rewind 30 seconds', etc... All such common deck controls worked fine with Google Play Movies. "Stop" also worked. For the heck of it once stopped I asked it to play that movie via Google Play Movies and it informed me it did not currently work with Google Play Movies. LOL. I didn't try just saying "Play" though after I had stopped it. I wonder...

Anyway I really, really like the voice control for video. It seems just about as good as a dedicated remote control which I have long wanted for Chromecast. So I hope somebody else out there is as happy about this little discovery as I am.

A short comparison video using Appear.in, Nimbus, and Screencastify.

A short comparison video using Appear.in, Nimbus, and Screencastify.
https://youtu.be/TpB6lhbNpf4

Part 8 of Spencer Wade's ongoing series. A must read for anyone using communities

Part 8 of Spencer Wade's ongoing series. A must read for anyone using communities

Originally shared by Spencer Wade

Your Brand & G+: Using Communities to Promote, Engage, and Influence “Pt. 8 Using Circles to Strengthen Communities”

One of the most useful, and underutilized, features of Google+ is the Circle function. Circles allow you to create subsets of people connected to your brand. This can be defined as segmentation, which we discussed in our last article, taken to the ultimate level and utilized for a different purpose.

What are circles?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljvFCIuN8I8

Where segmenting your brand’s Community into smaller, more-targeted Communities allows you to hyper-focus your message to that Community’s membership, using Circles allows you to segment even further for the purposes of sharing content and updates with a selective group. This also enforces the “velvet rope” mentality we’ve already discussed.

Use circles on Google+
https://support.google.com/plus/answer/6320407?hl=en

Circles can be segmented in countless ways depending upon whatever criteria you use to differentiate prospects. You can start with any idea you have: existing customers, power users, specific demographics, target markets, etc. The goal is to create channels you can use to effectively and efficiently communicate with a select portion of your Community membership. And do so in a much more personal and memorable way than traditional methods.

Find & add people to circles
https://support.google.com/plus/answer/1047805?hl=en

Circles can also be an ingenious way to track different types of content. Simply include the creators of content you feel would benefit your brand in a Circle, and invite them to join your brand’s relevant Community. Even if they decline, you have made an introduction, and can work from there to cement a relationship moving forward. It’s all about networking – even for the influencers. This is an excellent way to expand your network in whatever vertical your brand competes in, so get started working with Circles in your Communities today. I assure you there are benefits far beyond what we’ve touched on here.

Pro-Tip: It’s also an excellent work-around for the restrictions Gmail has in place for group emailing!

See you all next year!

Use a Chromebook/box? Need Free Screen Recording Software?

Use a Chromebook/box? Need Free Screen Recording Software?

This may be of interest!

https://turbofuture.com/computers/Screencast-Chromebook
https://turbofuture.com/computers/Screencast-Chromebook

WEDNESDAY - 28 DEC 2016 - LIVE!

WEDNESDAY - 28 DEC 2016 - LIVE!
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Friends check out these video tutorials to get started with unifiedchat.

Friends check out these video tutorials to get started with unifiedchat. It describes all the different use cases of app with hangout, HOA and Youtube Live.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA5Ln6PkJSxL7sxt9sC89coJ28fYucpJg

Originally shared by UnifiedChat Hangout Extension

A playlist containing video tutorials on how to use UnifiedChat with Hangout, Hangout On Air, and Youtube Live.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA5Ln6PkJSxL7sxt9sC89coJ28fYucpJg

https://www.unifiedchat.com
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA5Ln6PkJSxL7sxt9sC89coJ28fYucpJg

LIVE! -TUESDAY - 27 DEC 2016

LIVE! -TUESDAY - 27 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

The new hangout interface removed apps and extension support.

The new hangout interface removed apps and extension support. Old users can still access it. But new users are always presented with new hangout interface even in HOA.
Does anyone know of any method with which new users can also access old hangout interface that had apps and extension ?

In the below pic you can see that it opens the extension preloaded by appending "&gid=app_id" in the url. But there is no way user open it again once he opens any other app. because its shortcut is not available in left hand side menu.

MONDAY - LIVE! - 26 DEC 2016

MONDAY - LIVE! - 26 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

A belated MERRY CHRSTMAS to all!

A belated MERRY CHRSTMAS to all!

(Long story short - sick in bed last 24 hrs).

Hope everyone had a GREAT Holiday!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

Welcome Sean Whiteley - our newest member!

Welcome Sean Whiteley - our newest member!

Logitech C922 - Background Replacement

Logitech C922 - Background Replacement
https://youtu.be/2rj5YsNjSC4

FRIDAY - 23 Dec 2016 - Join Us!

FRIDAY - 23 Dec 2016 - Join Us!
12:00 Noon & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Just a reminder...Friday Dec. 23, 2016

Just a reminder...Friday Dec. 23, 2016
9:00 am Pacific Time - 12:00 pm Eastern Time - 6:00 pm Central Europe
https://business-hangouts.com/support
https://business-hangouts.com/support

Logitech C922 vs C920

Logitech C922 vs C920
VERY Quick test

In the beginning of the first section there is an error. I said I was using the headset and mike but I was actually using the internal mike on the C922.
https://youtu.be/kxb9ZqauphE

Want to know about Spaces?

Want to know about Spaces?
Check this out!

Originally shared by Oleg Moskalensky

Google Spaces - a #SPECzone exclusive
some use cases

This post is specifically for Peggy K, although you may find it useful, even if you're not Peggy K ;)

Peggy asked for some uses of Google Spaces and to be frank - they're pretty vast, I'll mention a few in the comments below, with accompanying photos and explanation, something that's actually quite a bit easier to do in Spaces than G+

Google Spaces is a pretty simple app, although quite powerful if used creatively, and, unfortunately, it's half-baked at the moment (sorry Luke Wroblewski, I call them as I see them).

Here's the rundown of the GOOD:
The app allows you to invite anyone (ie, not just Google users) with a simple link. The invitee can join the Space, if they wish, or ignore the invite. Anyone who joins becomes a member of that Space and has full access to all of the features and gets notified using standard Google Notifications (similar to G+).

You can run the app on desktops, as well as mobile devices, with full sync between all of them. Even though the interface is somewhat different between mobile and desktop - it's pretty easy to get used to and use the app anywhere, across devices and platforms.

