Getting to Know the Google+ Bar
In late 2011, Google introduced the Google+ bar. This gray bar (as shown in Figure 3-2) is at the top of all Google pages. If you are signed in to an active Google account, the contents of the bar change depending on the Google service you are using. On Google+, it displays the following:
+ Google+. Click on the Google+ logo (just the Google logo on other sites) to quickly navigate between different Google services.
+ Navigation icons. Five icons enable you to navigate the main sections of Google+: Home, Photos, Profile, Circles, and Games.
+ Search Google+. Typing a term into this text box searches for people and pages matching the search term.
+ Account. Click your name or account icon to access settings relating to your profile, account, and privacy.
+ Notifications. This small gray box changes to red if you have new notifications (described next). Click it to reveal what the activity is. If there is no new activity, it displays a 0.
+ Share. Click this icon to quickly share a post on Google+.
FIGURE 3-2 The Google+ bar.
Notifications
The small gray Notifications box turns red when you have notifications (alerts that Google wants you to know about). These can be from people who’ve added you to their Circles or people you’ve added who have added you back. Other notifications include people commenting on your post, accepting invitations, or clicking +1.
Notifications appear in a drop-down box that appears over the main web page, as shown in Figure 3-3.
You can use the Google+ Notifications box to do much more than you can with most notification boxes. Clicking on any notification of recent posts (either a post somebody has shared with you or one of yours where somebody has commented or +1’d) brings up a new display that shows the original post and any comments, as shown in Figure 3-4. From here you can add another comment to the post, +1 any post or comment, or mute the post. Clicking View all activity on my posts displays your Stream with all posts that have been reshared or commented on.
FIGURE 3-3 Google+ bar notifications.
It is also possible to manage your Circles directly from the Google+ bar by clicking Added you or Added you back in the list of notifications. A list of people who’ve added you to their Circles appears in the Notifications box and clicking Add to circles displays a drop-down list with your Circles to choose from.
FIGURE 3-4 Interacting with a notification in Google+.
Share
When you click the Share icon on the Google+ bar, a text box appears that enables you to create a new post for your Stream and share content directly from the bar, as shown in Figure 3-5. The most basic process is to simply type a message and click Share. By default the message is shared with the Public Stream, although you can share it with specific Circles by removing the Public icon (click the X on the green box). You can then add specific groups of people by clicking Add more people and choosing a group from the drop-down list.
FIGURE 3-5 Sharing from the Google+ bar.
The Share section of the Google+ bar packs a lot of functionality into a small space. From left to right, the four icons in the lower-right of the text box enable you to share photos from your desktop or mobile phone; share videos from your desktop, YouTube, or phone; add links; and even add location data.
Should I Be Careful When Sharing? Sometimes when you click Share, a dialog box pops up with a message: This post was originally shared with a limited audience — remember to be thoughtful about who you share it with. This means that the original post was only shared with a Circle that you are a part of, and is not public. So think carefully before clicking the Okay, got it! button.
Profile
Clicking either your name or your account icon in the Google+ bar brings up some links to various aspects of your profile. Unlike Notifications and Share, this part of the Google+ bar has limited options. Just four links are available:
+ Profile
+ Google+
+ Account settings
+ Privacy
You can also sign out of your account or switch accounts using the two links at the bottom of the profile box. Clicking Switch account switches to a separate menu (as shown in Figure 3-6). Clicking Sign in to another account enables you to log in with a second user account, which is handy if you share your computer with other members of the family. Both accounts will be logged in and appear as options when you click Switch Account.
FIGURE 3-6 Signing out and switching accounts using the Google+ bar.