Is Ad Targeting Evil?
In honor of an epic Twitter conversation I had last night with a Bing scientist (https://twitter.com/cmtrapolino), I want to start a conversation with you all about what may or may not be a sensitive topic: ad targeting.

Microsoft's #Scroogled  campaign has upset a great many people because -- at least in my opinion -- it's in poor taste, but Microsoft appears to feel that more people are upset because they didn't know their Gmail was being scanned.  

Maybe the Scroogled campaign can be about education.  Do you know just how often your data is being gathered and used for ad targeting?  More importantly, does it upset you to think your data is being used to target ads back at you?  If you feel this is "evil" or a "violation," please comment below and explain why -- especially if you also feel data gathering is okay when it's done to protect you from SPAM or phishing attempts.

I'll start:

I don't mind ad targeting because it means I'll see more relevant ads, and relevant is good.
If I am using a service for free, I expect to give up something in exchange.  If it's my data and that data is being used to show me things I am more likely to find value in (whether that's search results or ads), I'm not just okay with that -- I welcome that.  Relevant information is hard to find in the sea of noise we call the Internet, after all.

What say you?

(This will be part one of a series of conversations about this issue.  Hopefully, we can come up with a plan to start a global conversation about data and consumers' feelings about privacy in a world of increasingly public living.)

Microsoft, you're a bunch of jerks.
Have you seen Microsoft's newest anti-Google campaign?  Check it out here: http://www.scroogled.com/ 

I can't help but respond.  Microsoft, you're totally on my bad side.  Here's why:

Scanning is scanning.
You talk like scanning email is only a privacy violation if that data is used to target ads, but scanning is scanning.  Direct quote from the Scroogled site: "Outlook.com only scans the contents of your email to help protect you and display, categorize, and sort your mail appropriately." 

If scanning my email is wrong, why scan it at all?  Oh, right -- because it's necessary to scan emails to protect users from spam -- and it's just an algorithm, not human beings.  Just like Gmail.

You advertise and scrape keywords, too.
Bing personalizes search, and Outlook has ads.  Are you seriously trying to claim that you're not interested in your users' data for any purpose except to filter out spam and phishing emails?  Please.

Negative campaigns make me kinda hate you.
Just like in politics, negative campaigns leave a bad taste in almost everyone's mouth.  Speaking of politics, isn't your mastermind on this Mark Penn?  You know, the same guy who ran Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign into the ground?  Oh.

You are mischaracterizing the privacy issue by playing into people's fears -- and you're doing it disingenuously.
As consumers, it's important for us to understand what happens to our data once we send it into the universe of the Internet -- whether it's through email services like Gmail, social media sites, blogs, or comments we make on online news articles with our real names. That said, it is also important that we understand the trade we're making and that we consider the risk versus the reward. If I didn't want any of my private information to be shared with the world, I'd have an incredibly irrelevant experience online. Taking it further, I also doubt I'd be willing to enjoy the luxury of using credit cards at point of sale systems!

There is always a trade. Gmail is free. Whenever a product is free, your data is the product that company is leveraging in order to keep the price at $0.  If you're not okay with that, don't use the service.  It doesn't just apply to Gmail, it applies to Bing search, Facebook, Twitter, Disqus…well, hell.  I could keep adding services to the list, but you get the point.

Security Cameras Capture The Good, Too

Sometimes, it's just about how you look at things.  I highly recommend you watch this video - especially if you're feeling like the world is an ugly place.

Google+ Tip: Harness the Power of Local
Try adding everyone you know in your city to a local Circle.  It will give you a relevant list for when you want to create local events, start city-specific discussions ("I hate how little parking there is downtown!"), ask for restaurant recommendations, and more.

Also, if you're looking to meet new people in your city, you can use the Google+ mobile app's Nearby stream to surf what locals are saying and then add them to your local Circle once you get to know them a bit.  Just don't be creepy about it!  ;)

#HappyNewYear  Google+!

May your 2013 be filled with all the ghosts, zombies, weight loss, and prosperity that you desire.

Why My Google Voice # is Public
If you go to the "About" section on my Google+ profile, you'll find my Google Voice phone number.  I put it there over a year ago as an experiment (you can read that story here: http://bit.ly/RkhXqK).  Several folks have asked me lately how it went.  Well, in a word -- awesome.

Yes, it really forwards to my phone.  Yes, I really use it for just about everything -- it's on my business cards, it's on my Facebook page, it's in my email signature for work and for personal correspondence, and it's the best thing I ever did.

Why?  Here is a short list:

1) Consistency.  I don't ever have to worry about changing carriers, because my Google Voice number always stays the same.
2) Opportunity.  Living in public on the Internet means that I want to be open to new opportunities -- by being able to safely list my phone number anywhere online, I have been able to generate consulting leads and build relationships with the media.
3) Customization options galore.  Google Contact Groups make using Google Voice far more powerful than I ever initially imagined.  I have different voicemail greetings for different groups, I can toggle Google Voice on and off per group with Android (see how here: http://bit.ly/V7TEu4), and I can choose which groups' calls go to my phone.
4) Free calls/texts to Canada. I have a lot of Canadian friends! This helps us avoid hefty international fees from our carriers.
5) Easy block features. Surprisingly, after posting my number on Google+, I only ever had to use this once.  Regardless, the process was smooth, simple, and effective.  You can even choose which block message the caller hears (I like the one that pretends your number was disconnected/is no longer in service).

In a nutshell, I never worry about my Google Voice number "falling into the wrong hands" or being known by too many people.  I control the volume of incoming calls at all times -- I can even record them if I want to.

Do you use Google Voice?  Would you feel comfortable plastering it on a billboard?

#Android   #GoogleVoice  

Spotify: Storing Offline Playlists On Your SD Card
I totally just got +Spotify to let me store my offline playlists on my external SD card without rooting my phone or doing anything too fancy!  I'm not sure if this is a common issue, so I figured I'd just offer this up here in case anyone is trying to figure this out before Spotify listens to its users and fixes this issue (fingers crossed, you guys):

Ingredients
- 1 Android device, rooted or unrooted
- 1 microSD card with enough storage to please you
- 1 file explorer for Android

Method
1) Empty your Spotify application data, then uninstall.
2) Use your Android file explorer or a desktop environment to nuke all traces of the application (typically located at Android -> data -> com.spotify.mobile.android.ui).
3) Install an old version of Spotify (here's a safe link: http://bit.ly/ZueoDc).
4) BEFORE LOGGING IN, click the menu button and set your SD location to your external SD card (the name of the path will differ depending on your setup/device - for me it was /sdcard2 but check with an Android file explorer to be sure).
5) Login to the application and download a playlist or some tracks to your offline storage.
6) Check to make sure your data-populated com.spotify.mobile.android.ui folder is on the external SD card you want it on.  If it isn't, try jumping into a desktop environment and moving the com.spotify.mobile.android.ui folder into an identical file structure on your preferred SD card (make sure you create Android -> data -> com.spotify.mobile.android.ui if that structure doesn't already exist).
7) Go update your Spotify app in the Play Store.
8) Dance in your freakin' chair or wherever you are because you win!

Hope this helps someone out.  I had a heck of a time getting it to work, but once I did I figured I'd spread the love.

Happy music-ing, y'all, and merry holidays!

#Android   #Spotify  

Hi there!

My name is Christina.  I love working with values-led businesses and am excited to see what goes on in this community.

Hope everyone is having safe and merry holidays!

Today I found out that people actually ask "Kirk or Picard?"

There is a debate.

My mind is blown.

#Trekkies  

A Humble Suggestion for Community Owners

Consider enacting a policy about sharing links or posts that requires the member to include his or her own comments on the piece being shared.  

Why?

1) Re-shares without the context of someone's opinion can be spammy.
2) Encouraging more content from your members is a great way to build more value into your community.
3) Requiring (or strongly suggesting) context from members on posted links reduces the likelihood that members will re-share content based on headlines alone (AKA, sharing without reading) -- a practice that will rapidly devalue a community.

What kinds of content strategies have you enacted within your communities?  Is it still too early in the game to be thinking about this stuff?  Would love to hear your thoughts!

Greetings, Community Moderators!

I'm Christina.  I've been involved in some way or another with digital communities for over 10 years.  Facilitating connections and helping people grow their passions and interests is something I hope to do for the rest of my life.

It's a pleasure to "meet" you all -- feel free to say hi or ask questions any time!  I always try to help when I can.  :)

When you share links without reading them, you could be doing very serious damage.

The article below by +Gini Dietrich is one of the best reminders I've seen in a long time about the importance of not sharing information without having some verification.  

In Gini's example, a young man who was Facebook friends with Ryan Lanza (the brother of Adam Lanza, the gunman responsible for the  #SandyHook  massacre -- Ryan was mistakenly identified by media as the shooter before Adam's identity was confirmed) received multiple death threats while trying to make folks understand that Ryan was not the shooter.  I strongly suggest you read the link below for more details; it is a rather disturbing story.

It does seem that some folks have a tendency to just share whatever headlines look interesting (especially on Twitter, where the retweet button is just a click away no matter what third party app you're on) -- we've all probably done it at least once.  But even when doing that doesn't damage another person, it certainly lacks value -- and that means it's just noise.  And what's the point of that?

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of 'disaster,' I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.”

--Mr. Rogers

#LoveForNewtown    

RESHARE:
Show some #LoveForNewtown  with Daria Musk

+Daria Musk is our resident Google+ rock star -- you've probably heard of her.  If you haven't, I highly recommend that you follow her.  She makes great music, but she's special to us here because of her unrelenting optimism about Google+ and the power of social networking.

If you already know Daria, you may not know that she's a Newtownian. The recent tragedy at Sandy Hook hits very close to home to all of us, no matter where we live, but for Daria it is a very personal story.  Please consider helping her show some love to the Newtown community.  It won't erase the sadness, but perhaps our collective good wishes will warm a few hearts and let Newtown know that they aren't alone.

We're with you, Newtown!  <3

Reshared text:
To Newtown, With Love ❤
Send in your messages of sympathy and love to Newtown, I will personally collect them, print them and place them at the memorial.

Over the last year +Google+ has become my global and virtual hometown, just as real and dear to me as the one where I grew up - Newtown, CT.

Collecting Messages For Newtown
I want pass your love on, to the community here, so: 
❤ Please share this post
❤ Share a note, prayer or photo with the hashtag  #LoveForNewtown     
❤  I will collect them, print them out, tag them with the country or city you're from and post them on a big display board. I will personally drive it to the memorial in town tomorrow, with this little teddy bear I made, so that Newtown knows you are with them.

