Introduction

Google+ is Google’s answer to social sharing on the Web. Soon after its launch of a limited field trial on June 28, 2011, Google+ already had tens of millions of members; thousands more joined every day, eagerly seeking out invitations from friends and colleagues. When Google+ opened to the public in mid-September 2011, its user base jumped more than 30 percent within days.

If you use other social sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, the basic concepts of Google+ should seem familiar to you. You can post text-based updates, photos, videos, and links; comment on posts from people you know and follow; share interesting content from around the Web; and much more. Google+ has several unique features as well, such as the power to maintain complete control over how you share each piece of content you post. Google+ also extends beyond traditional social networking to offer unlimited uploading and storage of photos and videos, video chats, group text messaging, and more.

Sams Teach Yourself Google+ in 10 Minutes, Second Edition is designed to get you up and running on Google+ as quickly as possible. Because Google+ is still under development and its functionality will continue to change over time, the features available may vary at any given time. The companion website to this book will help keep you updated on what’s new with Google+. For now, turn to Lesson 1, “Introducing Google+,” to get started with this powerful social-sharing tool.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for you if...

• You’re new to Google+ and want to learn what it’s all about.

• You want to share content, photos, and videos on the Web with friends, family, and colleagues, and you’ve heard that Google+ is a great way to do this.

• You want to become productive on Google+ as quickly as possible and are short on time.

Companion Website

This book has a companion website online at www.patricerutledge.com/books/google-plus.

Visit the site to access the following:

• Book updates

• News about Google+ enhancements and features

• Other books and articles that may be of interest to you

Conventions Used in This Book

The Teach Yourself series has several unique elements that will help you as you are learning more about Google+. These include the following: