Getting Started with Google+
Basic Requirements
Google Plus Account
Guidance on creating this is given below under "Creating a Google+ Account".
Broadband Connection
Ideally with a reasonable turn of speed. Experience shows that as low as 1 - 1.l5 Mbps is adequate, but obviously the faster the better.
Either a Laptop/Netbook ...
If you use a laptop or netbook purchased in the past 2-3 years it may already be equipped with a built in Webcam, Microphone and Speakers and although this setup will allow you to start using Google Plus it is less than ideal.
The webcam installed in a laptop is often of limited quality and it is also quite difficult to position the webcam to give a view of just your head and shoulders without making it difficult to see the screen.
A simple way to improve things would be to purchase from your local Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda/PCWorld (*other sources are available) a stand-alone webcam plus a pair of headphones with microphone which are often sold as a kit for use with Skype, etc.
... Or a Desktop
Desktop displays are not normally fitted with built-in webcams, although some displays are equipped with built-in speakers. By far the simplest solution would be to purchase the kit containing a webcam, headphones and microphone as mentioned previously. If your PC is equipped with speakers then all you need is a webcam fitted with a microphone.
Browser
Naturally Google recommend Google Chrome for use with Google+ but you should find that recent versions of Internet Explorer or Firefox work fine. Also please ensure that your computer operating system and antivirus software are both up to date.
Getting the Best Results
Using headphones rather than speakers will prevent the echo effect (where the sound from the speakers is picked-up by the microphone and re-broadcast). If you are using a webcam containing a microphone, then position this in front of the speakers to minimise this sound pickup.
Use a stand-alone webcam.
Mute your microphone whilst listening to others in the ‘Hangout’. Once the Hangout starts, there is a microphone icon located in the top RH corner of your hangout screen which will mute or activate your microphone. This is especially important if your microphone is very close to your face, as it is with a headset - otherwise you risk drowning-out the speaker's words, and deafening the other participants, when you inadvertently make a sound close to your own microphone.
Technical Terms
Creating a Google+ Account
If you already have a Google email account, then simply login to your email and then click on the +You link at the left end of the upper toolbar and follow the instructions to create your Google+ account. If you do not already have a Google email account you will create one during the process of creating your Google+ account.
I have used a Google email account for several years and I can recommend it as being one of the best web-based email account systems – it does filter out virtually all the Spam and other nasties – and it does include the ability to collect all your email from other email providers thus making it easier to manage several email accounts from your Google account.
If, like me, you do not wish to share personal details with all and sundry you will be relieved to learn that the only part of your Google Plus profile which cannot be hidden from view is your full name. Your profile is the way you represent yourself on Google products and across the web. With your profile, you can manage the information that people see - such as your bio, contact details, and links to other sites about you or created by you. Google does not like users hiding behind pseudonyms and if your Username is obviously ‘non personal’ you do run the risk of having your account deleted without warning.
While your profile is public, your full name is the only required information that will be displayed on your profile; you’ll be able to edit or remove any other information that you don’t want to share.
A Google Account gives you access to services such as Gmail, YouTube, Google+ (Google Plus) and Google Docs. Google ask for some personal information during sign-up in order to keep your account secure and make sure you have a great experience, no matter which Google service you use.
Note that, in the following, some of the text is provided by Google, and this is identified in this document by being marked with 2 lines at the LH side.
Name. Your name will be used across Google services. For example, when you create content that you want to share with others, your name will appear with this content.
UserName. You will use your username, which will also be your new Gmail address, to sign in to your Google Account. Your username isn’t case sensitive, and you can use letters, numbers, or periods. We’ll help you out with some suggestions if you’re having trouble finding a username you like.
Password. Keep your account secure by choosing a good password. When creating a password, be sure to do the following:
Date of birth. Your date of birth helps Google provide you with things like age-appropriate settings. We won’t display it without your permission.
I personally would never enter my genuine birth date on any website but I leave that choice to you.
Gender We will use your gender for things like improving our messages. For example, we will use the term “he” or “she” if you share a photo with someone. Anyone who views your profile or receives a message like this will know your gender - it is public by default. But you can change who can see your gender once you’ve created your Google Account. If you specify “other” instead of “male” or “female,” or choose to keep your gender private, we’ll use gender-neutral terms (e.g., “Pat shared their photo with you.”).
Mobile phone. Having a mobile phone number on your account is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to help keep your account safe. Since you have physical possession of your phone, we can provide easier ways for you to get back into your account if you ever forget your password. And we can use it to challenge unusual accesses to your account. This field is optional, but strongly recommended if you have a mobile phone.
Other email address. As with phone, an alternate email address helps us identify you and secure your account, as well as send you important notifications. This should be an email that you already own and that you can access reliably. This field is optional, but strongly recommended if you have an email address other than the Gmail address assigned to your new account.
Location. Enter your country or territory of residence in this field.
After you’ve created your account, you can move on to edit the information in your profile at which point you should refer to the next section
"Setting up your Google+ Profile". (Note that you cannot modify your date of birth on this page once you’ve created your account.)
Notes. The Google plus Privacy Policy which applies to all the various services provided by Google may be viewed at the following link http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en-GB/policies/privacy/archive/
Setting up your Google+ Profile
Once you have created your Google+ account you will be automatically be asked to enter some details in your profile. You may either just continue to enter the requested information or skip this section and return to edit your complete profile later – it is important however to enter a minimum amount of information simply to ensure that friends and fellow LFHHS members can find you and know who they are in contact with.
Log into your Account and select the Profile button on the LH side, then click the Edit Profile button next to your name and enter whatever details that you want.
Your name was entered when you created your Google+ account. Changing your name in your Profile will also be reflected in other Google products such as Google Mail and Google Docs.
Tagline: this is a brief description of you and your interests – please ensure that you include ‘Genealogy’ & ‘One-Name Study’ 'LFHHS' as the minimum in order that other Members can identify you.
Employment: details are optional or can be entered and hidden from public view.
Education: details are optional or can be entered and hidden from public view.
Photo: desirable but not mandatory, although once you have people in your ‘Circles’ it does make identification a lot easier.
Other optional headings include: ‘Introduction’; ‘Bragging Rights ???’; ‘Location or Places Lived’; ‘Relationship status’; ‘Looking for’; ‘Other or Maiden Names’; ‘Nickname’; these may be completed as you wish.
Profile Visibility
In your Profile ‘Edit Settings’ it is possible which parts of your profile will be visible to everyone (or public) or you can restrict the visibility to members of just your Circles or Extended Circles.
Search Visibility
By default your Profile will be indexed by search engines thus making it possible for follow LFHHS Online members to get in touch – whilst it is possible to switch this off it is not recommended.
It is possible to display a link to allow people to send you an email by clicking ‘Send an Email’ and choosing ‘Allow people to email me from a link on my profile’. Then click Save.
It is also possible to add a link to say your One-Name Study website by selecting the ‘About tab’, click ‘Links’, click ‘Add Custom link’, enter a title and the URL, then click Save.
Privacy
Complete control over your privacy is controlled by the Google+ settings page which is accessible via the ‘Gear Wheel’ icon on the home page. The ‘Profile and Privacy’ tab allows you to manage the visibility of every part of your Profile, edit your ‘Circles’, change your network (or Google+) visibility. There is also a feature where you can view your Profile as other people see it.
In an article of this nature it is not practical to mention all the various options that allow you to tailor your profile to meet your personal needs. Indeed the page layout for Google+ has just been revised as this document was being prepared and we have to bear in mind that this is likely to continue happening in the future as new features are developed.
Please refer to the next sections, "Google Plus Circles and Sharing" and "Starting a Google Plus Hangout" for further guidance.
Google+ Circles and Sharing
Google Plus uses ‘Circles’ so that you can manage all your various Friends, Family, Acquaintances, LFHHS Online members etc.. It is possible to start a Hangout and just invite the members of one of your Circles or two of your Circles as you wish. For more information please check the page "Starting a Google Plus Hangout".
If you select your ‘Circles’ page you will see the initial Circles provided by Google plus an ‘Add Circles’ button – select this to create a new Circle, let's call this ‘LFHHS Online’ for example.
To add people to your circles check the list that Google Plus provides of suitable candidates from which you can ‘Drag & Drop’ to place them into your circles or you can simply use their email address or search Google Plus to find specific individuals. Once added an email will be sent automatically to the person that you have just added to your Circle and they in turn will have the option of adding you to their ‘Circles’. If you are unsure about adding someone you can view their public profile to help you decide or you can simply refuse.