Thank you dearly, Daria   #Newtown   #SandyHook  

Customer Service & Social

How do you think social media will impact consumers' ideas about "the customer is always right?"  Do you think having a louder voice and a public platform will make customers become more aware of what they should expect from companies?  I ask because I think it's our behavior that will drive brands to participate in customer care more often if they feel there is an ROI to it.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

It would be neat if we could show which communities we're members of on our About Me pages.  Bonus points if we can select per group, a la LinkedIn.

#SendFeedback  

If you add me on  #LinkedIn  just to pitch me, I'll probably block you.

#etiquette  

I was just thinking, "I hope I find a #Trekkies  Community soon."

Thanks, you guys.

Engage!

RESHARE:
Not sure how #Communities  are going to impact Google+, yet?  Here's a taste of what's to come:

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Communities activity shows up on Twitter, in newsletters.

I know how to create new Google+ Communities; I'm just not sure I know how to stop. I'm a huge fan of the new Communities feature. 

I'm also a big fan of posting first on Google+, then automating the re-posting onto other media, including both Twitter and via email newsletter. I've chronicled my technique for doing this here:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9227098/Elgan_How_I_publish_from_Google_

Google+ Community activity doesn't show up on my stream. However, those posts do show up both on my Twitter feed, and in my auto-generated newsletter. Links bring people back to the post in the Community. 

How cool is that? 

https://twitter.com/MikeElgan

Great Books

First up, in my opinion: #PublicParts  by +Jeff Jarvis.  (You can find it here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/VP947s)

What books do you recommend for people trying to learn more about social media as a cultural game-changer?

Welcome!

I truly believe that social media has the power to change us in a lot of extremely positive ways.  While this is a public group, I've invited several folks from my Circles who I believe are sincerely interested in approaching the discussion of social media in a very different way: this isn't a group for tips and tricks or for marketers.  Instead, it is a place where consumers can come together and work through new ways to leverage the power of their own networks.  And anyone interested in that pursuit is more than welcome!

Can I join this community and join one for #Trekkies ?

Serious question.

>.>

Have #Communities  rolled out for you, yet?  If so, join this one to keep up to speed on all things Google+ related.  

Lots of awesome people are in there already, like +Trey Ratcliff, +Natalie Villalobos, and +pio dal cin!  Join us (as soon as you can -- keep F5 alive today).

Hello, everyone!

I'm so excited to join y'all in the Google+ Discuss community.  I can't wait to see what awesome stuff happens around here!

New MySpace can wait -- Google+ Communities are coming!
I am so excited, I can hardly stand it.  Google+ is finally rolling out what looks to be a true community-driven product -- check out the blog post at the link below.  My favorite part is probably when +Vic Gundotra says, "let’s be excellent to each other."

What kind of Google+ #Communities  will you join?

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A Christmas Miracle

Did you know North Korea has found proof of unicorns?  It's true.  Our resident Google+ artist +Aaron Wood is who you can thank for the beautiful propaganda poster below.  If enough of us beg for a way to buy it, I bet he'll make it available for purchase.

...right, Aaron?

Reshared text:
Apparently North Korea has found a unicorn lair.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/50058129/ns/today-today_news/

Props to +Johnny Roquemore for posting the story on FB and +Christina Trapolino for urging me to make this North Korea Unicorn propaganda poster.

UNICORNS FOR GLORIOUS CONQUEST! :D

Sometimes, when you're on the Internet, you stumble upon a video that blows your mind in a way that defies your ability to use language.

This is one of those videos.

You're welcome, Google+.

Surprise someone by thanking her/him for being part of your life today.
Why?  Because it won't be such a surprise to do it tomorrow!  Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

#CircleSunday  
November 18, 2012

It's been several months since I last shared this Circle with you guys, but I'm really glad to be starting it up again.  I have been taking your suggestions into consideration, but this week I'm sharing three people with you who have been on my radar for some time:

---

+Isabelle Fortin is someone I found through a neat hashtag event called #MovieMashupTuesday .  The idea...well, you can find it by clicking on the hashtag.  Some of the images they come up with make me laugh out loud... IRL.  ;)  Isabelle's stream is also just plain interesting -- she is a self-confessed foodie (and so am I), and one of the few people whose Instagram posts don't annoy me.  I'm certain she'll add some quirky fun to your streams.

I've been following +Ralph Roberts for quite some time -- he worked with NASA on the Apollo program (*dreamy sigh*), so you can take posts with titles such as "Does chocolate make you clever?" very seriously in his stream.  Furthermore, ever since I got an iPad, I've found Ralph's posts to consistently liven up my feeds with beautiful images.  If you're from Austin and you know who John Aielli is, you might understand why I freakin' love Ralph Roberts.

Last but not least is +Chris Hoeller, who has been in my Circles for a very long time.  His posts are sometimes a lot like reading a Twitter feed -- short and funny -- but he also makes incredibly thought-provoking posts about technology and social media.  I suspect that if you enjoy my posts on the subject of communication, you'll like Chris a lot.

---

That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday   feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

I'm going to start doing #CircleSunday  again tomorrow.

It's been a few months since I did this, so for those who don't know, Circle Sunday consists of me recommending three new people per week for you to add to your Streams.  The purpose is to expose more people to folks on Google+ who have small audiences but consistently post excellent content.  There are no restrictions on what kind of content they post -- photographers, artists, musicians, writers, or just hilarious people who are active and could use a boost.

If you ever wish to recommend yourself or someone else for a #CircleSunday  feature, please send me a message via my profile.

Have a fabulous Saturday, Google+!

Dear America,

Please push pause on the #Hostess  stream. Google the Middle East. 

I know, I know. It hurts to think with all that high fructose corn syrup in your brains. Do it anyway.

Love,
Christina

I Still Think Google+ Can Change The World

If you haven't yet, you should really pick up a copy of #PublicParts  by +Jeff Jarvis.  According to Jarvis, when books were invented, "it scared people to death."  People were frightened of what they didn't understand.  Further, "people didn’t create new books until 50 years [later]. It didn’t affect society for 100 years, clearly."  Seriously, 100 years.

We don't know what we don't know.
Social media is hardly a blip on the timeline so far. We're still talking about things that happened in 2007 as if they are old hat.  We're still mass producing mistakes along with all the good stuff.  We're still learning how much leverage we have as consumers when we really develop our networks. 

Doesn't it just make your skin tingle to think about all that we'll do once we're better at this?  For the people in the first 100 years after the printing press was invented, the future held all kinds of political, philosophical, and technological wonders...including the internet.  What could be in store for us?  

Whether you're an optimist or a pessimist about the quality of future communication online, you must admit that we are about to live in an even more connected and social world than we do today.  So, it's practical to prepare ourselves for that future in some way, and I believe that means being as open as possible to new technologies and new ideas.  I also believe it means embracing what it means to live more publicly.  But we have social media fatigue to contend with, and trying to "be everywhere" on the internet is probably too demanding for any of us (well, any of us with jobs!).  So, where can we spend time optimally in pursuit of this openness?  After well over a year and plenty of good and bad press, I still think Google+ is the place.

Why Google+?
The short answer?  Google.

The longer answer is that Google has a lot of brilliant engineers and it will hire more.  Google also has a lot of wicked smart people people (shout out to +Natalie Villalobos), and they'll hire even more. While Facebook and Twitter aren't necessarily showing signs of going anywhere (I'll leave that debate up for the comments), Google feels practically unmovable by comparison.  

There are more reasons than that, of course.  Another is noise control.  As far as I can tell, innovation on taming the firehose is what's going to drive us forward in social media (and although he will probably disagree with my feelings about Google, check out +Robert Scoble's recent musings on this topic here: http://scoble.it/T2aqfg) -- and I think Google+ has better, more robost noise controls than any other social network thus far.

Google also already has a strong cultural infrastructure in place -- most of us use Google to do something on the internet every day.  Search, email, calendar, documents, Android -- the list goes on.  If Google decides it wants to make the internet more social, is there really anyone else out there equipped to do it in such a potentially mind-blowing way?

Don't get me wrong -- I'm not saying Google has done everything right. Google is a for-profit company with a bottom line and human beings at the helm.  But look around at some of the best known early adopters here (like +Daria Musk or +Ryan Crowe).  Look at the level of sincere, authentic, awesome engagement on their posts.  With strangers!  What the hell is more social than that?

Ultimately, it's all about us. 
It's our patience and openness that will really drive the cultural impact of social media. It's about how we choose to use these tools and these platforms.  _Our_ behavior will drive the behavior of brands, the iteration of algorithms, and...well, who knows what else?  Perhaps we're on the cusp of a major cultural revolution.

I guess I'm an optimist.  :)

Would you rather be known for your personality or your ideas?

Food for thought this #Caturday  - the Internet was always going to be full of cats.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Rest in Space, Carl
I think Carl would have liked Google+.  Human curiosity, the need for discovery, and an insatiable thirst for exploration is what binds us all together.

Happy birthday to a beautiful mind.

#CarlSagan  

You're welcome, America.

#IVoted

Dear social media professionals,
Stop calling yourselves social media ninjas.

It does not mean what you think it means.

#ResumeFacepalm  

I will donate $1,000 to anyone who can legitimately make talking about campaign finance reform as sexy as memes like  #BindersOfWomen .

Hypocrisy is easy to see on both sides of the aisle.  But every "issue" we think matters the most is irrelevant until politicians are accountable to voters instead of corporations.

Think the problem's been going on too long?  Think we can't solve this within our lifetimes?  To you, I say that +Jeff Jarvis'  #PublicParts  is worth a read.  When the masses are converted by connectivity into an informed public, previously unsolvable problems can become surmountable.  Social media excites me because of our opportunity to start conversations that matter (sorry, Instagram breakfast shots don't really count).  So let's start one about #BoxesOfCash .

You don't need to be right to be nice.
Yesterday, #NationalComingOutDay  was trending for hours.  For those of us who wanted to celebrate tolerance and acceptance, that was a beautiful thing to see.  Unfortunately, some of the posts in that Stream were hateful.  To anyone still arguing and debating on the finer points of ethics (as I know some of you are), I say shaddup and hug somebody.

#NoOneLikesABully  

Happy #ComingOutDay  to everyone who celebrates!  And to those who are still hesitating, I hope you'll celebrate with us soon.  After all...closets are for clothes. :)

#ImAnAlly   #NationalComingOutDay  

To notify or not to notify?
that is a question

I've never been big on notifying people of my posts, but I don't post updates every day like some folks do on Google+ and I know the Streams can be very noisy.  So I'm going to do a quick poll - if you would like to be notified when I make a post, +1 the comment that's most appropriate for you!

RESHARE:
Let's talk social media "experts," shall we?
groan

The post shared below by +Johnny Roquemore started a fascinating conversation about what it means to be a professional in the social media world.  My contribution to the fray was to lay out what I think a true social media expert looks like, but I'm curious how you all feel.  What makes someone an "expert" at social media?  If you were going to hire a social media "expert" to help you with your business, what expectations would you have?