If you understand the basics of G+ Communities - you understand the Spaces as well then. It's very similar. You have a group of people who can participate, these people can create posts and they can also reply to posts. The posts can be created as text or as images or as videos and even links. The replies can also utilize text, images, videos and links. Until recently - there were no image/link/video responses on G+, but Spaces had it from the get go.

Any activities in Spaces are fully logged and shown on the right side panel, showing the member who did something and details of what they did. The activities have a slightly different background to easily indicate which ones you've seen and which you haven't.

There's also a handy fly-out bar on the desktop version that enables one to easily create a new Space post using the URL of the web page you're on with just a couple of clicks, making acquisition of posts from the web very simple. On the mobile version - you can easily share any content to Spaces via the usual share approach.

That's pretty much it as far as the functionality goes. Again, simplicity and ease of entry and use is what makes Google Spaces an excellent candidate for use. As for specifics of what to use it for - that's up to you and your creativity.

Before I post some of the examples of how I use it (in comments below) - I want to address the question of why one wouldn't just use Google+ Communities instead of Spaces, ie why another app if it's very similar?

The reason is simple - simplicity! It's a lot more effort (read: time) to set up a new community, and create categories and customize settings and invite people. Posting to it would require selecting the proper category and going through bunch of clicks etc. With Spaces it's far simpler and quicker, enabling you to create many at will. Would you want to abandon Communities then? No, I think each has its place. If you need segregation of information by categories, if you need to have moderation in place - Communities are the only way to go. Spaces has no such abilities.

That takes us to the BAD:
Currently Spaces has zero moderations capabilities. In other words, if someone joins a Space (remember, all they need is a link, which is both a blessing and a curse at the same time) - they can wreak havoc and ruin your Space. The only thing you can do is destroy the original link and have Spaces generate new one for you. Then you relay it to the 'good' members and move on. Simple doesn't always mean good - so be careful who you invite to your Spaces, especially if you post the link in Public. In other words, any member of your Space can add content and delete content at will.

Spaces doesn't have ability to modify existing text. If you create a post - you can delete it, but you can't change it. That, in theory, shouldn't be a problem, except when it comes to replies - you can NOT delete replies, only entire posts. So, be careful what you write and how you reply, because you can't take it back or augment it (this, Luke Wroblewski, is a game breaker for me introducing Spaces to my clients).

And you can't rearrange posts and/or replies. They show up in the order entered and cast in stone. So, if you make a mistake and create something out of order - you would need to delete and reenter. With replies it's relatively easy, you just delete the post. But with posts themselves - impossible, short of recreating the entire Space again.

Conclusion
With the above stated - I still think that Spaces is a very useful app, you just need to be mindful of the above and careful which people you bring in to your Spaces, but as long as the members behave - it's an awesome tool, pretty much unmatched in capabilities and simplicity out there. For collaborating on projects of any kind, with a small group of people - it's superb.

But, again, I can't recommend it for widespread use until they fix the BAD above. I was glad to see some updates on Spaces in the last few days (no limitations on text and easier invitations) - those are somewhat useful, but Google needs to get a grip and work on important stuff. These latest changes are nothing compared to what really needs to be fixed.

If you have any questions - drop me a line, I'll be happy to answer if I can.

I really hope Google addresses a few of the bad things I mentioned, because it really is a great app!

cc: a few folks that might like this - David Amerland, Mark Barrus, Mark Blinderman, Denis Labelle, Gregory R, Zara Altair, Gina Fiedel and Ben Moskalensky & Rita Moskalensky (for school stuff)

Use Spaces? This will be of interest!

Use Spaces? This will be of interest!

Originally shared by Luke Wroblewski

Starting Text Threads with no Limits
Following a lot of feedback, we've removed the limit on new text threads in Spaces. Within the latest versions of the Spaces app on iOS and Android and on the Web, you've got (almost) no character count limits when starting a thread with text.

As always, please send us your ideas/issues using the Send Feedback menu item in the Spaces app as that's the best way to ensure we'll see it. Thanks~

Just a reminder ...

Just a reminder ...
10AM Pacific / 1PM Eastern
https://business-hangouts.com/biweekly-product-demo/

THURSDAY - LIVE! - 22 DEC 2016

THURSDAY - LIVE! - 22 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

When posting for help...

When posting for help...

When posting for help it is encouraged to add as much detail as possible.

In the Google Hangout Product Forum certain information is required when posting (see screenshots).

Including this information in any post (community, collection, Spaces, etc.) asking for help will increase your chances of getting the help you need.

*Tonight's User2User Evening Q&A is postponed until after Michael Daniels Spreadsheet event

*Tonight's User2User Evening Q&A is postponed until after Michael Daniels Spreadsheet event . Join us at https://goo.gl/QucwCU
https://goo.gl/QucwCU

Does anyone know why some one trying to start an HOA would get this message?

Does anyone know why some one trying to start an HOA would get this message? "Hangouts on Air is not available at this moment. Please try again later"

Part 7 of Spencer Wade's ongoing series

Part 7 of Spencer Wade's ongoing series

Originally shared by Spencer Wade

Your Brand & G+: Using Communities to Promote, Engage, and Influence “Pt. 7 The Power of Segmentation”

Up to this point in our Communities discussion, we’ve been looking at all the ways to promote your goods and services and engage your followers using the power of Google+. Well, once you have the followers, and they’re actively engaged, you may want to consider segmentation. What’s segmentation? It’s a marketing technique used to narrow down large target audiences into more-defined segments.

No matter how well-polished your message, the more people you attempt to communicate it to the greater the chances you’ll be misinterpreted, misunderstood, or missed altogether. When we break that audience down into groups based on similarities, we greatly enhance our chances of crafting a message that hits home thereby lowering marketing costs across the board.

Once we’ve segmented our audience, we can further define their traits to discover incredibly valuable information like what they watch, listen to, and read which will allow us to accurately target those areas with ads that speak directly to this market segment. This identification and detailed data gives a business all the information they need to craft a hyper-focused message to be delivered across fewer, more powerful distribution channels.

Segmentation of your audience is one of the most important things you can do with your G+ Communities. It eliminates wasteful marketing, increases customer retention through more-targeted offerings, and – because of the categorized, segmented nature of your content (pro-tip: use hashtags in all of your posts!) – improves the discoverability of your content. It’s a win-win way to get more from you brand’s G+ page!


Thanks for stopping by, have any question feel free to drop them below or start a new post! Hope you all have a great end of year! See you next year!

In Case you missed it...

In Case you missed it...

Originally shared by Chris Cox

Annual plans have arrived for Google Drive storage.
http://www.androidpolice.com/2016/12/21/nice-google-drive-adds-annual-billing-with-discounts-for-100gb-and-1tb-plans/

Tonight we do a webinar https://goo.gl/QucwCU

Tonight we do a webinar https://goo.gl/QucwCU
Showing how a Top Contributor expert goes about and answers questions in the Forum.

Must watch!

Originally shared by Michael Daniels

Our 2nd Google Sheets FREE webinar https://goo.gl/QucwCU
Learn from a Top Contributor (expert)

Join me and Ted Juch (Google Top Contributor Expert) as we explore Google Sheets. We will cover some basic things and some very useful functional things.

Wednesday Dec. 21st at 8:15pm Eastern / 5:15pm Pacific)

Even if you can't make the live event be sure to register, you can come back and watch ANYTIME. Also, if you register now you can add comments in the unified chat and we will bring it up on screen during the Event.

NOTE: When you register you get an email that allows you to add this event to your Outlook or Google calendar

Please share this in any Community or Collection you think folks would be interested. Or share with friends you have that just aren't sure How Google Sheets work.
Just give them this link https://goo.gl/QucwCU

Hope to see you soon!
#SheetsTCEvent2016

This may be of interest to those who conduct webinars

This may be of interest to those who conduct webinars
https://business-hangouts.com/improve-webinar-attendance/

LIVE! - WEDNESDAY - 21 DEC 2016

LIVE! - WEDNESDAY - 21 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Now if this is true that you can get your live stream comments after the show.

Now if this is true that you can get your live stream comments after the show....... I think folks might just be interested in this.
Keep in mind I have not looked at this to see that that is the case.

Originally shared by Peggy K

New! View and manage your YouTube Comment history!

You can now view and manage all of your public comments across YouTube in one place. Simply navigate to your History (also contains Watch History and Search History) and select “Comments on videos history”. From there, you can re-read, edit, or even delete your comments.

View your comments:

https://www.youtube.com/feed/history/comment_history

Have questions? Visit the YouTube help forum:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/youtube/5fkAm41hu6s

Have comments and feedback? Use the "Send Feedback" button in the YouTube app or at youtube.com to let the YouTube team know what you think!

Spaces update

Spaces update
Might be of interest to the community.
A great product that keeps getting better

Originally shared by Luke Wroblewski

New Invite Controls on Spaces
Today we're launching an all-new way to invite and manage people in your Spaces. Simply create a space, tap “Invite", select the people you want to join — and we'll take care of the rest. If your friends are on Spaces, they’ll get a notification. If you invite using email addresses they will get an email with a link from Spaces. You can use the "People in this space" setting to control who is invited, add others, and turn link-sharing (https://plus.google.com/+LukeWroblewski/posts/NddGnFqEHp2) on and off so just the right people are in each of your spaces.

As always, please keep sending us your ideas/issues using the Send Feedback menu item in the Spaces app as that's the best way to ensure we'll see it.
Thanks~

More Info on New Logitech C922 Webcam

More Info on New Logitech C922 Webcam

Originally shared by Krishna De

*Review of the Logitec c920 vs the Logitec c922 - which one should you buy?

I use the Logitec c920 for my weekly shows (in fact we have two of them) and have done so for a number of years, but there is a new webcam on the block the Logitech c922.

But which one should you buy if you want to upgrade your webcam? Yes you will often find some great offers (on Amazon especially) for the c920 but perhaps price is not the main issue for you.

This video review from Justin Brown - Primal Video (one of my favourite YouTube channels for video technology tips) is going to be of assistance to you in making a decision.

What webcam do you use for live streaming and video recording?

#videomarketing #onlinevideo #socialvideo #livevideo #livestreaminsiders #livestream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTPwe4lTVi4

New Logitech c922 camera

New Logitech c922 camera

Originally shared by Michael Daniels

For those of you that use a webcam for live video and streaming the new C922 seems to be pretty interesting.
It does have built in chroma key so you don't need a green screen.
See this video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yxn2SBZPmA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Yxn2SBZPmA

A ManyCam video from my Galaxy S7.

A ManyCam video from my Galaxy S7. Their recent update allows you to live stream from a device other than your lap top or desk top. The upside is the picture is clear and navigating between screens is simple. The down side is you can't set the viewing to private until after you record the video and have to do so inside YouTube itself. Second, you can't set a video title until afterwords either.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmpSOt0DEFU&feature=share

TUESDAY - LIVE! - 19 DEC 2016

TUESDAY - LIVE! - 19 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Live webinar on Google Sheets FREE https://goo.gl/QucwCU

Live webinar on Google Sheets FREE https://goo.gl/QucwCU

Join my collection for all the TC Webinars: https://plus.google.com/u/0/collection/oLAIdB

Originally shared by Michael Daniels

Our 2nd Google Sheets FREE webinar https://goo.gl/QucwCU
Learn from a Top Contributor (expert)

Join me and Ted Juch (Google Top Contributor Expert) as we explore Google Sheets. We will cover some basic things and some very useful functional things.

Wednesday Dec. 21st at 8:15pm Eastern / 5:15pm Pacific)

Even if you can't make the live event be sure to register, you can come back and watch ANYTIME. Also, if you register now you can add comments in the unified chat and we will bring it up on screen during the Event.

NOTE: When you register you get an email that allows you to add this event to your Outlook or Google calendar

Please share this in any Community or Collection you think folks would be interested. Or share with friends you have that just aren't sure How Google Sheets work.
Just give them this link https://goo.gl/QucwCU

Hope to see you soon!
#SheetsTCEvent2016

MONDAY - LIVE! - 19 DEC 2016

MONDAY - LIVE! - 19 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

I think I've found my next toy!

I think I've found my next toy!
https://youtu.be/6QuX7CuDz2Y

Just a quick test of the Extension Nimbus Screenshot and Screencast

Just a quick test of the Extension Nimbus Screenshot and Screencast

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/nimbus-screenshot-and-scr/bpconcjcammlapcogcnnelfmaeghhagj?hl=en
https://youtu.be/_O8cVSGOIIo

Just in case you missed it...

Just in case you missed it...