Having added a few individuals to your ‘LFHHS Online’ Circle you may wish to start a Circle for you ‘Family History’ – bear in mind that it is possible to have individuals in more than one Circle. Try not to have too many Circles other wise it can become difficult to manage. If you have added someone that you later wish to remove then that is as simple as dragging them out of the Circle.
Once you have a number of people in your Circles you should now edit your profile to decide what information you wish to share with your Circles or even with ‘Extended Circles’. An ‘Extended Circle’ simply means that information is visible to people who are in the Circles of people who have you in their Circle. Leaving the visibility setting at Public would mean that potentially 100 million Google Plus users would be able to view your profile content.
Google maintains a ‘Stream’ or newsfeed on the latest content posted and the visibility settings should be adjusted to either ‘Circles’ or ‘Extended Circles’ otherwise you will be inundated with the latest postings from all the users of Google Plus.
Adding the LFHHS Onlne page to your Circles
Please don’t forget to add the LFHHS Online Page to one of your circles and then we can in turn add you to the circles on our page which will enable us to invite you to hangouts, etc.. If you enter ‘+LFHHS Online’ to the search box and click search you will be able to find our page.
Starting a Google+ Hangout
Invite people to a Hangout
From your Google Plus home page click the link ‘Start a Hangout’ at the top of the stream. Add the Circles or individuals that you want to alert that you are starting a Hangout. Click ‘Hangout’ to start the hangout and send the notifications to the people you chose. Initially you will be taken to a setup page where you can adjust your webcam and sound before joining the hangout by clicking the ‘Hangout’ button which will make your video feed live.
Once the hangout is running it is possible to invite more participants by clicking the ‘Invite’ link at the top of the hangout window and repeat the above to add more circles or people.
Please bear in mind the (current) maximum number of participants in a hangout is restricted to 10.
You will notice the option to ‘start a Hangout with Extras’ – this allows you to share Google Docs, take Notes, Share Screens and these facilities will be further enhanced in the future.
Acknowledgement – Some of the above content is provided by Google and the Guild of One Name Studies
Basic Requirements
Google Plus Account
Guidance on creating this is given below under "Creating a Google+ Account".
Broadband Connection
Ideally with a reasonable turn of speed. Experience shows that as low as 1 - 1.l5 Mbps is adequate, but obviously the faster the better.
Either a Laptop/Netbook ...
If you use a laptop or netbook purchased in the past 2-3 years it may already be equipped with a built in Webcam, Microphone and Speakers and although this setup will allow you to start using Google Plus it is less than ideal.
The webcam installed in a laptop is often of limited quality and it is also quite difficult to position the webcam to give a view of just your head and shoulders without making it difficult to see the screen.
A simple way to improve things would be to purchase from your local Tesco/Sainsburys/Asda/PCWorld (*other sources are available) a stand-alone webcam plus a pair of headphones with microphone which are often sold as a kit for use with Skype, etc.
... Or a Desktop
Desktop displays are not normally fitted with built-in webcams, although some displays are equipped with built-in speakers. By far the simplest solution would be to purchase the kit containing a webcam, headphones and microphone as mentioned previously. If your PC is equipped with speakers then all you need is a webcam fitted with a microphone.
Browser
Naturally Google recommend Google Chrome for use with Google+ but you should find that recent versions of Internet Explorer or Firefox work fine. Also please ensure that your computer operating system and antivirus software are both up to date.
Getting the Best Results
Using headphones rather than speakers will prevent the echo effect (where the sound from the speakers is picked-up by the microphone and re-broadcast). If you are using a webcam containing a microphone, then position this in front of the speakers to minimise this sound pickup.
Use a stand-alone webcam.
Mute your microphone whilst listening to others in the ‘Hangout’. Once the Hangout starts, there is a microphone icon located in the top RH corner of your hangout screen which will mute or activate your microphone. This is especially important if your microphone is very close to your face, as it is with a headset - otherwise you risk drowning-out the speaker's words, and deafening the other participants, when you inadvertently make a sound close to your own microphone.
Technical Terms
- Browser – Software used to display and interact with web sites on the internet.
- Google+ or Google Plus – a browser based service provided by Google whereby up to 10 individuals can share a video conference.
- Hangout – Google slang for a video conference
- Video Feed – A recording of a video conference which may be watched by anyone using just a browser
- Webcam – a simple video camera designed to be used over the internet. Some recent models are classed as HD (High Definition) which do give better results if you have a good broadband connection.
