dexter roona's List: Social Engagement

"When Google+ entered the social space in 2011, it was met largely with skepticism. Joining a crowded field with platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, many users questioned the need for another social network.

But roughly two years later, Google+ has established itself as the second-largest social media site in the world and boasts a monthly active user base of 235 million. And some of the products that Google built into the platform, such as Hangouts and Communities, along with its added integration in Google News that can benefit an active poster, have made Google+ an intriguing network for all users."

"Since its launch in 2011, Google+ has been growing non-stop and now has 359 million active users according to Business Insider. There also have been a lot of changes made in their platform during that time. In this post, we’re going to look at everything you need in order to have a successful Google+ experience."

"It’s been a little over two years now since Google Plus came into existence and its been a game changer since it’s inception.  Over the last two years Google Plus has been in a constant state of change, upgrades to the system are developed and routinely installed without notice or warning.   Most of the changes are welcome and  work really well while other changes seem to take a longer period of adjustment.   But one thing that sets Gplus apart from the competition is that they listen.
Google Plus wasn’t built to remain static and unchanging like other social media.  The platform Gplus was built upon embraces change so its users don’t become complacent,  mindlessly posting and never questioning the status quo.   No my friends,  Google Plus was intended to be an ever-changing evolving entity, that challenges  it’s users to become more than they ever dreamed possible."

"his post is a 20-minute guide to Twitter for non-techies. If you don’t know what Twitter is, start with my first post on the topic, Twitter-dee, Twitter-dum. If you still aren’t convinced it’s worth your time, then read my 12 Reasons to Start Twittering.



Photo courtesy of ©iStockphoto.com/ymgerman
Over the last few years, I have helped several friends and a few family members get setup on Twitter. I found myself explaining the basics over and over again, so I decided to write a simple, step-by-step guide."

"Most educators who learn to use Twitter effectively say they learn more from their personal learning network (PLN) on Twitter than they’ve achieved from any other forms of professional development or personal learning.

Unfortunately educators often dismiss Twitter, or fail to see the value of Twitter, when they’re first introduced to Twitter.

Our aim of this post is to provide all the information you need to learn how to use Twitter effectively as an educator.

We regularly update this post with new information"

"Get the most out of Pinterest with this guide. Whether you’ve begun using this fast-growing social network or have only heard of it, this Pinterest guide will quickly show you how to use Pinterest and all of its features. This guide outlines everything there is to know about Pinterest."

"Whether you’re just getting started with the site, or have been using it for a while, we’ve put together the ultimate guide to all things Pinterest. We’ve put together a list of all the basic things you need to know about the site, while also giving some power user tips for the more experienced users. Lastly, if you’re still looking for new ways to get more out of Pinterest, we have a list of creative and practical uses for one of the hottest niche social networks out there today."

Snapchat got a bit more useful today with the release of two new features: the ability to chat with your friends in real time via text, and video.

This is great news for power users. Anyone who spends enough time communicating with friends on the app knows that switching to another avenue for some good, old-fashioned texting is a chore. Say you send a snap to an old college roommate, and it sparks some nostalgic image-swapping. There’s no need to switch to iMessage to continue that conversation or to schedule a Skype date. The app allows for the kind of spontaneous conversation that feels natural, a point that Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel drove home in an interview with The New York Times. “If I’m walking around and want to show you something, why do I have to switch apps?” he said. “It stops the conversation and makes it a transaction, rather than free-flowing.”

"Even if you don't use Instagram, we're guessing you've encountered an Instagram image somewhere on the web — even if you didn't realize it.

Instagram's calling card is the photo filter, a digital layer that, when added to a standard photo, gives it the appearance of professional editing. Some filters enhance the colors in a photo, while other dull the light to a soft glow for an aged, vintage appearance.

But while Instagram's filters revolutionized mobile photo editing, they're only a portion of the appeal. The mobile app boasts over 50 million users, despite only living in iOS and Android devices. Instagram launched on Android just this year — it quickly earned 5 million downloads in six days."

"Mark Zuckerberg, one of the richest college dropouts, turns 30 years old Wednesday, hitting a milestone in a not-so-spotless timeline.

The Facebook CEO dropped out of Harvard as a sophomore and started up the social network exclusively for college students in 2004.

And just a few years after the site was opened up to the general public in 2006, the 24-year-old CEO landed on the Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America. He ranked No. 321 in 2008, with an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion. At that time, Facebook had about 100 million active users."

"While I never really thought that increasing Klout score should be anywhere near the top of my agenda, reading Mark Schaefer’s post made me think twice. Are people really denied jobs because of their Klout scores? Have some companies really decided to start putting so much weight on inaccurate platforms that they are deciding people’s futures based on artificial scores? This may be the case. And if it is, I think that people should be armed with information to game the game, and increase their Klout scores.

I went out and did a little research. Increasing your Klout score is basically a social networking game. And like all games, this one has rules. So here are 12 rules to increase your Klout score."