Originally shared by Peggy K

What's happening with YouTube subscriptions? Bots, subscribers and videos in your feed

Get the scoop from Subscriptions Product Manager Zindzi.

Watch the video: https://youtu.be/zRAFWF3LJnw

Have you been automatically unsubscribed from a channel? Let YouTube know, so they can investigate:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/youtube/NG9ccUqx8sE
https://youtu.be/zRAFWF3LJnw

Just in case you missed it...

Just in case you missed it...

Originally shared by Peggy K

YouTube updates Custom URL system - it's now independent of Google+

The eligibility requirements are the same, but now your YouTube Custom URL won't apply to your Google+ profile, and if you set a new Custom URL on Google+, it won't apply to your YouTube channel.

Is your channel eligible for a custom URL?

Check www.youtube.com/features

Learn how to set a YouTube Custom URL:

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2657968

Questions? Ask in the YouTube help forum:

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/youtube/RMYvfjzAypQ

Read the official announcement for more details:

https://youtube-creators.googleblog.com/2016/12/improving-custom-urls-on-youtube.html

Just a reminder for newer members...

Just a reminder for newer members...
While some of the info contained in this video has changed (it was made in Jan 2014), it can still be of help in learning about the User2User-LIVE! community
https://youtu.be/fTm9c1BLLQU

Just a reminder...

Just a reminder...

Originally shared by Roland Takaoka

Saturday Morning Marketing Smarties!
December 17th, 11:00 AM PST
http://initmobile.net/sample-page/smmsmarties-improving-the-hangout-on-air-experience/
http://initmobile.net/sample-page/smmsmarties-improving-the-hangout-on-air-experience/

Community Posts Seemingly Disappearing?

Community Posts Seemingly Disappearing?

Originally shared by John Skeats

Why Your Community Posts Might Disappear After You Share Them

A community post you shared might not appear or might seem to disappear shortly after you shared the post for a few reasons. The most likely are:

* The post actually is in the community, but your preference for the sorting of the community is "Top posts" (which is the default) rather than "Most recent.” In that case, the post is not displayed at the top of the community but could be found by scrolling down further down. See https://plus.google.com/+DanielleBuckley/posts/haNr2CwDrpC for further information.

* The community has “Hold for Review” enabled. That's a spam-fighting option which can route new posts in the community to a special queue so that moderators can verify whether the posts are appropriate for before they become visible to the general membership. Note that this is not the same as the post being flagged as potential spam. The Held for Review queue is different from the Likely Spam queue. See https://plus.google.com/+LukeWroblewski/posts/Yqm6Yq821qp for more information.

* The post was flagged by the Google+ spam filters. That can happen after a post has been shared if the spam filters detect that the post is part of a potential spamming incident. See the following posts for further information:
Why Your Community Posts Might Be Flagged As Spam
https://plus.google.com/+JohnSkeats/posts/WrAT1wFBsyz
Understanding Spamming on Google+
https://plus.google.com/+JohnSkeats/posts/fkWCvpvHZZr

* The post was removed from the community by a moderator because the post violated the community's rules. You can recognize when this has happened because the community names at the top of the posts would have a line through them like this: Community Name. This would be unlikely to occur relatively immediately after you shared a post except in extremely tightly moderated communities where moderators are constantly watching new posts and dealing with them. Note that Google is not involved in this (except in communities they own and moderate).

Just a note.

Just a note... with the release of version 2 of Business Hangouts, I'll be deleting and replacing videos from my YouTube channel that are about version 1.

Sure to be of interest to members

Sure to be of interest to members

Originally shared by Luke Wroblewski

Improved Recommendations
Today we're rolling out the ability to scroll through Community and Collections recommendations in your home stream on the new Google+ Web experience. We've also made improvements to which Communities we're recommending on all platforms (iOS, Android, and Web) to surface things more relevant to your interests.

Please send us your ideas/issues using our Send Feedback menu item as that's the best way to ensure we'll see them. Thanks~

The All New Google Sites for Schools

The All New Google Sites for Schools
This may prove interesting to those involved in education

Originally shared by Eric Curts

"The All New Google Sites for Schools" training video and post
http://www.controlaltachieve.com/2016/12/new-google-sites-for-schools.html
I just did a one-hour webinar on the new version of Google Sites, all of the features, and how it can be used to create a classroom site. You can find the recorded training video, slideshow, and detailed directions at the link above.
Session Description: Google has developed a brand new version of Google Sites that makes it easier than ever to quickly create an attractive and useful website. Learn how to use this new tool to make a classroom or organization website including a welcome page, calendar page, files page, links page, pictures page, and more.

A few days ago I posted that Facebook didnt care for the way I was behaving and restricted my activities for 24.

A few days ago I posted that Facebook didnt care for the way I was behaving and restricted my activities for 24. (The proverbial virtual slap upon the wrist.) The problem was I didn't know why and while they were quick to punish they were reluctant to share the "why" with me. I discovered this morning that they don't like it if you access Facebook live from an external application i.e. ManyCam.

Now I know and so much for convenience.

Just a reminder...Friday Dec. 16, 2016

Just a reminder...Friday Dec. 16, 2016
9:00 am Pacific Time - 12:00 pm Eastern Time - 6:00 pm Central Europe
https://business-hangouts.com/support
https://business-hangouts.com/support

FRIDAY - 16 Dec 2016 - Join Us!

FRIDAY - 16 Dec 2016 - Join Us!
12:00 Noon & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

More & Better Search Results

More & Better Search Results

Originally shared by Luke Wroblewski

Further Search Improvements
Today we're rolling out further improvements to Google+ search that should return more topical results in Collections and Communities when you look for specific interests.

As always, please send us your ideas/issues using our Send Feedback menu item as that's the best way to ensure we'll see them. Thanks~

This will interest those involved with communities

This will interest those involved with communities

Originally shared by Google+

Best practices for Google+ Community owners

Looking to get some tips for running your G+ Community? Check out our new Best Practices guide for Community Managers, and learn how to grow a successful, thriving Community on Google+!

Interested in joining the group of experienced Community Managers in the Community Vanguards program? See if you have what it takes, and apply here: https://goo.gl/dyUNqB

Check out our Best Practices guide: https://goo.gl/4YW3wy

You can't say Google doesn't have a sense of humor.

You can't say Google doesn't have a sense of humor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re0VRK6ouwI

BHO Version 2 - First Peek!

