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Networking

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

How to try to get a Google+ account

By | July 6, 2011, 12:49pm PDT

Summary: Underwhelmed by Facebook tacking on Skype video-conferencing? Really want a Google+ account? Here are some hints on how to get one.

Sorry folks, I don’t have any Google+ account invites to give away. I wish I did. Google+ is great. But, there are some ways that appear to help you move up the Google+ queue.

Before talking about that though you should know that there’s already spam out there that masquerades as Google+ invites. Sophos, the anti-virus company, reports that “spammers are sending out bogus Google+ invitations that in reality point to online pharmacies.” I am so not surprised.

So, if you get an e-mail note telling you that you’ve got a brand, spanking new Google+ account, check the URL for that link before clicking on it. If it’s not going to “https://plus.google.com/,” or a similar address, don’t click on it. You can get your Viagra from a local drug store a whole lot more safely.

Here’s the real deal. Yes, Google is still letting people into Google+. But, it’s so doing very slowly . To even have a shot at a Google+ account, the first thing you need to do is to set up a Google Profile. The only information that must be on your profile is your name and gender. This account needs to be made public.

Google, by the by, isn’t going to let you have private Google Profiles for much longer anyway. Come July 31st, Google will delete all private Google Profiles.

Next, have a friend who’s already on Google+. Have them add you to one of their circles via the Circle find and invite page.

Another way of doing this is to just have them create a circle just for invitations. From there, have them click to add a new person to this circle and enter your e-mail address as that person. No matter which method you use, then, have them enter an update, any update, to their Stream and select the circle you’ve been added to as the one to share their update with.

If all goes well you should then get an email inviting you to join. Alas, that may or may not be all you need to get in. The link in the message you get may send you a page saying, in effect, that you still can’t get an account because of the demand. Don’t sweat it. You’re still in line for a Google+ account. Give that link another click ever six or seven hours, and eventually you should get in.

So far, my friends who’ve tried this have made it in within a day. I’m not saying it will always work. But, I can say that it will get you started on your way to a Google+ account. Good luck.

Related Stories:

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Is Facebook already running scared of Google+?

Facebook blocks Google Chrome extension for exporting friends

An Open Letter to Google: I love you, Google+, but…

Five Things to love about Google+

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Topics

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, aka sjvn, has been writing about technology and the business of technology since CP/M-80 was the cutting edge, PC operating system

Disclosure

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols is a freelance writer. He does not own stocks or other investments in any technology company.

Biography

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols, aka sjvn, has been writing about technology and the business of technology since CP/M-80 was the cutting edge, PC operating system; 300bps was a fast Internet connection; WordStar was the state of the art word processor; and we liked it.

His work has been published in everything from highly technical publications (IEEE Computer, ACM NetWorker, Byte) to business publications (eWEEK, InformationWeek, ZDNet) to popular technology (Computer Shopper, PC Magazine, PC World) to the mainstream press (Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, BusinessWeek).

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Why you should get Google+
jagarfull 17th Nov
There is room for all 3 social networks in my view - peaceful co-existence!

1. Facebook - staying in touch with friends and family (sure, you can now "subscribe" to those beyond the realms of your social influence, but for the time being, it isn't the primary reason people use Facebook).

2. Twitter - keeping up to date with those beyond your realm of social influence (news services, celebrities, journalists, etc). On Twitter (for the majority of users), even though the majority of people you follow don't often know you - you still know them (mainly because, quite simply, they have some level of fame).

3. Google+ - keeping in touch and seeing content not from friends and family (Facebook) or from the rich and famous (Twitter) but from everyday, ordinary people who share similar interests to you. Keen photographer? Follow a few "circles" of photographers, and in no time you will have a fantastic stream of new images in no time. Keen gamer? Writer? Into the outdoors? Tech? Science? You name it, there are millions of people out there with similar interests to yourself, sharing or creating interesting content in subject matters that you relate to.

I have left some further thoughts about this topic at http://www.droidappoftheday.com/2011/11/google.html +
0 Votes
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great
Linux Geek 6th Jul
now smart people know that they can dump facebook for the real deal that is google+.
0 Votes
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@Linux Geek Your words make no sense. Why would smart people trade in a BMW for a Chevy?
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RE: How to try to get a Google account
i3ringit Updated - 6th Jul
@facebook@... No offense, but you sound like an Apple fan fending off M$ or Google fans. Good luck. happy

Needless to say, I agree with Linux Geek.
0 Votes
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@facebook@... so laughable
0 Votes
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@facebook@... Absolutely. Always preferred the 'vette. Latest model looks pretty awesome, if you ask me.