Creating a Google+ Account
If you already have a Google email account, then simply login to your email and then click on the +You link at the left end of the upper toolbar and follow the instructions to create your Google+ account. If you do not already have a Google email account you will create one during the process of creating your Google+ account.
I have used a Google email account for several years and I can recommend it as being one of the best web-based email account systems – it does filter out virtually all the Spam and other nasties – and it does include the ability to collect all your email from other email providers thus making it easier to manage several email accounts from your Google account.
If, like me, you do not wish to share personal details with all and sundry you will be relieved to learn that the only part of your Google Plus profile which cannot be hidden from view is your full name. Your profile is the way you represent yourself on Google products and across the web. With your profile, you can manage the information that people see - such as your bio, contact details, and links to other sites about you or created by you. Google does not like users hiding behind pseudonyms and if your Username is obviously ‘non personal’ you do run the risk of having your account deleted without warning.
While your profile is public, your full name is the only required information that will be displayed on your profile; you’ll be able to edit or remove any other information that you don’t want to share.
A Google Account gives you access to services such as Gmail, YouTube, Google+ (Google Plus) and Google Docs. Google ask for some personal information during sign-up in order to keep your account secure and make sure you have a great experience, no matter which Google service you use.
Note that, in the following, some of the text is provided by Google, and this is identified in this document by being marked with 2 lines at the LH side.
Name. Your name will be used across Google services. For example, when you create content that you want to share with others, your name will appear with this content.
UserName. You will use your username, which will also be your new Gmail address, to sign in to your Google Account. Your username isn’t case sensitive, and you can use letters, numbers, or periods. We’ll help you out with some suggestions if you’re having trouble finding a username you like.
Password. Keep your account secure by choosing a good password. When creating a password, be sure to do the following:
- Ideally choose a mixture of letters, numbers and characters.
- Use our strength meter to help ensure your password is difficult to guess.
- Use at least eight characters.
Date of birth. Your date of birth helps Google provide you with things like age-appropriate settings. We won’t display it without your permission.
I personally would never enter my genuine birth date on any website but I leave that choice to you.
Gender We will use your gender for things like improving our messages. For example, we will use the term “he” or “she” if you share a photo with someone. Anyone who views your profile or receives a message like this will know your gender - it is public by default. But you can change who can see your gender once you’ve created your Google Account. If you specify “other” instead of “male” or “female,” or choose to keep your gender private, we’ll use gender-neutral terms (e.g., “Pat shared their photo with you.”).
Mobile phone. Having a mobile phone number on your account is one of the easiest and most reliable ways to help keep your account safe. Since you have physical possession of your phone, we can provide easier ways for you to get back into your account if you ever forget your password. And we can use it to challenge unusual accesses to your account. This field is optional, but strongly recommended if you have a mobile phone.
Other email address. As with phone, an alternate email address helps us identify you and secure your account, as well as send you important notifications. This should be an email that you already own and that you can access reliably. This field is optional, but strongly recommended if you have an email address other than the Gmail address assigned to your new account.
Location. Enter your country or territory of residence in this field.
After you’ve created your account, you can move on to edit the information in your profile at which point you should refer to the next section
"Setting up your Google+ Profile". (Note that you cannot modify your date of birth on this page once you’ve created your account.)
Notes. The Google plus Privacy Policy which applies to all the various services provided by Google may be viewed at the following link http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en-GB/policies/privacy/archive/
Setting up your Google+ Profile
Once you have created your Google+ account you will be automatically be asked to enter some details in your profile. You may either just continue to enter the requested information or skip this section and return to edit your complete profile later – it is important however to enter a minimum amount of information simply to ensure that friends and fellow LFHHS members can find you and know who they are in contact with.
Log into your Account and select the Profile button on the LH side, then click the Edit Profile button next to your name and enter whatever details that you want.
Your name was entered when you created your Google+ account. Changing your name in your Profile will also be reflected in other Google products such as Google Mail and Google Docs.
Tagline: this is a brief description of you and your interests – please ensure that you include ‘Genealogy’ & ‘One-Name Study’ 'LFHHS' as the minimum in order that other Members can identify you.
Employment: details are optional or can be entered and hidden from public view.
Education: details are optional or can be entered and hidden from public view.
Photo: desirable but not mandatory, although once you have people in your ‘Circles’ it does make identification a lot easier.
Other optional headings include: ‘Introduction’; ‘Bragging Rights ???’; ‘Location or Places Lived’; ‘Relationship status’; ‘Looking for’; ‘Other or Maiden Names’; ‘Nickname’; these may be completed as you wish.