BHO Version 2 - First Peek!
LIVE! - THURSDAY - 15 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA

BUSINESS-HANGOUTS Version 2

BUSINESS-HANGOUTS Version 2

Business-Hangouts Version 2 - Quick Peek-Planner
Link: https://youtu.be/LFP4vujcXes

Business-Hangouts Version 2 - Quick Peek -Interface
Link: https://youtu.be/f9jj_2xCXjY
https://youtu.be/LFP4vujcXes

Just in case you missed it...

Just in case you missed it...
http://betanews.com/2016/12/14/microsoft-fixes-windows-10-internet-connection-woes/

Today chatting in our daily hangouts this morning with Bill Graham​ Andrew Hatchett​ and Thomas Lengyel​ , Bill...

Today chatting in our daily hangouts this morning with Bill Graham​ Andrew Hatchett​ and Thomas Lengyel​ , Bill talked about recording the screen. I found a chrome extension that I think might help. Check it out if you like.
Also check out Steve Dotto​ he did a great demo video on YouTube
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/viewedit-%E2%80%93-screen-voice-a/jiihcciniecimeajcniapbngjjbonjan?hl=en

Final Google+ IOS Update of 2016

Final Google+ IOS Update of 2016

Originally shared by Michael Wattendorf

iOS "N" (6.3.0) Release Announcement

I’m excited to announce our 12th and final Google+ iOS app release of the year. We’ve focused on two experiences that we’ve gotten a lot of feedback about improving for mobile: community moderation and photos & video posting.

- We’ve made a number of optimizations to how we handle media posts to reduce the likelihood of posts failing in poor networks. This should especially help photo, video and multi-photo posts.
- Easy-to-access community moderation
- Easy-to-access community preferences

There’s plenty more in our pipeline, but please pass on your feedback so we can continue to make the right improvements for our users :)

Part 6 of Spencer Wade's ongoing series

Part 6 of Spencer Wade's ongoing series
The series is a "MuST READ" for those running a community

Originally shared by Spencer Wade

Your Brand & G+: Using Communities to Promote, Engage, and Influence “Pt. 6 Be Implicit – Not Explicit”

Anyone who has ever had to sell a product or service knows the difference between explicit and implicit advertising. Simply stated, explicit marketing is in-your-face while implicit marketing is subtle. It gets a bit more complicated than that, but for the point of this discussion that definition will suffice.

Google+ Communities are the perfect place to practice implicit marketing for two reasons. First, Google doesn’t appreciate you creating Communities for no other reason than selling products or services. That’s not their ideal usage of the platform. Second, and in much the same way, your followers don’t want to be blasted with “buy this now” when they come to your Community for information and interaction.

So how can we generate leads without ruining what we’ve built? Implicit marketing is the answer. There’s no need to pressure customers into purchases, or push your followers into anything they’re not expecting. Simply provide a bare-bones explanation of a product or service where possible (i.e. in the body of relevant content, when discussing a problem your product or service solves) and provide links back to your site for in-depth information.

Following this simple formula will lead visitors to your landing pages and guide them to the top of your sales funnel. Once there, you can provide all the information they need to make their own decision. This can be risky, they could choose to not purchase, but if they do decide to convert there’s an added bonus for you – the business and G+ Community owner – they’ll believe they did it of their own free will. And research shows they’ll do it again.

Thanks for stopping by, if you have any questions feel free to ask them below or start a new post!

WEDNESDAY - LIVE! - 14 DEC 2016

WEDNESDAY - LIVE! - 14 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Hi Andrew and All

Hi Andrew and All,
I wanted to report on how the tech part of my course is going. Just to remind you, you were all enormously helpful - esp Craig Long - w getting me started using Live Stream. I found a very reasonable chat. It's called pureChat which provides me with unlimited anonymous chat. So that works well.
I've already had 5 classes of my course and it is going very well.
1. However, this Monday, a few people said the LiveStream froze. They had to log out and back in - and even that didn't work. I wonder if that was a Google problem or what it could be?
2. I have another Q - I did not expect a 1 min time delay between what I say and what everyone hears. Is there a way to get rid of that?
Thanks so much!

Moving Christmas poem by Jens Graikowski composed in his first days at Google+

Moving Christmas poem by Jens Graikowski composed in his first days at Google+ 
It's all true for me too - way back then. He reposted in memory of his new beginning on G+.
Here's hoping for many more new beginnings here on the Plus for others.
#merrychristmas

Originally shared by Jens Graikowski

Christmas at Google+ is all year around
Back in 2013 I wrote a poem about G+. I thought it might be nice to repost it for this year's holiday season.

Christmas at Google+ is all year around ...

Once again it’s Christmas time here at Google Plus,
so I will try to do a rhyme, but one with little fuss.
I’ll try to express with just a few words
how good it feels to be one with the nerds,
with the artists, the musicians, the movers and the thinkers,
the nice and the helpful and even the trolls and the stinkers.
To be part of this amazing community 
has changed my life to  no small degree.

Just a very few years ago, when asked about social media
I had to go and look it up in my encyclopaedia.
Facebook was where I spend my time
And you will agree that’s not a good sign.
But then a friend with my well-being at heart
Invited me to Google+ and thank god I was smart.
I followed him on the unfamiliar track
And believe me my friend I never looked back.

I dove right in, since I had  loads to learn,
but I had plenty of help and now it’s my turn
to pass on the knowledge that was so freely provided
to guide our Goobies the way I was then guided.
I have loads of fun to lend a hand
to show newcomers around the G+ land.
To make sure they know there is plenty of support
and that of help and advise they will never run short.

On Google+ you’ll have Christmas all year around.
Goodwill and help can always be found.
This community is amazingly giving
I could tell you some stories I am not kidding.
People who’ve never met in life
are suddenly to be found right there by your side
when down you feel and in need of some kindness.
Their help and support is absolutely priceless.

There is no other place on the entire planet
Like Google+, it’s like a huge magnet
for everybody out there who has something to share,
who believes that selfless giving is fair.
While the rest of the world sometimes seems overly greedy,
here knowledge, art and help is distributed freely.
If you join in and share what you love
you will quickly find that all of the above
Will happen to you too, I promise you hands down
Because at Google+ Christmas is all year around.