Is there a cash for clunkers program for social services? Because Facebook's pages look very clunky. It would certainly qualify.
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RE: How to try to get a Google account
Pete "athynz" Athens 6th Jul
@Linux Geek I'm pretty excited to try it out but until Google+ is more of a "mainstream" product I'll stick with Facebook.
0 Votes
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@Linux Geek
real deal???
I will believe once I see it.

Don't make a big deal out of something which has just started. wink
0 Votes
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Not really
rbethell 7th Jul
@Linux Geek Google+ is still a highly gated community behind a velvet rope that relatively few have been let past.

Facebook is a social network where you stand a chance of actually knowing somebody. if I want to keep people I know in the loop, I'm going to need to do it on a place that has actual people on it.
0 Votes
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@Linux Geek Just like Buzz...er, Wave...er...nevermind.
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@Linux Geek

Anyone can send me an invite? thanks happy

ismet_dere@yahoo.com
0 Votes
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No Thanks.
0 Votes
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Can't wait to try this. happy
No thanks. I tried Google Wave, Google Buzz and a few other Google abandonware products.
0 Votes
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Message has been deleted.
Will Pharaoh Updated - 6th Jul
0 Votes
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I certainly see your point, but this one does seem different from a design perspective. Who knows...?
0 Votes
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@hoaxoner Google+ is the HD-DVD to Facebook's Blu Ray. It offers nothing new and costs about the same. Why switch?
0 Votes
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@facebook
To own your own content would seem like a huge idea. The integration of everything seems like another. Facebook makes tons of money off of what they "own" based on what is posted.
0 Votes
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@facebook@... Obvious troll is obvious.
0 Votes
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@facebook@...

Gonna depend on whether Google learns their lessons about privacy. If they have learned, I'm all aboard, no question. If not, I'll have to think about it.

Facebook, on the other hand, has the learning capacity of a pet rock. They haven't learned anything since they got established. They're all about pushing their social agenda at the expense of everybody's privacy.
0 Votes
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@facebook@... I'm getting soooo tired of people knocking great ideas such as Google Wave and Buzz, etc. These are great ideas put to the test. Not all will be successful. Never the less, this so called abandonware does NOT lack innovative thinking. Great ideas can be thought about, talked about, but sometimes you just have to do it.
0 Votes
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Borg welcome
evansomd 6th Jul
You will be assimilated; don't fight it. Hopefully, I will, too, soon happy yay
0 Votes
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Please invite me. Thank you!
tcvisionary 6th Jul
tc.visionary at gmail dot com
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RE: How to try to get a Google account
raevhen Updated - 6th Jul
@facebook
Zuckerberg, don't you have better things to do instead of trolling ZDNet?
0 Votes
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invite, pretty please?
Augenbleak 6th Jul
jimnateg at gmail dot com
0 Votes
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We've temporarily exceeded our capacity. Please try again soon.
The site has this notice.
0 Votes
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@MoeFugger
There is a LONG que of ppl trying to get in, try again every 3-6hours and you will get in happy
0 Votes
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Jeeez
Gis Bun 6th Jul
How low can ZDNet/Techreublic go by having countless articles and blogs praising Google+. Got paid well? Dozens of eggs will be dripping from your faces when Google drops Google+ like they did the two previous attempts.
0 Votes
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@Gis Bun
Have you tried it? i think it actually is worth "having countless articles" it's actually really good.
0 Votes
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@Gis Bun If you understood what Google is trying to do with Google+ then you would know that they will never drop Google+ this is here to stay. It goes beyond social networking in several ways. Google + is the glue that combines all of Google services together.
0 Votes
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RE: How to try to get a Google account
Cylon Centurion 6th Jul
Hahahahaha. Don't want one.
0 Votes
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As stated it really does work. i got my invite from www.plustopix.com
I had to what a while before it worked, but i have an account now. if you go to the forum above someone will invite you and you can join the que to get in. happy
0 Votes
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We all have facebook already and our friend are there as well.
Google+ is for geeks almost without friends who can easily move to another place without friends.
Google+, The asocial network.
0 Votes
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In my opinion, Google+ is an interesting turn of events given that Google has tried to compete with Facebook head-on before and failed. I wonder what is different and what about Google+ will make it awesome enough to basically abandon my "friends" on Facebook and move to Google+?

The fact that I can upload stuff to Google+ and download it again if need be would certainly be a major plus (pun intended). However, after a few years on Facebook, I now have a lot of "friends" that include a ton of people from my high school graduation class of over 30-years ago. What a great way to "keep up" and see what my peers have been doing over the years. Would I be giving this up?