I'll start with my take: you'd better understand business really well if you want to work on mine, regardless of which "field" you know best.

Reshared text:
Sending someone invites on LI with your current position set to "Self employeed at Social Media" and in the request, you ask me to "teach you how to use Social Media as a profession" is essentially the equivalent of me walking in to a Dennys sober.

It just doesn't make sense.

You are using Social Media incorrectly to ask about how to make money working in Social Media while simultaneously using Social Media to tell your "audience" that you work in Social Media. 

Who are the best people and Pages to follow for startup stuff?
confession: I am a startup junkie

I work on the side for a really cool organization called +House of Genius. (You can learn more about it here: http://bit.ly/R5bvzs.)  We're constantly hearing from folks who are curious about Google+ and I would love to find great resources to share with them.  +Robert Scoble is who I usually say to follow, but who else makes the list?  Any good Hangout groups you guys know of?

Finally, Fast Company does a positive Google+ piece!

+Andy Meek penned this excellent article that gets us back to the roots of what we love about Google+.  It's such a relief to see that not all media folks are obsessing about growth, metrics, and prediction games (or, heaven forbid, the dreaded Facebook comparison).

Thanks, Andy!  And thanks, +Vic Gundotra, for taking the time to interview for this piece.  It's a good day for social networking philosophy.

That's a plus.

If you or a loved one may be having a heart attack, you can go to the Fire Department to save valuable time.

If the hospital is too far away and you need help immediately, you should always call 911.  But if you're not at home or you can't wait for an ambulance and a fire station is near by, have someone take you there.  They have oxygen (which is needed to keep the heart from working as hard), and typically an ambulance ready to go.

Sadly, this weekend I lost my stepfather to a very serious heart attack.  My mother took him to the Fire Department and while he did not ultimately survive, the oxygen and care he received there was critical and gave him his best chance.

Have a safe week, everyone.  And say "I love you" more -- you never know when it's the last time.

You know, the thing I loved most about #LinkedIn  was that it wasn't sexy.  It was for boring professionals, then for savvy b2b marketers and entrepreneurs who learned to forgo the hard sell and build relationships, and I was into that.  But endorsements for skills seems like a step backwards.

This is the problem: LinkedIn is selling us on the idea that it takes just one click to endorse (source: http://bit.ly/TtjigP).  It takes nothing to click on a sexy button.  So where's the value?  

LinkedIn, are you making a Klout play?  If yes, for the love of god, do not allow people to trade +K (or +LI or whatever it is going to be called).  Please.

If anything should ever get a spot on What's Hot, it's this video.  
It made me laugh and cry at the same time.  It made me think of the teachers I know who have to pay $45 per year to use the microwave and another $45 to use the fridge.  It made me think of my past teachers and the way they shaped my values, my work ethic, my passions, and my sense of empathy.  It made me think, too, that this is an election year and it was my teachers who made me understand why voting is more than a privilege, it is a responsibility.

Say thank you to a teacher today.  Share this video with 'em, too.

(Thank you to +Meilani MacDonald, who posted this in my Stream today.)

RESHARE:
Here's why what Jon's saying matters (hint: it's not about becoming famous on the Internet, although if you're brilliant and/or lucky, that could happen too):

Google+ is a network that is best experienced at full volume -- at least long enough so that you can connect with people you never dreamed of.  The beauty of the internet -- what is so inspiring about social media, connectivity, and technology (at least to me) -- is the way it brings us all together, united by ideas instead of geography.  

Being public does not mean sharing everything and anything with everyone and anyone.  It means reaching out to the world with your ideas and seeking to connect, share, and grow as people.

Post your breakfast to your Breakfast Club, but post your art, your ideas, your dreams, and your questions for the world to see.  You never know what'll come back to you.  I sure didn't when I started here.  :)

note: I'm not suggesting that you share literally everything to "Public" -- that would be noisy for us, and potentially embarrassing for you.  What I am saying is -- be more open!  There is opportunity everywhere.

Reshared text:
Hi All

Just a tip regarding sharing on G+: 

Its vital that when sharing, you share to "public". If you share to just "your circles" or "extended circles" there are two major negatives.

1. Only people you have added to circles see this and not the G+ users who have added you to circles. Unless you add everyone who has added you, you are limiting the engagement your posts can receive.

2. If you only share to your circles then re-shares cant be to public. This also limits the impact of what you are sharing as the rules in point 1 apply.

Its a simple one but I tend to see more posts shared to a limited audience than to Public and it limits the impact of your G+ experience.

Dear Klout, please stop gamifying influence.

+Chris Pirillo asked me to write something for +LockerGnome and so I wrote about +Klout.  Does it seem like an easy target?  I couldn't help it.  Klout really grinds my gears...just not for the same reasons it seems to grind everyone else's.

How do you feel about the way Klout measures influence?  Do you think their most recent changes solve their problems?  My opinion is that Klout still misses the mark by continuing to encourage the exchange of +K.  I have a lot to say about it (as you can see if you click the link below).

I don't think Klout's entire perspective is wrong.  What they are trying to accomplish seems smart and potentially groundbreaking for the evolution of the relationships between brands and consumers.  If they would take their own metrics more seriously (like, I don't know, by NOT encouraging users to game their system), I think there is a lot of opportunity.  "Influence" is a murky term to begin with, but there is something to be said for trying to make social signals more credible.

What say you?!

Hey, Google+.  Quick question.  When something goes wrong with a product or service, are you more likely to use the company's customer service channels first (1-800, email support, etc.) or are you more likely to use social media to air your grievances?  Does it depend on the severity of the issue, or not?

For me, it usually goes like this:

1) I try customer service via traditional channels first.
2) If customer service fixes my problem, I'm more likely to mention it through social media.
3) If customer service fails, I'm more likely to discuss their failure through social media.

I have this theory, you see, that one of the best ways brands can use social is to make it part of their customer service channels.  But to prove that theory, I have to better understand how people view customer service.  So, let me know how you see it!

Auto-cross-posting in social media makes me want to set things on fire.
If you choose to automate your updates across platforms, you are missing a huge opportunity to maintain authentic relationships with your connections.  Why?  Because only robots can automate social media.  (Yes, okay, I'd talk to a robot if it was Bender, but it's only 2012 and robots just aren't that profane, yet.)

Does auto-posting make you less likely to follow someone, or do you prefer being updated across every platform with someone's content?  Am I missing something, here?

Final thought: scaling social doesn't mean automating social.  If you're a brand and you're auto-cross-posting your content across social media channels, you're just creating noise.  Noise ain't value.

Please help me prove that Google+ has an awesome community!
I am trying to convince someone in the marketing world here in Austin that there are tons of great conversations on Google+.  Can you guys link me to the best, most engaging conversation(s) you've seen in the last few days?  I specifically mean a post with great back-and-forth in the comments.

I think with your help, I can prove my point about engagement on Google+.  :)

Take 10 minutes to remember your childhood today.  It might make you more productive!

#TakeMeToYourChildhood  is more than just a cute trend.  After studying the Stream for a while, it occurred to me that people on Google+ are of all ages and have wildly varying interests.  I've seen pictures of old toys, TV shows, movies, and more.  Talk about a Stream full of nostalgia!  

I had to think about what I'd choose to represent what I miss most from my childhood.  For some reason, the theme song to Pete & Pete got stuck in my head and wouldn't come out.  If you remember this show and loved it, we should definitely be friends.  :)

Will you participate in the nostalgia feed or not?  At first, I thought it was a waste of time.  But you know what?  Thinking about carefree days can be a real mood-booster, so I highly encourage you all to pop into this hashtag Stream for at least 10 minutes today!

If tonight restored your faith in humanity even a little bit, you should support the research the fine folks at +NASA do.

"Long live American human curiosity!"

#MSL   #curiosity   #mars   #JPL  

What is my favorite thing?  Outer space.

Jump into the #MSL  stream and follow the Curiosity as it lands on Mars (link below)!  Less than an hour until we are one huge step closer to the United Federation of Planets.

Know any other folks staying up late to watch human freakin' history?  Tell them to use Google+ to stay updated! 

#JPL   #Mars   #NASA   #Curiosity  

RESHARE:
It annoys me that Google+ doesn't have an open API.  I work in social media, so I have a lot of reasons for being annoyed.  But +Vic Gundotra makes an interesting point in this post.

Granted, it's a little (oh, what's the word?) unkind to the execs at Facebook for Vic to share this particular open letter with his large follower base.  But for folks who don't know much about the relationship between platforms and developers, it's a great prompt to go Googling for more information.

Reshared text:
Heat Shield

I get a lot of heat for not releasing a full write API for Google+. At SXSW I was even booed by developers in the audience when I said we were not ready to open an API. 

I've repeatedly stated the reason - I'm not interested in screwing over developers. When we open an API, we want developers to feel confident that the innovations they build are going to be long lasting. Releasing an API, and then later changing the rules of the game isn't fun for anyone, especially developers who've spent their life's energies building on the platform.

So I'm sorry that we haven't released a wide open write API for those of you who want one. We're being careful because we want to be different. You know, actually respectful of developers who build on our platform. It's novel. I know.

Can a company win if it openly promotes intolerance polarizing views on sensitive subjects?
There's a lot of anti-Chick-Fil-A sentiment floating around my news feeds on Facebook and Twitter.  It's been prevalent in my Google+ Stream, too.  I know this is industry-nerd talk, but isn't it interesting how a company gets so much publicity when it takes a stand?  I keep hearing people say things like, "to gain a customer, you must first be willing to lose a customer."  Do you think Chick-Fil-A is going to win in the long run with this stance?

I'm not planning to eat there again until they change their stance, personally.

*edit* +Antonio Guadagno has pointed out that Chick-Fil-A has posted on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/Mo1WNe) to take back their stance.  It seems obvious to me that this statement is a classic reaction to negative social backlash.  There is nothing in it that indicates the company thinks its stance was actually inappropriate (as in, there's no apology).  To me, it doesn't come off as sincere in the least.  What do you think?

(Image below is from http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=10556 and is not an official Chick-Fil-A promo.)

note: I changed the title to help lessen the heat in the comments.  This question is more about business strategy than gay marriage.  I support marriage equality, but my personal view isn't the point of the discussion.  Thanks for keeping things civil.  I know this is a hot-button issue.

Calling all history buffs!

Does anyone on Google+ have a good history Stream?  I really like the Greco-Roman stuff best, but any history feeds will be better than none!  If you have any recommendations, please leave names in the comments.  :)

July 15, 2012
#CircleSunday  

It has been storming for almost a whole week in Austin!  Those of us who remember the wicked drought from last year (I wasn't a resident then, but a visitor several times) are grateful beyond words for the lower temperatures and the higher water levels in the lakes.  I am especially grateful for the storms because I can actually get more than 4 hours of sleep when it's raining.