Merry Christmas everybody (or Happy Holidays, whichever you prefer) and may the Plus be with you,
Jens Graikowski​​

Image credit: Dave Sutton

Just in case you missed it...

Just in case you missed it...
https://chromeunboxed.com/google-keep-chrome-app-gets-handwriting-support/

So there I was minding my own business conducting my interview with my guest in China this past Sunday.

So there I was minding my own business conducting my interview with my guest in China this past Sunday. Then as you can see we had an unexpected person jump into the filmstrip and pop onto the main screen until I could scramble around to find the eject button. We were using the Cameraman app so the audience shouldn't have seen this unless my director presented him and he swears he never did. It turns out my directed found two more intruders during the show that I never saw and he ejected them. The only links to the green room I posted were to the Hangout Messages group which only has 6 folks that are my panelists and two Facebook messenger posts to one other panelist and my guest. We have never had this happen before and I was wondering if anyone else has had such an experience. Any guesses as to how this happened? BTW, I did identify the crashers by finding their names in the Hangout mobile app showing who had entered and left the HOA. I don't think any of this was malicious in any way and perhaps it was accidental. I have reached out to the guy that appears in the video posted below on FB messenger and await a response. Curious, no?
https://youtu.be/SrfTEoA-878?t=20m15s

Just a reminder...

Just a reminder...
10AM Pacific/ 1:00PM Eastern
VERSION 2 DEMO
https://business-hangouts.com/biweekly-product-demo/

LIVE! - TUESDAY - 13 DEC 2016

LIVE! - TUESDAY - 13 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

"_NO Merging_" is the official word from Google

"_NO Merging_" is the official word from Google
https://chromeunboxed.com/chrome-os-and-android-not-merging-sorry-andromeda/

"You are restricted from "creating open graph actions" until Sunday at 6:43 AM!"

"You are restricted from "creating open graph actions" until Sunday at 6:43 AM!"

That's the message that greeted me when I logged into my Facebook account.

"Wonder what I did now!" That was my first thought.

So I did some virtual digging

Apparently, Facebook doesn't like you sharing things from outside sources, only they don't bother to tell you which outside sources they don't care for. If someone on the Facebook team deems your post suspicious, they'll restrict your activity without so much as a warning.

Second, lets say I want to join the daily User2User chat at 10:30 this morning. When I click on the link it gives me the option of signing in from different accounts. Again, I discovered that Facebook doesn't like this. Apparently they are afraid Andrew Hatchett is part of the Russian initiative to undermine our freedom in the USA so if I were to log in using my FB profile I can be restricted.

Third, (I am guilty of this.) I go to a trusted application and have forgotten my log in information. No worries. a prompt asks me "Wanna log in using Facebook?" And most times I do. Facebook no longer likes this and again may restrict your use for an arbitrary period of time.

They wouldn't tell me why they suddenly decided to restrict me. They just gave me these general guidelines and told me to figure it out.

I thought I'd share with this community for general knowledge and the hope that someone smarter than I knows more information

MONDAY - 12 DEC 2016 - LIVE!

MONDAY - 12 DEC 2016 - LIVE!
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

New User2User Feature #2

New User2User Feature #2

Beginning Monday, December 12, 2016, we will begin offering a custom opt-in text alert, including the link, to remind people that the evening (usually 8:00PM Central) session has begun.

The advantages of being on the Alert List are:
1. No need to wait to see if anyone shows up as the alert will be sent by the Host AFTER the even has started.
2. No need to go searching for the link to the event

If you would like to be put on the list please leave a comment below

In order to keep the Alert List orderly we ask that no comments/replies be made on the Alert List itself. It is meant as a one way communication.

Thank You

New User2User Feature #1

New User2User Feature #1

Beginning Monday, December 12, 2016, we will begin offering a custom opt-in text alert, including the link, to remind people that the morning session has begun.

The advantages of being on the Alert List are:
1. No need to wait to see if anyone shows up as the alert will be sent by the Host AFTER the even has started.
2. No need to go searching for the link to the event

If you would like to be put on the list please leave a comment below

In order to keep the Alert List orderly we ask that no comments/replies be made on the Alert List itself. It is meant as a one way communication.

My thanks to the following community members who have helped beta test the idea:

ActingClassSarantos, Heather Kraafter, Le David Morris, Lon McClure, Mark Barrus, Michael Daniels, Sheila Hensley, and Thomas Lengyel 

We will also be announcing another Alert List for the evening session in a separate posting.

Thanks for your time.

User2UserQ&A- Now Open

User2UserQ&A- Now Open
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Got this tip from a friend what do you think?

Got this tip from a friend what do you think?
http://www.fotor.com/Share/show?linkId=8ea77d57cffd45aaadf335cf0059d345

FRIDAY - 2 Dec 2016 - Join Us!

FRIDAY - 2 Dec 2016 - Join Us!
12:00 Noon & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Just a reminder...Friday - 9 Dec 2016

Just a reminder...Friday - 9 Dec 2016
9:00AM Pacific / 12 Noon Eastern
https://business-hangouts.com/support
https://business-hangouts.com/support

3008 videos by User2User members are now in the User2User-LIVE! Video Vault Collection

3008 videos by User2User members are now in the User2User-LIVE! Video Vault Collection

Part #5 of Spencer Wade's excellent series

Part #5 of Spencer Wade's excellent series

Originally shared by Spencer Wade

Your Brand & G+: Using Communities to Promote, Engage, and Influence “Pt. 5 Using the Velvet Rope Psychology”

In the previous installments in this series, we’ve covered ways you can turn your brand’s G+ Community membership’s activity into actionable material. Hopefully, we’ve established the fact that this is something every company should be doing; if for no other reason than the price – it’s free! But, how do you encourage your members to play their part? After all, without their activity there’s no action, so what can you do to get people more engaged?

One of the best ways to promote engagement is by using the time-tested “velvet rope psychology”. What is the velvet rope psychology? It’s the deep-seated feeling we all get when identified as a VIP. It’s the rush of exhilaration we feel when singled out for special treatment. It’s the feeling you get during a behind-the-scenes tour or when you’re handed a backstage pass. As a brand, you can use this to your advantage.

By taking advantage of the public and private nature of Communities on G+, you can create a VIP private Community for your power users and top contributors – and I use TC purposefully here. Our own roles as TCs can be seen as the perfect example of this very thing. We’ve been singled out and given special access and behind-the-scenes insights because we’ve given freely of ourselves to this mission. What further evidence do you need to prove this is a fruitful endeavor for a brand?