Profile Visibility
In your Profile ‘Edit Settings’ it is possible which parts of your profile will be visible to everyone (or public) or you can restrict the visibility to members of just your Circles or Extended Circles.
Search Visibility
By default your Profile will be indexed by search engines thus making it possible for follow LFHHS Online members to get in touch – whilst it is possible to switch this off it is not recommended.
It is possible to display a link to allow people to send you an email by clicking ‘Send an Email’ and choosing ‘Allow people to email me from a link on my profile’. Then click Save.
It is also possible to add a link to say your One-Name Study website by selecting the ‘About tab’, click ‘Links’, click ‘Add Custom link’, enter a title and the URL, then click Save.
Privacy
Complete control over your privacy is controlled by the Google+ settings page which is accessible via the ‘Gear Wheel’ icon on the home page. The ‘Profile and Privacy’ tab allows you to manage the visibility of every part of your Profile, edit your ‘Circles’, change your network (or Google+) visibility. There is also a feature where you can view your Profile as other people see it.
In an article of this nature it is not practical to mention all the various options that allow you to tailor your profile to meet your personal needs. Indeed the page layout for Google+ has just been revised as this document was being prepared and we have to bear in mind that this is likely to continue happening in the future as new features are developed.
Please refer to the next sections, "Google Plus Circles and Sharing" and "Starting a Google Plus Hangout" for further guidance.
Google+ Circles and Sharing
Google Plus uses ‘Circles’ so that you can manage all your various Friends, Family, Acquaintances, LFHHS Online members etc.. It is possible to start a Hangout and just invite the members of one of your Circles or two of your Circles as you wish. For more information please check the page "Starting a Google Plus Hangout".
If you select your ‘Circles’ page you will see the initial Circles provided by Google plus an ‘Add Circles’ button – select this to create a new Circle, let's call this ‘LFHHS Online’ for example.
To add people to your circles check the list that Google Plus provides of suitable candidates from which you can ‘Drag & Drop’ to place them into your circles or you can simply use their email address or search Google Plus to find specific individuals. Once added an email will be sent automatically to the person that you have just added to your Circle and they in turn will have the option of adding you to their ‘Circles’. If you are unsure about adding someone you can view their public profile to help you decide or you can simply refuse.
Having added a few individuals to your ‘LFHHS Online’ Circle you may wish to start a Circle for you ‘Family History’ – bear in mind that it is possible to have individuals in more than one Circle. Try not to have too many Circles other wise it can become difficult to manage. If you have added someone that you later wish to remove then that is as simple as dragging them out of the Circle.
Once you have a number of people in your Circles you should now edit your profile to decide what information you wish to share with your Circles or even with ‘Extended Circles’. An ‘Extended Circle’ simply means that information is visible to people who are in the Circles of people who have you in their Circle. Leaving the visibility setting at Public would mean that potentially 100 million Google Plus users would be able to view your profile content.
Google maintains a ‘Stream’ or newsfeed on the latest content posted and the visibility settings should be adjusted to either ‘Circles’ or ‘Extended Circles’ otherwise you will be inundated with the latest postings from all the users of Google Plus.
Adding the LFHHS Onlne page to your Circles
Please don’t forget to add the LFHHS Online Page to one of your circles and then we can in turn add you to the circles on our page which will enable us to invite you to hangouts, etc.. If you enter ‘+LFHHS Online’ to the search box and click search you will be able to find our page.
Starting a Google+ Hangout
Invite people to a Hangout
From your Google Plus home page click the link ‘Start a Hangout’ at the top of the stream. Add the Circles or individuals that you want to alert that you are starting a Hangout. Click ‘Hangout’ to start the hangout and send the notifications to the people you chose. Initially you will be taken to a setup page where you can adjust your webcam and sound before joining the hangout by clicking the ‘Hangout’ button which will make your video feed live.
Once the hangout is running it is possible to invite more participants by clicking the ‘Invite’ link at the top of the hangout window and repeat the above to add more circles or people.
Please bear in mind the (current) maximum number of participants in a hangout is restricted to 10.
You will notice the option to ‘start a Hangout with Extras’ – this allows you to share Google Docs, take Notes, Share Screens and these facilities will be further enhanced in the future.
Acknowledgement – Some of the above content is provided by Google and the Guild of One Name Studies
