The Complete Guide to Using Google +

There was a time when one thought Orkut was 'all there is to social networking'. This mindset was transformed by Facebook. And now comes the all new player in the game - Google +.

The social networking website started by Google two months ago has built up the buzz in the web world. Its the newest and coolest network that everyone wants to be on. So, what makes Google Plus so different and (the more important question), how does one use it effectively will be pondered upon in this issue of DigiMouth Guide..

Circles:

Joining Google + without correctly using Circles is like preparing Apple Pie without Apples. A friends list is a common option on all social networking sites but what sets Circles apart is the level of classification. You can file your Best Friends, Acquaintances, Work people etc. in different circles. So the next time you want to share something with your close friends and plan to keep it discreet, you will be provided the option of sharing it only with your close friends. Like, in the case you want to rant about your evil boss only your best friends circle, you can share it ONLY with them, without others finding out about it. Sharing of a status message among a limited number of people is an option that only Google + offers unlike Facebook where all your status messages can be seen by everyone in your friends list.

Adding people to your circles is extremely easy. On your home screen, the fourth option on the interface is your circles option. Clicking on it will open the Circles page. To add people to the circles, one has to just drag and drop friends into the preferred circle in the blue circle symbols at the bottom half of the screen. You can also create new circles according to your preference. In case you wish to delete a person from a particular circle, just drag them from the circle and put them back into the top half of the page which shows the friends list.

Profile:

Your first appearance is the best impression you can make. So it becomes essential to enhance your Profile image on Google +. The profile screen consists of your Posts that you may update namely About you, Photos and Videos that you upload and +1s. In your About option, you are able to select locations that you have lived at and can also see places where your friends currently are living or have stayed at. Uploading photos and videos is extremely simple on Google +, just like uploading a file on Gmail. You can browse through your computer and upload multiple photos to new albums or existing albums. Also, you can add photos and videos from your computer to your posts which gets saved as a separate album. In case, you own an Android based phone, photos can be directly uploaded from your cell phone on to your Google + profile by downloading the Google + app for your Android phone. The last tab, +1's is a nice way of recommending pages that you like on the Internet to your friends and also saving pages that you might want to get back to later. When you hit the +1 button on posts, it comes up more frequently on Google search. Its a neat and helpful little tool. To know more about the +1 button, check this video out.

Stream:

The stream is the home page that you see when you log in. The stream is very much like the FaceBook homepage. You receive constant feeds about what your friends are upto. But what makes the Google + stream different from the Facebook home page is the degree of selectivity. Just below your display image, you can choose which Circle do you want to get streams from. So, if your crazy Aunt has put up photos of her cat whom you have the daggers for, you can just skip to your friends circle and that will be the end of it!

Below your Streams, are two tabs - Incoming and Notifications. Incoming posts are those which people outside your circles have posted and notifications are when someone comments on a post you put up. The notifications are followed by Sparks.

Sparks:

Sparks are an interesting feature by Google +. If you have any particular interests eg. Motorcycles, you can search sparks for Motorcycles and it will give you different feeds from around the Internet about your interest. Sparks are innovative, fun and informative. One of Google's most famous innovation is the Chat option. Google + chat accomodates all your Gmail contacts which makes it easier. To give it a more customized feel, you can chat exclusively with specific Circles that you select.

Hangouts:

One of the best features of Google + is the Hangouts section. With Hangouts, you can create and enter an amazing video conference experience and also chat with other friends you have invited in the hangout. You can join other hangouts or start your own hangout. The option is available on the right side of your home page. YouTube videos can also be seen on Hangouts and following the recent development, you can also see live streaming videos on Hangouts.

To know more about live streaming on Hangouts check out the link below that I got a hold of by LifeHacker which will run you through the entire process.

This pretty much sums up th entire Google + subject. We shall come up with more updates in the following issues for you.

P.S. You may +1 this article in case you get hooked on to Google +