In creating a VIP Community for your most valuable members you show the Community at-large that you’re watching. You’re saying that membership can lead to something more – discounted product offerings, first looks at new products, access to employees, unique experiences, etc. This can be powerful motivation for increased engagement, and, like all of our ideas, costs you absolutely nothing. So create your private Community and inform your members that there’s real rewards behind the “velvet rope”.

Thanks for stopping by, if you have any questions feel free to ask them below or start a new post!

Don't have a SmartPhone- Don't Worry!

Don't have a SmartPhone- Don't Worry!
https://chromeunboxed.com/chromebooks-make-phone-calls-t-mobiles-digits-will-make-it-possible/

This may be of interest to members

This may be of interest to members
https://www.fastcompany.com/3066218/innovation-agents/how-to-test-products-like-a-googler

LIVE THURSDAY - 8 DEC 2016

LIVE THURSDAY - 8 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

WEDNESDAY - LIVE - 7 DEC 2016

WEDNESDAY - LIVE - 7 DEC 2016
8:45PM Central Timel
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

We are now live!
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Due to other events happening tonight, tonight's User2User session is being rescheduled. It will go on after:

Due to other events happening tonight, tonight's User2User session is being rescheduled. It will go on after:

1: Michael Daniels at 8:15 Eastern https://goo.gl/brdKtB

2: Ronnie Bincer at 9:00PM Eastern https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/ccik5f0in7qm3m0p140kkk3fr4c

The User2User Link will be posted as soon as these two events end.

Thanks
https://goo.gl/brdKtB

WEDNESDAY - LIVE - 6 DEC 2016

WEDNESDAY - LIVE - 6 DEC 2016
10:30AM Central Timel
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Nashville does Digital!

Nashville does Digital!
Who'd a thunk it!
http://www.nashville.gov/Water-Services/Customers/Metro-Water-Services-Outage-Map.aspx

Load Web Pages Faster on Android

Load Web Pages Faster on Android

Originally shared by Luke Wroblewski

Faster Web Pages on Android
Today we're starting to roll out support for Accelerated Mobile Pages (https://www.ampproject.org/) in the new Google+ Android app (version 9.2). Now when you browse G+ on Android, look for the little lightning bolt icon to load articles up to 4x faster and using up to 10x less data.

As always, please send us your ideas/issues using our Send Feedback menu item as that's the best way to ensure we'll see them. Thanks~

TUESDAY - LIVE - 6 DEC 2016

TUESDAY - LIVE - 6 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

The Ins and Outs of Spamming

The Ins and Outs of Spamming
A great article to pass along to any newbies you may know

Originally shared by John Skeats

Understanding Spamming on Google+

A lot of people find themselves in trouble on Google+ because they have serious misunderstandings about spamming. Let me start with two of the most common misunderstandings and then get to the facts about what spamming is. I'll close with the "secret" to avoid being flagged as a spammer.

Misconception #1: Spamming involves sharing promotional content.
The most common misconception -- and the one that leads many people who have no intention to spam to be flagged as spammers -- is that spamming involves sharing promotional content. Who the content (a post or comment) is shared with, how content is shared, and the overall sharing behavior of the person sharing the content play a much greater role in determining whether content is viewed as spam or not. Any post (even this one) could be spam.

Misconception #2: You can determine what is or is not spam simply by looking at it.
This comes down to the same point as Misconception #1: the fact that spamming is generally determined by how content is shared, who the content is shared with, and the overall behaviors of the person sharing the content. You can sometimes recognize that content is spam based on its context (e.g., an off-topic post shared in a community), but you cannot determine that a post is not spam by looking at it even in context. For example, you cannot tell by looking at this post whether I shared it excessively in a spammer-like manner, which would make it spam. You therefore cannot judge by simply looking at a flagged post whether the Google+ spam filters flagged the post appropriately or not.

Misconception #3: Political and religious posts are treated differently by the spam filters.
People with all political views and from all religions often complain that their posts on those subjects are being flagged because of their political or religious views. That's not true. The reasons for their posts being flagged are the issues discussed in the remainder of this post, all of which are conspicuously apolitical and non-denominational.

What is spamming?
At the highest level, spamming is delivering unwanted content to significant numbers of people. It is generally not about what the content itself is other than to the degree that the content is delivered to people who do or do not want to receive it.

Assuming a post doesn't violate any other rules, it might be perfectly fine when shared with one audience but spam when shared with others. It might even be perfectly fine if shared one way with an audience but spam if shared in different manner. Or a post might be perfectly fine if shared individually with different audiences but become spam if shared with all of them. On top of that, a person's overall sharing behavior could make whatever they might share at that moment unwanted.

Let's assume for the remaining discussion that we are talking about a great post that doesn't violate any of the rules in Google’s User Content and Conduct Policy (http://www.google.com/+/policy/content.html) other than the spamming rule.

Sharing that hypothetical post with specific circles, a collection, or Public would not be spamming unless options I will mention in the next two paragraphs were selected. Sharing the post in a community could be either perfectly acceptable or spamming depending on whether the post complies with the community's rules. (Remember that each community has its own rules in addition to Google's rules.) The community's rules are a consideration because community posts are presented to all members of a community. Members joined the community with the expectation that they would receive only posts through the community that comply with the community's rules. Therefore, any post delivered to the members through the community that violates the rules is implicitly unwanted by the membership -- and therefore spam.

As I said, there are options in classic Google+ that one can choose which can make sharing the same post with the same audience a form of spamming. If you select the option to send emails when sharing a non-community post in classic Google+, that runs a high risk of changing acceptable sharing into spamming. Without that option, your posts will be displayed only to people who follow you. They made the decision to follow you, so that's okay unless there are more general issues (which I'll talk about in a moment). Selecting that option, however, can force emails and notifications to people who might not want to receive them. It's spamming if you trigger unwanted emails or notifications, so using that option can lead you to being flagged for spamming.

A similar problem would occur if you were to add Extended circles, Your circles, or the names of specific circles when sharing with Public in classic Google+. That can also trigger unwanted notifications to anyone in the groups you added to Public -- and therefore be spamming.

Fortunately, both of the possibilities I just mentioned have been eliminated in the new Google+ to avoid the problems I discussed.