Stormy Sundays are probably the best thing ever (apart from brunch), and I've spent most of today browsing G+ and adding new folks to my 'potential Circle Sunday' list.  Here are the pleeps I've chosen for this week:

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+Lil Peck has a slight obsession with horses.  I don't share that obsession (although I do like horses, and spent many summers as a little girl learning to ride them), but Lil Peck's Stream is just so dang interesting that I read it obsessively, anyway.  My favorite content of hers is tech-related -- especially when it's Google+ related.  Her latest post is an example of this (it's about how to make sure your Stream is drama-free): http://bit.ly/NvrXZV

+Rachelle Doorley is an arts educator.  She also publishes something called Tinkerlab, which is actually pretty fascinating even if you're not a DIYer.  Speaking of DIY, my favorite part of Rachelle's profile is her suggestion of which Circles to add her to.  She lists DIY twice!  Whether it's intentional or not, I got a chuckle out of it because that's actually a fair analysis of her content: it's a lot of DIY/crafts stuff.  That said, I keep her in my "awesome A-list" Circle because her posts are fresh and unique.  Check out her latest post here: http://bit.ly/NJMquE

+Jonathan Abbey is a testament to the power of the Nearby Stream.  By that, I mean that I found him through the first version of the mobile app for G+ -- he was posting from near my location, and I added him on a whim.  Several months later, and he's still on my read list!  He posts a lot of political stuff (fair warning if you like Romney -- Johnathan's Stream is unforgiving), but he's not preachy.  Talk about a rare find.  Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/NqjhFk

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday   feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

Happy America Day! It's time to party like it's 1776!

Don't Be A Shill
I just posted my first ever +BlogHer article after having attended Blog Her Food '12 in Seattle last month.  Blog Her Food '12 was not my first food event or my first networking conference, but it was the first time I've ever been in a room with hundreds of wildly talented bloggers all at once.  Let me tell you -- it's intoxicating.  The wordsmiths at Blog Her this year were vibrant, intelligent, sometimes snarky, and wonderful.

I spent most of my free time at the conference talking to bloggers (of course!), but when sessions were in full swing, I was buried in Twitter while also taking furious notes.  Plenty of experts offered insights into tactics for driving traffic, taking photographs with smartphones, and busting copyright infringers.  And the #BlogHerFood  stream on Twitter was, frankly, exactly what I would have expected: full of tidbits, quotes, and commentary from the sessions.  Pleasant, drama-free...

That is, until the second morning’s Keynote.  Something really magical happened in the room on Saturday morning at the Fairmont.  As we sipped our coffee, a panel consisting of both bloggers and brand representatives began a discussion about what is easily one of my favorite topics in this industry: ethical interactions between brands and bloggers.  I nodded along through most of the presentation, but something stopped me in my tracks when the conversation turned towards personal branding.

"If you're having a PMS moment one day, think about it before you post something emotional or erratic on your blog.  We're watching," said one brand rep (I'm not including the company's name, and this is totally a paraphrase based on memory).

Twitter promptly exploded.

The mood swiftly changed from chatty to focused...and a little combative.  "Why shouldn't I be myself," the Twitterverse asked, "If I curse on my blog, that's who I am!  I'm not going to change my voice to appeal more to brands!"

The panelists certainly couldn't follow the Twitter feed, but if they had been able to, I truly wonder what they would have said to make up for the unintended faux pas.  It got me thinking about what it means to blog for brands, and as a result, I wrote the below post on the Blog Her site to start a conversation.

If you blog for a living, do you have any wisdom to share about how you decide which brands to work with?  I'd love to hear your stories!

July 1, 2012
#CircleSunday

In a few days, it'll be my one year anniversary on Google+, but the platform itself celebrated its birthday this past week.  As a result, lots of people posted fantastic stories about their time here (check the #MyFirstPost  hashtag to peruse the Stream of posts), and I made a lot of new friends.  All three of my Circle Sunday recommendations below are a direct result of that.  I hope they bring something fresh to your Streams, as they have mine.  :)

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+Mark Bruce is a regular #ScienceSunday  contributor who came to me via a shared Circle this past week.  If you're looking to beef up your science Circles, you can file Mark under awesome.  He hails from Adelaide in South Australia, which is where I went to some university a few years back.  It's a great, albeit quiet little town full of smart folks like Mark, IIRC.  Extra cool points awarded due to his self-proclaimed enthusiasm for transhumanism.  Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/LJ9YLL

I have never recommended a Page in my Circle Sundays, but that's changing this week.  I stumbled across a Googler's new yoga page -- +Quantum Yoga -- during my Stream surfing this week and fell in love.  I want to get into yoga, but I've had some trouble making time for it.  +Brandon Seils' Page is helping me to increase my interest in the practice by highlighting its geeky side.  Maybe my next step will be to find a good yoga Hangout!  Check out the Page's latest post here: http://bit.ly/MNqKNf

+Ivan Yudhi is more proof that commenting thoughtfully will get you noticed and Circled by people with common interests.  I found Ivan while hopping around several I/O conversations.  He posts a lot about sports as well as different smartphones and their creators (and other tech, in general).  His profile indicates he's into photography, and while I don't see a lot of his photos in his Stream, I'm hoping he'll take some pictures soon and share them!  Check out Ivan's latest post here: http://bit.ly/LYLBek

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday   feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

Happy Birthday, Google+!

+Terrence Lui recently posted an incredible story about how Google+ changed his life personally (read it here: http://bit.ly/KGuA7J).  I think it would be a beautiful project for us all to talk about how Google+ has altered our perceptions, broken down boundaries we didn't know we had, and generally made us more connected to each other by reminding us that connections don't have to exist offline first!

Before and After Google+: My Life
In July of 2011, I was working as a receptionist at a travel agency in Houston, Texas while I worked to get back on my feet after a string of failed start ups.  I was living with my parents and saving up every penny I could.  I didn't know what was going to come next for me in my career -- but then I joined Google+.  I started writing my thoughts down about how I thought Google+ could move us forward as a social society.  Through writing here and interacting with all of you, I began to understand more about myself and what I stand for.  I became immersed in so many conversations and idea exchanges that I was invigorated and inspired to keep connecting -- to keep refining my ideas and testing them.

Because of you all, I was able to build a following here that opened up a whole new world of possibility and opportunity for me -- not just in my career, but also in my personal life.  I landed a job at +Jason's Deli as their Social Media Director in December -- the new job brought me to Austin, TX, where I have made many friends through Google+ who have welcomed me with open arms into this city and its deep network of brainiacs (looking at you, +Scott Swain and +Yifat Cohen).

Because of Google+, I have made close connections with people I still haven't met in real life (but hope to!).  I'm not as active as I used to be, granted.  It turns out that being the Social Media Director for a national restaurant chain is far more time-consuming and fulfilling than being a receptionist.  But I still read my Streams every day and I am still making new connections all the time.  I'm learning and growing on Google+ in a way I've never been able to on any other social network.

Google+: Then and Now
When Google+ started, it really was a "ghost town."  After all, this was the private beta!  None of my friends (save the one who got me my invitation) were on the network.  I had no idea where to go.  Once I found +Mike Elgan, things became clearer.  The trick he taught me?  *Follow people with promiscuous abandon.*  Weed out the ones who don't interest you or don't post.  The key word there is interest -- Google+ can be about connecting you with the people you already know if that's how you choose to use it, but if you decide to live publicly and interact with people who are connected to you based purely on interests rather than established real-life relationships, the sky is the limit.  Just ask +Daria Musk or +Terrence Lui.

And look at us today.  There are thousands upon thousands of wildly talented people being public and sharing their passions through Google+.  I follow 5,000 of them!

What's your Google+ story?  Please, participate in this project by sharing your Google+ story with the hashtag #MyGPlus !

RESHARE:
I'm loving it, myself.  Although I can't seem to work out how to do the photo sharing...but then again, I'm not much of a photo-poster anyway.

How cool will it be when this is how G+ Photowalks get scheduled?  *faints*

Happy Plussing, y'all!

Reshared text:

I want to be able to follow people's comments, too.

I wish Google+ could somehow acquire Disqus' comment system to create an ubernetwork of people whose conversations I could follow in addition to their published posts.  I've found almost everyone I follow here through shared Circles and comments, after all.

Through reading the comment streams of people I respect on Disqus, I've spent the last couple of hours surfing blogs I've never heard of.  I learned a bunch of neat stuff and found more people who post content that resonates with me.  It got me excited about the internet all over again.

If I could follow eveyone's comments on Google+, I'd probably never get any sleep.  That should be something to get +Vic Gundotra thinking!

Comments are my favorite part of Google+, and I would argue that's because ultimately, it's nothing to click +1 or Like a post.  It's not much to share without commenting, either, really.  But to respond to an idea with your own idea?  That's engagement.

June 17, 2012
#CircleSunday

Hello again, Google+!

This month has been tremendous for me -- as I continue to search for cultural clues that prove my hypothesis that society is evolving its use of social media, I've learned a great deal about the relationship between brands and bloggers (or, as I like to call them, citizen journalists).  More on this later in the week, when I share my takeaways from the Blog Her Food '12 conference in Seattle.

For today, I'm very pleased to share these fine folks with y'all for Circle Sunday!