I suppose if Google+ made it easy to invite all my Facebook pals over to Google+, that would make a huge difference. Better yet, a way to import all my Facebook photo albums. I have a few too.
0 Votes
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@dvanderwerken
Facebook blocks Google import, and Google has a similar embargo in place (eye for an eye, and all), but you can still set up a dummy Yahoo! account, import your FB contacts there, and export to Google. Albums are a little trickier, but there's a service called Move2Picasa.com which will do the heavy lifting for you. For future reference, FB stores all your photos 80x600, with no really easy way to export and no way at all to get full-size ones back. You're better off using Flickr or Picasa.
0 Votes
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No Friends on Google
chrisalberts 7th Jul
Can you add me as a friend? wink
0 Votes
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@chrisalberts If you been on Google+ you would know that you do not need to ask people to be friends. You can just be a stalker and follow there public posts and then proceed to chat them up in Hangout.
0 Votes
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I couldn't be bothered
keaura 7th Jul
Facebook, Twitter, and now this? Those two are bad enough to keep up with. I'm not adding another social site. I can't even imagine any of my friends wanting to try it either.
0 Votes
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Do I care?
serpentmage 7th Jul
I like Google don't get me wrong. I have an Android and use quite a bit of their services. But if Google has its head up its butt and makes this elite then they are REALLY screwing things up!

Facebook is clever in that it is adding things to make people get addicted to facebook even more. And they rolled it out right away to EVERYBODY... What is google doing? Trying to attract the Geek, Nerd, etc. They are making it elite! That worked when things were rare or not as common. But Google+ is not that special. Yes yes according to everybody in it, it is! I ask does it make your coffee? Because if it does not its not that special.

FAIL!!!!
0 Votes
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@serpentmage

"Facebook is clever in that it is adding things to make people get addicted to facebook even more."

My experience has been the opposite.
0 Votes
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"Next, have a friend who?s already on Google+."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I'm usually the one in my "circle" of family and friends who is the early adopter . . . so, yeah - that kinda kills that idea.
0 Votes
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RE: How to try to get a Google account
techadmin.cc@... 7th Jul
I find it hilarious that these Facebook users would criticize Google over privacy concerns... even if Google mines your data using search algorithms at least they don't consider your data to be theirs to do with or sell as it benefits them.
Google+ is just another way for Google to expand its database on its users. To be avoided at all costs like all Google apps and products.
0 Votes
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"Next, have a friend who?s already on Google+. Have them add you to one of their circles via the Circle find and invite page."
This step may not be very easy to do
0 Votes
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"Next, have a friend who?s already on Google+. Have them add you to one of their circles via the Circle find and invite page".
This step may not be very easy at this time.
0 Votes
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RE: How to try to get a Google account
jacobs.jody@... 7th Jul
if google+ is great, i think I'll use it in conjunction with facebook. i doubt all of my friends on facebook would all just go to google+
0 Votes
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If so, could you add me to a circle and then send the message? Thankyou!
(Yoshie.Master.Walsh@gmail.com)
0 Votes
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Out of space..
techsdfdsblogger 10th Jul
Google+ Runs Out of Disk Space, Swamps Users With Notifications.

Can you say Alpha software...
0 Votes
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is there anyone can send me an invite? thanks happy

ismet_dere@yahoo.com
0 Votes
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It worked for me!
jonnydadesigner 18th Jul
I had my friend do everything posted here for me, and in less than 12hrs, I was in! Great post!
0 Votes
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create an accont
022701XSAMP0379 23rd Sep
google accont i want
0 Votes
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Why you should get Google+
jagarfull 17th Nov
There is room for all 3 social networks in my view - peaceful co-existence!

1. Facebook - staying in touch with friends and family (sure, you can now "subscribe" to those beyond the realms of your social influence, but for the time being, it isn't the primary reason people use Facebook).

2. Twitter - keeping up to date with those beyond your realm of social influence (news services, celebrities, journalists, etc). On Twitter (for the majority of users), even though the majority of people you follow don't often know you - you still know them (mainly because, quite simply, they have some level of fame).

3. Google+ - keeping in touch and seeing content not from friends and family (Facebook) or from the rich and famous (Twitter) but from everyday, ordinary people who share similar interests to you. Keen photographer? Follow a few "circles" of photographers, and in no time you will have a fantastic stream of new images in no time. Keen gamer? Writer? Into the outdoors? Tech? Science? You name it, there are millions of people out there with similar interests to yourself, sharing or creating interesting content in subject matters that you relate to.

I have left some further thoughts about this topic at http://www.droidappoftheday.com/2011/11/google.html +

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