The next problem involves the same post being delivered to the same people multiple times. No one (at least virtually no one) wants to see the same content repetitively. The issue with sharing content with multiple audiences each of whom it might have been reasonable to share a post with arises when there is overlap in the audiences. Sharing the same post to multiple collections or communities is an issue because there is a very high probability that the same people follow more than one of a person's collections or are members of the same communities the poster wants to share to. As a result, those people could see one instance of the post for each of the collections or communities the post was shared with. That's just as bad as if you explicitly shared the same post with them multiple times -- and therefore considered to be a form of spamming.

Yet another issue relates to the fact that virtually no one wants to see their Home streams or the streams of the communities they join dominated by posts by a single individual. Therefore, the sheer volume of posts one shares can become a spamming issue. When a person shares too many posts in too short a period of time -- even if they might be shared with what appear to be different audiences, it presents a high probability that people would see an excessive number of posts by that person, which would be perceived as spamming.

Note that while I have spoken thus far about sharing "the same post," all of the above applies to sharing posts that are substantially similar. Making relatively minor changes to posts doesn't prevent them from being perceived as being the same -- and therefore as spam -- by recipients. The same applies when people include similar blocks of text frequently. This is especially true if the blocks of text contain the same or substantially similar links (e.g., links to different posts in the same blog). One common practice that gets people into trouble this way is including a "signature block" in their posts because they can be picked up by the spam filters as substantially similar content.

I have focused primarily on posts thus far, but there are still other things that can lead to a person being viewed as a spammer:
* Sharing the same or substantially comments too frequently -- because the same people are likely to see the repetition.
* Excessive commenting in a community -- again, because no one wants to see a community dominated by one individual.
* Excessive +1ing -- because one's +1s become meaningless when used excessively. It also appears to Google as an attempt to manipulate rankings.

How to avoid being flagged as a spammer
The secret for avoiding being flagged for spamming lies in the statement I made about spamming earlier: "At the highest level, spamming is delivering unwanted content to significant numbers of people." The most important word in that sentence is "unwanted." You have to look at sharing from the eyes of the recipients.

It doesn't matter that you want to share a message. It matters whether the recipients will welcome that message. That means not only whether they would welcome the message overall but whether they would welcome another instance of the message (if you were sharing it repeatedly) and whether they would welcome it in the context of other things you might have shared recently. If the answer is "no" to any of those conditions even for just a few recipients), sharing the post or comment would be spamming -- so don't share it (or at least don't share it at that moment).

Just a reminder for newer members

Just a reminder for newer members

One of the benefits of membership is having your public online event included in the Daily Summary of Members Events

TO SUBMIT YOUR ONLINE EVENT FOR INCLUSION IN THE DAILY SUMMARY OF SCHEDULED USER2USER MEMBER EVENTS USE THIS EVENT SUBMITTAL FORM.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sUjFWWYeezxYI0GoDHRs9SBbCZQ94uMKL3TWe42_yts/viewform

Andy Hatchett

MONDAY - LIVE - 5 DEC 2016

MONDAY - LIVE - 5 DEC 2016
10:30AM & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
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Neat Trick!

Neat Trick!

Originally shared by Dan Eastwood

Google gave us a new trick!

I removed a post, and a notification briefly appeared with an UNDO option. Unfortunately, I had removed the wrong post, and I was too slow to click the UNDO. I was still viewing the post itself, so on a hunch I removed it again, the UNDO button appeared again, I clicked it and the post is back in the community.

My Weekend

My Weekend
Fun... and finished!
https://youtu.be/SZhnzJtDyuc

Come join us https://goo.gl/brdKtB

Come join us https://goo.gl/brdKtB
Next Wednesday December 7th at 8:15 Eastern time
as Peggy K goes over the new Google Plus!


Originally shared by Michael Daniels

Google Hangouts FREE webinar https://goo.gl/brdKtB
Learn from a Top Contributor (expert)

Join me and Peggy K (Google Top Contributor Expert) as we explore Google Plus . We will cover some basic things and some very useful functional things.

Wednesday Dec. 7th at 8:15pm Eastern / 5:15pm Pacific)

Even if you can't make the live event be sure to register, you can come back and watch ANYTIME. Also, if you register now you can add comments in the unified chat and we will bring it up on screen during the Event.

NOTE: When you register you get an email that allows you to add this event to your Outlook or Google calendar

Please share this in any Community or Collection you think folks would be interested. Or share with friends you have that just aren't sure How Google Plus works.

Hope to see you soon!
#GooglePlusTCEvent2016
https://goo.gl/brdKtB

Just a reminder...

Just a reminder...
Saturday Morning Marketing Smarties
https://unifiedchat.com/live.htm?room=58421ff29f7eefc4736d0f8e&YouTubeLiveId=0YQKW1xlH0U
https://unifiedchat.com/live.htm?room=58421ff29f7eefc4736d0f8e&YouTubeLiveId=0YQKW1xlH0U

Test using 'Classic' G+

Test using 'Classic' G+
Can do text overlay on picture which can't be done in New G+
(Sigh!)

Test using new G+

Test using new G+
Can't do text overlay on picture as you can in the 'Classic' G+
(Sigh!)

Things I didn't know... #4,912

Things I didn't know... #4,912
Number of times a post has been viewed?
WHO KNEW!

Originally shared by bob quarteroni

I'm kind of a moron this way, so I hope you can help. All I want is to see how many people view my posts. I've tried as best I can but I'm still out of luck. Any and all help MUCH appreciated. Thanks. Bob Quarteroni. bobqsix@verizon.net

FRIDAY - 2 Dec 2016 - Join Us!

FRIDAY - 2 Dec 2016 - Join Us!
12:00 Noon & 8:00PM Central
LINK: https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

NOTE: If I don't open the above within 5 minutes of the starting time please use the following link to start a video call anyone can join:
http://bit.ly/DailyQandA
https://goo.gl/r0jE8j

Just a reminder...

Just a reminder...
9:00AM Pacific / 12 Noon Eastern
https://business-hangouts.com/support
https://business-hangouts.com/support

[Apparently Google won't let me plus mention 141 people in one post sooooo ...]

[Apparently Google won't let me plus mention 141 people in one post sooooo ...]

User2User-LIVE! is pleased to announce that the following individuals are hereby acknowledged as Participating Contributors of the community. We thank them for their encouragement and support in 2016.


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