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First up is +John Maguire, who is a clinical researcher at the University of Kansas. John livens up my Stream with fantastic posts about all sorts of topics (seriously, they range from sports to outer space), but my favorite thing about him comes from his profile: "Being green is [sic] doesn't have to reflect one's political status, rather learning how [to] better our way of living and sustaining a better place to live for future generations." Hear, hear! Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/MzMHzr

I have well over 500 photographers in my Circles, and they are all super talented.  They certainly remind me that my Instagram account is strictly amateur.  Many of them have enormous followings, but some have been less exposed than others.  Case in point?  +Rainer Steinke is a street photographer whose taste and style are, in my opinion, spectacular. This is my favorite of his recent posts: http://bit.ly/MXbUkM

+Kyle Sullivan is an exobiology major (bonus nerd points) whose posts are endlessly interesting.  I like Kyle's Stream so much because he mixes NASA information with a quirky sense of humor (he initially caught my attention when I saw some re-shares of his #AwayTeamPorn posts -- y'all know how I feel about Star Trek).  Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/M5sdws

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday   feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

June 3, 2012
#CircleSunday  

Hello again, Google+!  I've been a very busy girl for the past couple of weeks, but I've still been surfing my Streams and looking out for great people to feature for Circle Sunday.  Today, I'd like to share the latest three additions to my #CircleSunday  Circle:

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+David Garcia has been in my Circles for a long time, and I've been meaning to feature him for much of that time.  His posts are uplifting and his message is something we can all relate to from time to time.  David has a blog called, "Keep it up, David!" and it's about his battle with losing weight.  He's doing a great job, which is nice to see, but what makes his approach really special is that he doesn't focus on weight all the time.  Rather, he chooses to highlight great things to eat for their taste and nutritional value, which makes his content engaging for anyone -- trying to lose weight or not.  Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/LrbDGU

+Gunther Cox only has about 1,100 followers and I have no idea why he doesn't have way more than that, so I'm hoping this feature will help spread his content to a larger audience.  Gunther posts about what is probably the coolest thing ever -- robots.  He makes them and posts about them!  Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/Le1mBL

I'd like to let +Jonathan Chalker's profile speak for itself (boy, I love when people really take the time to fill that sucker out): "I am a proud first generation G+ user. In G+ I write articles about science, technology, music, design (web and product), philosophy, media, and customer service in the digital world. I also follow quite a few people, read most of their posts, and actively comment (yay, me)."  He really is an interesting guy to follow! Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/KZtWV6

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday   feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

RESHARE:
I don't personally know +Lee Daniels, +Alvin Toro, or +Christophe Friedli, who told me about the post below. They are part of a community here that means something to me, however. Lee Daniels is a wonderful, talented photographer who has spent a lot of time doing positive things on Google+. She is battling lung cancer.

I don't get as much time to post here as I used to, which makes me think long and hard about each post I make -- I don't want to add to noise in the Stream. I try only to post when something matters. This is something that matters.

Please share Alvin's post. Let's be the community we constantly say we are part of.

Thanks, guys. :)


cc: +Alida Brandenburg +pio dal cin +Jaana Nyström +Elle Gray +Mike Elgan +Dan McDermott +Pam Adger +Yifat Cohen +Ryan Crowe +Ardith Goodwin +Jason Salas +Ayoub Khote

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A call out to kindness

There are many things I need to be thankful for this year. One of those is the amazing list of friends and opportunities that I've been gifted with by being part of this community. Friends like +Lee Daniels, photographer, co-curator of #womenwednesday and as of last week, a lung cancer patient. Lee's battle has just begun and as you can imagine she will need some support. I have setup a website to help with the fundraising. Visit:

http://hashtagcure.org

You may help Lee directly by using the donate button on the upper right hand side of the page. You may also grab one of the fundraising t-shirts that have the site's logo and Lee's name. All proceeds will go to help Lee down the uphill road she has ahead.

Remember there's no worse than doing nothing because you can only do a little. Every last bit helps...

May 20, 2012
#CircleSunday

Happy Eclipse to everyone who got to see it! I spent my weekend in the country next to a pond. There was no reliable data connection possible. It was paradise.

Now that I've reconnected, it's time for Circle Sunday:

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+Amy Shira Teitel posts about space, NASA, and various other sciency things. I highly recommend adding her to your Streams. She did some truly impressive coverage on G+ of the eclipse. Check out her latest here: http://bit.ly/JvQZmY

+Bud Hoffman takes lovely nature photographs and posts interesting tidbits from around the web. I find content in his Stream that I don't find anywhere else, and not just because of his original photography. Although, you should check out this cute photo of a family of ducks while you're seeing what I mean: http://bit.ly/KJBABe

+David Santy is difficult to categorize, but if you've followed my Circle Sunday series at all, you know I have a special affinity for folks who don't fit any particular mold but make my Stream more interesting. He's also a Trekkie. It's kind of a double win. Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/JvQRnr

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

What topics would you add to the Suggested User List from Google?
Okay, I've never been a fan of the SUL, but it's not going away. +Chris Pirillo asked who you'd include today (see his post here: http://bit.ly/JnCku1), but I'd like to ask what topics you'd include. If there are particularly awesome curators or thought leaders for those topics, you could include those names too.

Me? I'd probably add an entire section to the Google Suggested Users List dedicated to G+ meta talk. That would include a Welcome Wagon for newbies (including folks like +pio dal cin and +Ardith Goodwin) and other people who spend a lot of time building community within G+ because they love talking about the platform. This would be great for Google (the G+ meta group is like a love bomb for the brand) and great for unsure new users who think they have to leave Facebook to justify being here (you don't, but you might want to after a spell). It would be like a shot in the arm for the meta community! I'd include folks like +Mike Elgan (I know, I know, he's already on the list...but he's a must-have for new users, so putting him in multiple categories would be a smart move by Google), +Dan McDermott, +Jaana Nyström, +Yifat Cohen, and others who keep the G+ conversation flowing and going strong.

I'm tempted to say I'd add a Trekkies section, but I think that's my own bias (I'm totally watching TNG right now).

What topics and thought leaders do you think deserve some SUL love?

May 13, 2012
#CircleSunday

Happy Mother's Day to everyone -- because if you aren't a mom, you have or had one, and that's worth raising a glass over. I treated my mom to flowers, a card, and movies in PJs this afternoon, but nothing I can do on one day will ever make up for the years of cleaning up after me, comforting me, putting up with my fake illnesses around test time in elementary school, or all the meals she cooked. Love you, mom. :)

And now, without further ado, here are my Circle Sunday picks for this week:

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I've been watching +Michael Westbay for some time (I swear I'm not a creeper) and have found that he's one of my favorite photographers to follow. There are a lot of amazing photographers on Google+, of course (I think my Circle is up to 1100, now), but Michael stands out because nearly every shot he posts is accompanied by a beautifully written story. See an example here: http://bit.ly/IPP7a3.

+Christine Paluch posts a lot about technology, but she does so with the unique lens of policy. What she chooses to post is often thought provoking and this recent share is no exception: http://bit.ly/JNbK1A.

+Robert Misner posts stuff I can't help but read or click on. That's saying a lot when you consider I'm following 5,000 people! Plus, his cover image is bacon. I don't know how you don't all already have him circled. Check out his latest post here (warning: it's a giant head sculpture made of blood): http://bit.ly/Jbtqnu.

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

Hey, Google+. Who are the best people to follow who post about Star Trek? I am on Season 6 of The Next Generation and I am ready to geek out with a Circle of Trekkies. Help!

P.S. I'm going to add everyone who is a Trekkie in this comment thread to my Trekkies Circle. Let me know if you'd rather I NOT do that. You may see random one-line reactions to episodes in your Stream more often... ;)

If you're not a digital native, you've gotta be a digital immigrant.

I do social media for a living. It's my passion, and in many ways, this is a dream job. I am working hard to bring a truly robust social culture to a company with great values. Good vibes all around, right?

I wish it were so simple.

Articles like the one linked below are alarmist. What's worse is that they're being published by highly reputable sources (at least, many of my Gen-X and Boomer superiors think so). "Did you read this Forbes article? Did you know social media is ruining communication?"

Sigh. Facepalm.

The mainstream media is always going to find a way to freak us out. That strategy once sold more papers and now it gets more pageviews. Ultimately, it's all about advertisements. Truly great journalism ignores the bottom line and pushes ideas that push us forward as people. So where are the mainstream articles about the power of social? Where are the visionaries? Some get it. +Craig Kanalley, +Jason Salas, +Brent Rose, and +Dan McDermott are great examples. But they're a minority. Why? I'd argue it's because they know what it means to live in a digital world -- the ones who aren't digital natives are immigrants, and they're happy to have found this new land of unique opportunity.

Maybe I've got it all wrong and maybe the rise of the :-) is a sign of our impending cultural doom. But I suspect this is no different than any other mass cultural change in our shared history: some people don't like it simply because it is different. They don't want to learn a new way of doing things. But the digital landscape is changing the world in ways we can't hide from. If you can't accept that Gen Y wants to interact with brands on Twitter who engage them, or if you can't accept that people expect a wealth of information to be available at their fingertips, you are not going to be part of the majority (real or perceived) for long.

Are you a digital native or a digital immigrant?

April 29, 2012
#CircleSunday

Lots of folks have asked me lately what Circle Sunday is about, and since I have been circled by a lot of new people in the past few weeks, I suppose this shouldn't come as any kind of surprise. I'm happy to explain!

Circle Sunday exists because even with all of the automatic discovery tools out there, there is something particularly compelling about a human recommendation. This tradition of recommending three Plussers every week started many months ago, when Google+ was still in closed beta. When "Share this Circle" was released as a feature, I began adding each featured Plusser to a Circle I could share.

You can choose to add the entire Circle (which always includes the newest three members) or just check out the most current recommendations, who are listed below. Either way, this weekly ritual encourages exploration and a growing community. If you ever want to pitch a user for a feature here, scroll to the bottom and check out the details on how to submit Plussers.

Without further ado, here are this week's recommendations!

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+Daniel Cook is a game designer who shares fascinating articles and posts about topics relevant to folks with an interest in professional creativity. For an example, see his recent post about creative failure and loss here: http://bit.ly/IMFBqz.

+João Figueiredo breaks my Circle Sunday mold a bit by being followed by about 13,000 people already, but his content is so great that I don't mind deviating somewhat from the tradition. I have had João in my #Science Circle for a long time, and I know he'll make a great addition to yours, too. Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/KoVe8W.

+John Hostile was recommended to me by +Melina M, who is another Circle Sunday member. John's Stream will warm your geeky heart. He posts regularly about Android, Google, and all things technology with a great sense of humor and a knack for finding things I haven't already seen in my tech Streams. Check out his latest share here: http://bit.ly/Jl11cx.

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

The Gamification of Social Networking
seriously, this idea is stupid

A few months ago, +Chris Wandel wrote about a new service called +Connect.Me. The debate that took place in the comment thread of his post was fascinating, and it made me try the network out to see what the fuss was about. After spending a long time not looking at it, I logged in today and realized why I was never impressed in the first place.

The premise of connect.me seems to be that our reputations are built primarily on the recommendations (or "vouches," in this case) of others. That's not necessarily incorrect, of course, but it begs several questions. What if the person vouching for me is not trustworthy? What if I only get vouches from people I have vouched for first? Connect.me claims to solve these kinds of problems with "trust anchors," but the gamification of social networking presents a whole slew of other problems I don't think trust anchors can realistically solve.

Gamifying a trust network is counter-intuitive.
Joining connect.me is like signing up to play an RPG. You start out as a novice -- "Unverified" -- but in your inventory, you hold a powerful weapon: vouches. That's right, you start playing this reputation game with the power to give vouches to others. In the real world, your opinions are generally measured against your own proven authority. So to begin with not just one, but 150 vouches, we must consider the possibility that vouches are meaningless right out of the gate. Feeling confident yet? Me neither.

Vouches are also a way to invite others to the network. In other words, if you just started "playing," you may find that no one is vouching for you. No problem! Just send some vouching Karma into the world. Vouch everyone you can think of! You'll be sure to get vouches back. But will they mean anything? I'm betting they won't, since your vouches are potentially coming from people who have no idea what they're talking about.

But trust anchors solve everything! They aren't gaming the system!
But everyone else is gaming the system, because that's the entire basis of the system. Vouch for everyone! Get vouches from your friends! Quickly, so you can get to the next Voucher level! Can a few anchors really balance that out? Furthermore, what happens when trust anchors are wrong? What are their qualifications, exactly? Being influential online (or even being a noted authority on one set of topics) does not necessarily mean you are an expert on trust itself. I doubt very much that the connect.me algorithm can measure how good folks are at vouching itself (past identifying outliers, that is -- I'm sure the black box can see if you're vouch-spamming).

How does the real world see reputation?
Vouches are definitely a real part of life, but they're weighted. If someone reasonably famous like +Mike Elgan went on CNN and verbally vouched for my expertise on the subject of unicorns, I would probably be considered a fairly trustworthy source on the subject of unicorns -- overnight, at that! Many would never check Mike's vouch against my library of published works on the subject of unicorns. Furthermore, many would never check Mike's knowledge of unicorns to see whether he had any business vouching for me on that topic in the first place. So in that sense, the connect.me vouching system isn't worse than real life. In fact, it's probably still better since all vouches are public and open to scrutiny.

But how does connect.me deal with blows to reputation? What would happen to my connect.me profile if it suddenly came out that I am not an authority on unicorns? I'm not clear on that. Again, though, this isn't necessarily more flawed than real life.

Social network gamification doesn't let us win.
Who cares if we can model reality if we don't use that model to become better people? Connect.me may be doing a reasonable job of measuring reputation based on the way it works in real life, but I see no progress, no true forward movement. If anything, gamifying the reputation system seems like a surefire way to insure that we remain trapped in this "I do for you so you do for me -- it's karma!" mentality. That's not progress, but I guess it's an interesting black box.

Do you use connect.me? Would you rely on a gamified influencer network to decide whether to trust someone?

April 22, 2012
#CircleSunday

This week has been an interesting one on Google+, that's for sure. With the death of Dick Clark (RIP) and the growing debates about Internet freedom, my Streams have been flooded with a lot of fascinating conversations. The plus side (pun intended) of this is that with all of these new comment threads, I've been able to add lots of new folks to my Circle Sunday watch-Circle. I still think great comments are the best vetting tool for adds, but I'm happy to do some of the work for you. ;)

Here are this week's Circle Sunday recommendations:

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+Sean P. O. MacCath-Moran is one of the few folks I've found on the entire Internet (much less on Google+) who posts about vegan living without being polarizing. I'm not giving up meat any time soon, personally, but I'm always interested in the tidbits provided by Sean in his Stream. He also posts interesting content about technology and occasionally, even science fiction. Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/Ii8cD6

It's been a while since I recommended a photographer, but +AJ Schroetlin's work is absolutely worth adding to your Circles if you like beautiful nature photography. He participates in #wildlifewednesday and #shadowsonsunday , among other Google+ Photography activities, and his photos never disappoint. Check out his Sunday photo here: http://bit.ly/I7knA4

+Jim Byrom works for Delta Airlines' IT department and is a great addition to my Science & Tech Circle. I'm sure he will be for yours, too. His re-shares are almost always posted with thoughtful commentary, which is something I respect highly -- for an example, see his latest post here about why you'd want a physicist at your funeral: http://bit.ly/HUr35p

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

Remember when it took 10 minutes to download a JPEG? It's staggering to think that Internet was more free than this one.

April 15, 2012
#CircleSunday

There were many changes on Google+ this week, but one thing that isn't changing is my dedication to finding folks to recommend for Circle Sunday. ;)

Hope everyone has a fabulous week!

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+Jordan Peacock has such a well-written profile that I think it should speak for itself. Here is an excerpt I can personally vouch for: "I'm intellectually promiscuous, and love provocative engagements in good faith. I post regularly on topics that interest me, which include but are not limited to: political philosophy, world history, world news, philosophy of technology, political activism, cutting edge computer science, resilient community building and futurist scenario-building." See his latest post here: http://bit.ly/IZr2MH

I've been following +Chris Wandel's Stream for a very long time. He posts a lot about technology and social media, and I find his posts particular fun to read because he is often approaches his analyses with a critical eye and is vocal when he thinks someone is wrong. I like that, even when I disagree with his premise. Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/Iqc03q

Looking for someone to follow who doesn't post about technology? Check out +Kofi Amihere's Stream. He posts a lot of articles about psychology. Kofi's posts are typically reshares, but they are well curated. I have a very small psychology Circle and Kofi is the most active member by far, so I recommend adding him if you're interested in the subject and are looking to see more psych-related posts in your Stream(s). Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/Iv6ESg

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

I've been traveling for work so I haven't been able to spend much time poking around the new digs, but it looks like you guys have. There's so much to tweak now. I can't wait for the weekend.

So, I'm up late and I decided to play that game where you just let your Stream fly by and comment on as many things as you can. This was a great first dip into the new changes because my notifications went crazy. I'll have more thoughts as I get more time to check the new changes out, but so far I really like the way Google did notifications and the Stream.

I think many of us agree that the style is a little empty, but if you gave me a way to make my G+ experience themed or skinned (to match my Gmail and Chrome theme, obviously), I bet this format would be even more awesome.

What do you like about the new layout so far? What neat tips and tricks have been the most useful for you guys? I need to catch up!

April 8, 2012
#CircleSunday

First of all, happy Easter (or Zombie Jesus Day, depending on your preference), everybody!

Yesterday was my birthday, so I drove to Dallas to see some friends and am currently in recovery mode after having a large amount of celebratory champagne (shhh, please pass the Advil). Regardless, I'm happy to share three of my newest Circle Sunday recommendations with you all!

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+Bud Gibson is a business professor who specializes in technology and online marketing. His Stream, however, is mostly filled with rather pretty photographs and interesting notes about social platforms. Check out one of his latest photographs here: http://bit.ly/Hq1v3J.

+Melissa Bryan is a self-labeled "geeky gamer girl," and as a former gamer myself, I find her Stream to often feel like a kindred's. She's got a great sense of humor and her posts will add a nice dash of comedy to your Stream. Check out her latest, Easter-themed post here: http://bit.ly/Hq3iWt (it makes me giggle).

I've been paying more attention to my Photography Circles lately, and +Jacob Dix has been posting some of the more unique photos I've seen in the past couple of weeks. He often posts photos with a #MobileOnly tag, which is not something I was previously familiar with. The effects, however, are really more interesting than I would have thought (obviously, I know nothing about photography!). Here is my favorite recent photo of his: http://bit.ly/IcQPRU.

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

April 1: #CircleSunday

Did you prank anyone for April Fools this year? I gave up pranking after a series of unfortunate events in college. Don't ask.

Anyway, the following three recommendations are decidedly not pranks -- they are all actually awesome:

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+martin shervington is someone I've been following a long time. I don't even remember how I initially came across him, I just know that every time he posts something I notice it. And I'm always glad I do, because quirky people are usually pretty good at making you think outside the box. Seriously, this guy made a whole post about whether Google+ is like Schrödinger's cat: http://bit.ly/H854eL.

+Lucas Johnson is an audio engineer whose posts are usually worth a second read. He brings a unique perspective to social media and his writing on the topic is usually of a more philosophical nature -- which appeals greatly to me. Interested in social media but tired of reading the 15 Best Ways to Build Your Brand on Facebook? Lucas is worth adding to your Stream. He's full of interesting topics. For example, here he compares Facebook to alcohol and Google+ to coffee: http://bit.ly/HfyJx7

+Ted Ewen is a pretty fantastic curator. I try really hard to keep my Stream free from too many duplicates, so great content curators can be some of my absolute favorite folks to put in my Circles. Ted's in that category. Whether he's linking to an interesting article or re-sharing a meme or infographic from another side of Google+, he's always got something to gawk at. His latest post can be found here: http://bit.ly/H90eOV

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

March 25 - #CircleSunday

I hope y'all had wonderful weekends. I spent mine with the Italian side of my family. We celebrated a very early Easter and ate plenty of Italian food, so I'm pretty worn out. Luckily, I've had most of today to rest. And it being Sunday means that it's time for me to share my picks for you to add to your Circles this week!

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+Jason Salas is someone I've been following since my first week on Google+. He's a very sharp guy who posts at the most ridiculous times possible (well, for me -- but I live in Texas and he lives in Guam!) but always has something funny, fascinating, or insightful to say. The content he curates is usually of interest to me, but I think my favorite thing about him is that he's a Bob's Burgers fan. It takes a special kind of humor to like Bob's Burgers, and Mr. Salas shares it with me. Maybe you're into quirky comedy, too? You'll like Jason, then. Check out one of his latest posts here: http://bit.ly/GRgLGF.

+Lizzy Miles caught my attention by making clever comments on some interesting discussions and I added her to my Probation Circle (if you don't know what that is, jog your memory here: http://bit.ly/uJNTzm). She's got a very interesting Stream full of well-curated content and a really robust profile, although I especially agree with this part: "Lizzy Miles changes her mind frequently about her career identity, but has always held true to her enthusiasm for written and oral storytelling." For a sample of what Lizzy has to offer, check out one of her latest posts here: http://bit.ly/H2YO75.

+Jadey A-S Wilson has been in my Circles for a long time, and her posts have always been a welcome part of my Stream, even though she clearly refuses to fill out her profile (or make it public, I'm not sure which is the issue). ;) Her thoughts and commentary are usually a departure from the norm, which is what makes her a permanent resident in my "Recommended" Circle, which is publicly visible on my profile. Check out her latest post here: http://bit.ly/GRO4Ul.

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

Quick question: Are any of you Plussers going to BlogHer Food in Seattle in June? Would you want to HIRL? Full disclosure -- I am the social strategist for Jason's Deli, so if I go, I will totally be there for work. If you blog about food and want to network, let me know!

How do you decide whether to Circle someone back?
+Michael O'Reilly made a post today with a feature request that would allow him to sort the people who Circle him by how many followers they have (http://bit.ly/GDuMYk). The comments that followed prompted him to ask me how I decide whom to Circle back, considering that I have many new followers per day. I get this question a lot, actually.

I want to extend the question to everyone, though, because I think it's really interesting to learn how people discover each other here.

For me, it's all about comments. If you Circle me but never make a comment on one of my posts or on the post of someone else I follow, I probably won't ever see you. So I probably won't ever Circle you back unless I discover you another way -- perhaps a recommendation or a shared Circle. There are tons of ways to discover interesting people on Google+, including +Mike Elgan's brilliant searching strategy (just type any letter into the search bar, hit enter, and watch the frenzied Stream that results), but I still personally use comments above all else to decide whether to look at someone else's profile -- and that applies to people who Circle me first as well as people who don't.

How do you decide whether to Circle someone back? Do you check out everyone who Circles you, or do you wait for them to engage on your Stream before taking notice?

March 18: #CircleSunday

#SXSW is finally over and Austin is going to recovery mode. If you were here and we didn't get the chance to HIRL, don't fret! There's still ACL and Fun Fun Fun Fest to go this year. :)

And now, without further ado...Circle Sunday!

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Remember when I posted recently about a Google+ Timeline? (If not, read this: http://bit.ly/FPx8zX) That was created by none other than +Jari Huomo, a brilliant young man who has been one of the more outspoken members of the Google+ early adopter community. He is extremely engaging and overwhelmingly friendly and inclusive, and is a fine example of what it means to see the forest and the trees. :) Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/yY0MqI

+Darren Landrum is a fairly unique addition to my Stream and I trust he will be for yours, too. Darren is an engineering student who creates and posts some very interesting music. His Stream also reminds me a bit of the old LiveJournal days -- for those of you who remember LiveJournal, you might recall what it was like to occasionally stumble upon someone's personal musings and feel inexplicably intrigued. I look forward to seeing what Darren does as he progresses through school and his musical pursuits. Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/FQHiyM

My last recommendation this week is an admitted departure from my usual Circle Sunday objective (which is to find and promote folks who do not have many followers), but I think +Sean Cowen earns the exception because he has remarkable ideas about fun things to do that bring the community together. Check out his "Two Things About You That We May Not Know" post here to see what I mean: http://bit.ly/FVdoYx

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

I would sincerely hope that Google/Android would never hand over account information without a warrant.

What do you think? Are there cases in which Google should unlock Android phones for the FBI or other forms of law enforcement? What if it was just because someone tweeted the word "bomb?"

This kind of stuff always makes me nervous.

RESHARE:
Dear Google+,

Thank you for getting me into Star Trek.

I posted this back in October and you guys gave me an overwhelming response! I chose to go with The Next Generation and last night, I finally watched both parts of "The Best of Both Worlds."

Can I just say...without spoiling anything for any Trek-virgins...

WOWZERS!

I can't believe I waited 25 years to become a Trekkie, but now there's no looking back. ll&p, y'all.


P.S. Do you think Vulcans would dig Google+? I'm not sure. I think they'd prefer it to Facebook.

Reshared text:
I need a break from real life.

Quick -- which Star Trek should I start watching? I've only ever seen the first season. As a sincere lover of science fiction, this shames me. But I'm not sure where to start.

Help, me Google+! You're my only hope.

You've probably seen +James Whittaker's Why I Left Google post by now. If you haven't, here it is: http://bit.ly/xo4jVF.

I am reminded of what excited me most about this platform when I read Whittaker's sentimental look back towards a more innovative Google. Back in July and August, when I used to post daily because I was freshly addicted to the sense of purpose and engagement I found here, I said a lot of things about how the user is ultimately responsible for how tools are created and refined. The way we choose to use things is the cue for businesses to adapt. Get enough people using social media, and you see a lot of companies finally buying in. Get enough people mindlessly playing Farmville, get enough people actively clicking higher quality ads, get enough people doing anything and companies are going to buy in. If enough people start using social media to empower themselves, companies are going to have to buy in to that, too.

We have to evolve our own use of social media before we can expect businesses to adapt.
Why would we wait for corporations to lead us down a more meaningful path? The power is increasingly in our hands. Social media makes some companies shake in their boots because suddenly, their customers have a voice -- a platform -- a stage -- a way to shape things. Companies with good ethics who innovate and adapt are perfectly suited to help us down our road to becoming better people, but those companies are few and far between. It is up to us to evolve and use social media to do more than consume. We have to learn to to reward good brand behavior and to discourage bad brand behavior. Brands have to catch up eventually. But they won't catch up to a void -- we have to create the demand for the behavior.

Social media isn't going anywhere, and brands working within social media aren't going anywhere, either. Now that we have this much buy-in from so many influential companies and individuals, we're on a path. I argue that we should try to shape it instead of trying to fight it. We can't un-make Twitter and we can't dismantle Facebook and we shouldn't try. But passively resisting the rapidly evolving social web by checking out and withdrawing seems like a doomed approach.

That's just my .02, anyway.

Be nice to the people you work with. You never know who could be your next boss.

RESHARE:
We've all seen a lot of folks using this Timeline-esque functionality. I've never taken the time to convert my own posts into this format, but it looks like +Jari Huomo has done it for me!
(Clarification edit: Google didn't make this, Jari Huomo did. He spent his own free time working on this project and those of us who love Google+ certainly love seeing that kind of effort!)

For me, the most surprising part of this project is the way the Timeline format has caused -- even in this short amount of time -- lots of engagement on older posts of mine that even I forgot about.

Could it be that a Timeline makes more sense on Google+ than on Facebook?
I guess it depends on the desired purpose of one's Timeline. For me, the idea of creating a Timeline in Facebook just doesn't make sense. As a regular person, I don't see my life history as being important enough to document that way. I feel no need to mark the day I was born or the day I learned to ride a bike -- although I'm sure my parents would love it if I did. Maybe I'd feel differently if I could highlight the day I won a Nobel Peace Prize or the day I was nominated for a Grammy. Until then...Timeline on Facebook is just weird stalker fodder to me.

But seeing my Google+ posts in this format made something click for me. I'm realizing very quickly that I want my thoughts to be seen in context! The way the Stream works now, old posts disappear and seem to have no lingering relevance, but many of my posts from the early days of Plus are definitely still relevant. So how do we reconcile that? Some people reshare their own older posts and solicit more feedback. That's not a bad way to do it, but I've never felt comfortable re-sharing an old post of mine -- it feels spammy to me.

Now, though, I can point folks at my Timeline (which I intend to link to on my profile as soon as I'm done writing this post) and suggest they order the posts in a way that makes sense to them. Want to see the progression of someone's thoughts? Old to New. Want to see which posts made a widely-Circled Plusser "e-famous?" Most commented on/most shared is another way to view the Stream. Photo-hungry? You can sort by photos, too!

It's really interesting to see how simply altering the way something looks can spark a whole new sense of creativity. Well done, +Jari Huomo -- and everyone else who has toyed with this concept in the last few weeks.

If you want to see your profile in Timeline format, use this URL:
http://www.googleplussuomi.com/timelinetest.php?googleid=00000000000000&sort=best
Just replace the 0s with your profile ID! Voila. Timeline+. :)

Reshared text:
Google+ Sensation!

Circling made very easy and interesting!

Take a look at this! WOW!
+Jari Huomo has done it again: Here are most valued plussers that some of the people have chosen.
You can see their Google+ post history from the beginning or from the most popular or in other ways. Best photo / picture posts, too. Outstanding!

#circle #circleshare

Here's Jari's original post for collecting these people:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/110479310742964256734/posts/Hw8BrbzKH5N

PING: +CircleCount +Michelle Marie +Mike Elgan +Guy Kawasaki +Mohamed Mansour +Laurie DesAutels +Gabriel Vasile +M Monica +Ahmed Zeeshan +Melody Lynn +Ryan Crowe +Linda Lawrey +Louisa Catharine Forsyth +Kate Savage +Denis Labelle +Gideon Rosenblatt +Ehsan Ahmadi Gharacheh +Leanne Staples +Grace O'Malley +Louise Fryer +David Bowden +Peter G McDermott +Alireza Yavari +Tim Jones +Farzana Shan +Giselle Minoli +Dan Gillmor +Sarah Hill +Thomas Morffew +Natalie Villalobos +Ayoub Khote +Rehan Ahmad +rahul roy +Johnathan Chung +Rodney Pike +Jack C Crawford +Ardith Goodwin +Lori Friedrich +Bobbi Jo Woods +Katherine Gramann +Stefan Svartling +Yifat Cohen +Marcus Lundqvist +matthew rappaport +Anthony Fox +Mark Traphagen +Shamil Weerakoon +stephanie wanamaker +Euro Maestro +Chris Lang +pio dal cin +James Lawson-Smith +Christina Trapolino and all others... Aaaarghhhh... :-)

#SXSW has been a truly amazing -- and exhausting -- ride so far. Combine that with Daylight Savings, and this girl is so tired she can't see straight! But no worries -- #CircleSunday must go on!

This week, I'd like to introduce you to some Plussers who have just recently joined my Circles. Their comments are what made me start paying attention to them, but their Streams are why I'm recommending them to you!

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+nomad dimitri is a really fascinating guy who can add a lot of interesting things to your Stream. His profile refers to what he calls his "G+ Challenge," which is to "enhance consciousness & integration both personally as well as in the network." Obviously, this is right up my alley since I believe in using social media to move ourselves forward as a society. But he doesn't just post about social media -- or even just about tech. He also posts a lot about delicious food! Check out his #MeatlessMonday post here: http://bit.ly/yrQMVi

Looking for someone with a Stream full of varied interests who will totally engage if you start a conversation? Look no further than +Jimmy Lee Matthews III! I stumbled across this gentleman while involved in a debate on a post I can't even remember, anymore -- what stood out was Jimmy's sharp wit and his ability to distill an entire debate into a few sentences. Good skill, especially on the Internets. Check out his most recent post here: http://bit.ly/xTnd6l

+Dave Tansley is a software developer who, like everyone in this edition of #CircleSunday, makes great comments. His Stream is filled with fun, tech-themed tidbits -- Dave doesn't take himself too seriously, but he does occasionally post very thoughtful commentary that might make you think otherwise (in a good way)! Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/ytykIe

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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

The Google+ Welcome Wagon
an idea worth exploring

+Anthony Fox recently created and shared a Circle of 100 Google+ users who are considered to be engagers. This sparked quite a bit of controversy, which you can read about on the post itself (http://bit.ly/AkyqB2). The most common argument seems to be about folks chasing follower counts. It got me thinking about why we're here and what we want to accomplish, where "we" means everyone interested in a thriving Google+ community, independent of follower counts, Klout scores, or personal branding ambitions.

I'm here because I want to actively participate in the evolution of social media, and I have believed from day one that Google+ can be a platform upon which we can grow and learn together as human beings. Before you flip out and tell me that Google+ is just a service and not a provider of philosophical imperatives, consider that it's not about the tools -- it's about what we do with them. It's about us. What do we want to do here? I think the Google+ early adopter community wants something better and different than Facebook and Twitter. And I think we need to work together to achieve that.

Google+ is NOT a ghost town, dang it!
There are truly vibrant communities all across the Google+ network. If you don't believe me, search for something you're into and see how many conversations are going on right now, in real time, in a search Stream powered by (gasp) your interests -- not powered by your friends. The early adopters, plenty of "regular folks," and real tech-journalists like +Mike Elgan know this already (sorry, WSJ). The mainstream media doesn't seem to get it, which means the general public is going to be at a disadvantage when choosing where to spend time online. I wrote that we shouldn't treat Google+ like Facebook back in July (http://bit.ly/wo3SEh), but we're still seeing these comparisons in the media. It doesn't do justice to what we want to achieve, here.

What can we do to support a community that celebrates better, more meaningful social networking?
Google created a Suggested User List. Many of us have objections to the implementation, but the idea behind it is good. It needs work. That's arguably a problem the regular userbase can't fix -- we can (and should) send feedback, write lengthy arguments and recommendations, but that's about it.

So how does the Google+ early adopter community sustain itself while continuing to push our ideas about evolving social media use? +Anthony Fox shared a Circle of engagers. Others have created brand pages chock-full of tips, tricks, and advice. Others promote hand-holding newbies through their first few days or weeks on the platform. Folks like +Robert Scoble push ideas about what it really means to connect and engage, leveraging a huge audience to do so. It all helps, but let's not stop there!

What about a Welcome Wagon? Would you participate?
I don't know if it can scale. In fact, I don't know if it can work at all, but I'd love to explore the idea of creating a network of Welcome Wagon Veteran Plussers who are willing to coach/guide/engage with new users. I don't know how we'd connect new users to the Welcome Wagon, either, but I'm sure we can think of something if we put our heads together!

Would you want to get involved in something like this? What would have helped you the most when you were just starting out? Is this totally ridiculous? Sound off in the comments! Let's see if we can get a good conversation going.

cc: +Yifat Cohen +Pam Adger +Gideon Rosenblatt +Pascal Wallisch

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edit: Mike Elgan made a comment in the thread below about petitioning Google to add a Welcome Wagon Circle to the SUL. I can see one way this might work -- any input?
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If we wanted to write and sign a petition to Google about adding a Welcome Wagon to the SUL, how would we want that to work? Is that something that could work? It would certainly be a huge opportunity.

Here's one way we could do it:

1. Start a Welcome Wagon G+ Page with multiple volunteer managers
who would be willing to do the following:

-Curate content geared towards new members of the Google+ network.

-Run or curate others' intiatives like Adopt-A-Newbie, #CircleSunday , G+ themed AMAs with veteran members, #FeelGoodFriday , Hangout lessons, etc.

-Truly interact with new folks who want to understand the network with patience and inclusiveness.

2. Ask Google to add this Page and other relevant Pages to a Welcome Wagon area on the SUL.

Most of the early adopters with a sizable following do these kinds of things already -- pooling the effort and speaking to the community with a unified voice would make interacting with the Page less daunting and confusing for new Google+ members.

That's just off the top of my head. But there are lots of questions we'd have to answer so that we could make a solid pitch to Google. Who would those volunteers be? Would we commit to being ethical in our pursuit of building a community here? I would want to stand for more than self-promotion or marketing. I believe that we want to promote the idea that regular people are using Google+ every day to engage, learn, grow, and discover. Maybe this would be one way to try doing that. And maybe we could help Google in the process -- after all, most of us already evangelize about this network, even if we don't evangelize about every Google product or even the company itself. Maybe our goals can align!

What do y'all think? Am I nuts?

Google Play. Oh, man. Who's excited?!

#CircleSunday - March 5, 2012

Good morning! I know it's Monday, but I committed to bringing #CircleSunday back even in spite of my alarmingly busy new work schedule. I was traveling yesterday and was much too exhausted for posting when I got home to Austin, but no worries -- we can do this today. :)

It's worth noting that despite my lack of posting activity in the past few weeks, I've been reading my Streams with great interest in my spare time (not that there's been much of it). I'd like to share some really awesome Plussers with you today -- so, without further ado!

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+Gideon Rosenblatt is a gentleman I've been following for some time. His posts are always insightful and well thought out, and he's a bona-fide engager. Don't cringe at the buzzword -- I mean it! He responds to his comments and takes the time to comment on others' posts as well, which is how he got my attention in the first place. He posted an update this morning that's absolutely worth checking out even if you don't decide to follow him -- check it out here (it's already been shared hundreds of times!): http://bit.ly/wVUQfV

+Vinoth Ragunathan re-shares a lot of different kinds of content, but his own "blog" posts are the most interesting to me. Yes, I know, there are plenty of tech journalists in our Circles already, but Vinoth's commentary is often fun, tongue-in-cheek, and he's definitely into responding to comments. Check out his post in response to the latest "Google+ Is A Ghost Town" sentiments floating around the 'net here: http://bit.ly/AdRhYo.

If you're into politics, you might enjoy +Jeremy Nixon's Stream. My favorite part of his (very short) profile is this text: "I won't flood your stream; I don't post everything I read or watch, I make the effort to edit myself, and I try to find credible sources rather than random blogs and advocacy sites." Whatever your personal politics, there's a good chance you'll find a spot to debate and speak your mind on Jeremy's posts. Check out his latest post here: http://bit.ly/z1O43q.
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That's it for this week! Please feel free to recommend yourself or others for a #CircleSunday feature by using the "Send an email" button on my profile or sending a tweet to @cmtrapolino-- make sure you include a link to the profile you're recommending, as some names are not unique.

Happy Plussing, everyone!

Hi guys!

Just a quick note -- I've been AWOL on G+ for a few weeks because work became all-consuming. We were launching a brand new website!

Now that that's done, I'll have more time to get back to #CircleSunday and having awesome conversations here.

I've really missed y'all! <3


Talk soon (promise!),
Christina

RESHARE:
My favorite quote: "It takes the stones to dream up what no one ever thought possible, and the will to bring it to life."

Reshared text:
"Mommy, where do spaceships come from?"

Google+ Tip: Comment More -- You're A Person!
Lately, I comment much more than I post. Not just on Google+, but everywhere. This has resulted in a wildly falling Klout score, but I feel like a better person. Maybe there is a relationship there worth exploring.

I consider the art of conversation to be one of humanity's most impressive adaptations. Why? Because the idea of multiple brains coming together to build something which is greater than the sum of its parts is awe inspiring. I don't know if we are genetically programmed to revel in such ideals or if some of this is too lofty to take seriously for more than a few moments at a time, but I know that when you take the marketing and self promotion out of social media and focus on working with everyone you're connected to in order to better the world, you're doing something important. You're being human, using silicon and metal to create relationships that matter.

Your personal brand shouldn't "engage" the same way corporate brands do. Seriously.
Whether you're in marketing or you're just clued in to the tech world, you've heard a lot about engagement lately, right? If not, it can be distilled this way: the social web is really about conversations. For a brand, the objective of being "social" is to reach as many people as possible and to achieve lots of +1s, likes, RTs, and shares. This is because marketers largely view "engagement" as another word for "interaction," which is a sign of interest. How much of our content is being touched, they ask, and how can we show that this creates qualified leads? "Social engagement" gives marketers a more powerful potential metric than mere impressions ever could. So they consistently put out content that passes their "engagement" test. Corporate bloggers ask before posting whether their post is "shareable," not whether it enriches the lives of others. There are exceptions, of course, but they prove a very old rule: the bottom line is what matters most.

Thinking like this as a regular person, though, can be very unsettling. I would argue that "engagement" to a person should mean something more like "having conversations," or even just "building relationships." Recently, someone I followed on Twitter sent me a direct message encouraging me to retweet his content. After looking through his feed, I realized he only ever broadcasted things that he thought were going to be re-shared. There was no focus, no topic he seemed to favor. Just "viral" content. I unfollowed him immediately. Why? Because as a consumer, I don't follow brands unless I have a real interest in their product, and a stranger on the Internet is not a product I'm likely to be interested in. (Sorry, Internets.)

Commenting meaningfully shows that you are a real person. That's good.
In social networking, making comments means you're not just putting unchecked thought into the universe. Instead, you're lending your ideas -- you're collaborating to build something more refined. It's also possible to use this less "Klout-worthy" behavior to showcase your ideas, talents, and skills to potential employers. When you comment frequently as yourself -- and yes, that means with your real name or the pseudonym that identifies you to the world at large -- you are creating a trail of breadcrumbs in search. Anyone interested can search for my name, for example, and find my comments across the web because I use Disqus as myself. That information may help to create a more complete picture of me than what you'd see if you only read my public Google+ updates, my tweets, or my statuses on Facebook.

In a world where the careful cultivation of a public, personal brand seems to be just as important as having a resume on file, lots of ethical questions are coming up that relate to authenticity. You know, good old fashioned honesty? Where you say things because you mean them? Here's a revolutionary idea: we have conversations because we want to make our ideas better. We also talk to each other so we can build social relationships which may be useful to us later, sure. But often enough, we share knowledge for its own sake. We build our collective understanding by talking to each other. It's a behavior that is its own reward. And it looks great to a potential employer. So, don't just +1 or re-share something you find worthwhile. Comment. It makes you stand out! And it makes you more interesting.

I keep almost giving in and setting up Facebook Timeline, but it makes me feel like I'm about to embark on the creation of a stalker's ultimate paradise.

I think I finally get Twitter.
Well, some of it.

Twitter has always seemed like it was made for reading the news -- at least to me. I know a lot of people use Twitter to tweet, but I always used Twitter to get links to interesting stuff that wasn't on Twitter. I was more of a follower than a tweeter, and while I could understand the idea of using Twitter to connect with a brand or a celebrity, I couldn't understand the idea of using it to do anything else.

According to Meyers-Briggs, I'm a very slightly expressed extrovert. If you have no idea what that means, it's all right, just take my word for it: I'm not that social in real life. Even though I have no fear of speaking in public, if I'm at a party too long, I feel zapped.

So maybe that's why I didn't get Twitter before. The same way I can't really deal with small talk at parties, I couldn't deal with Twitter's seemingly inane twitterings. Tweets. Whatever.

But yesterday, I went to SocialMedia.org's BlogWell conference in Dallas and something clicked. There were tons of us -- all in one building, tweeting harmoniously through presentations like college students crowdsourcing lecture notes, when suddenly the #Blogwell hashtag feed began displaying less productive tweets. We were making jokes the speakers couldn't read yet. We tweeted about the courthouse chairs. We tweeted when loud noises sounded like gunshots and we tweeted to dare each other to ask questions about ROI. It was a blast, but more importantly...it demonstrated to me the fundamental social power of Twitter that I hadn't grasped before.

Have you ever tweeted at a group event? Do you tweet to talk to your friends even if you're not sharing experiences? If yes, what's the purpose and why is it useful?