I have reached my daily limit according to Google. Thank you +Max Huijgen for this initiative.

Reshared post from +Max Huijgen

Europe calling: the old giant wakes up and calls on its peeps!
now that Europe shows up as the largest continent on G+ self awareness goes up and initiatives to get together flourish.
It all started this Monday with my request to post your country if you were European. I offered to circle the first 500 who would do so without any obligation to circle back. Result: we needed a part2 as we hit the 500 comments limit.

The original post was shared 225 times. You can find it here:
https://plus.google.com/112352920206354603958/posts/CdhmHGbYjgi
Part 2 is still open and can be found here:
https://plus.google.com/112352920206354603958/posts/NDAhG4fP2a7
If you didn´t do so already, post there and as long as I have spots free, I will circle you as I want to see my streams come alive during European hours.

There was a shared feeling that it would be great to get some attention from G+ for Europe with official hangouts from the community managers during European times, feature roll-outs from Google no longer restricted to the US, having some central point to share European circles and last but not least the desire to have hangouts without having to burn the midnight oil.

To help solve this and get Europeans together on the same page I created +Europeans on G+ It already has three managers out of the community but feel to offer a bit of your time as it must be a community project. Circle the page if you didn´t already do so. The first post can be found here:
https://plus.google.com/100160648652252546872/posts/QXAJ1DFma68

The community of Europeans responded and we got the following new initiatives:

An compilation of the who is who in the EU countries:
The Euro 200 Circle by +Euro Maestro
Who are the most followed in Europe ? Who have the highest Klout score ? This circle helps to answer those questions. This is sort of a Who's Who list of Europe.
https://plus.google.com/107040353898400532534/posts/YPv8bzRwYXD

Next the even more exclusive circle of the most followed Europeans from all over Europe as compiled by me thanks to assistance of +CircleCount the best profiler site there is and they happen to be European as well
The Euro Top 50 Circle: Europeans with the largest follower count
No pages, just people based in geographic Europe who were already famous or got their followers through relentless efforts on G+
https://plus.google.com/112352920206354603958/posts/QUEP9UT9iVT

An attempt to crowd source the most valuable Europeans on and for G+ by +Gabriel Vasile
MAKING A "BEST OF EUROPEANS" GOOGLE+ CIRCLE
You can still cast your votes there.
https://plus.google.com/106393478695568433143/posts/62vZyfksGGk

And as promised the most important circle: you, the people!
The very first shared circle of 500 Europeans who got into action on my call out on Monday.
The last thing we want is a small elite running this place so we need more peeps from all over Europe to participate and enjoy G+

I hope this post can do the rounds through Europe and gets us firmly on the G+ map. So even if you´re not European yourself, but sympathize with the initiatives to form a community here, help spread the word and share it.

And don´t forget: we all love the other continents and most of us have circles which encompass the whole world. So it´s not against others, but pro us

If you got this through a share this link will bring you back to the discussion:https://plus.google.com/112352920206354603958/posts/PDUi13o9dB1

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Naming policy for Google+ has changed!

Reshared post from +Bradley Horowitz

Toward a more inclusive naming policy for Google+

With Google+, we aspire to make online sharing more like sharing in the real world. And during the Google+ signup process, we've asked users to select the name they commonly use in real life.

Since launch we've listened closely to community feedback on our names policy, as well as reviewed our own data regarding signup completion. The vast majority of users sail through our signup process — in fact, only about 0.1% submit name appeals.

When we analyze the set of all name appeals on Google+, we find that they generally fall into three major categories:
- The majority (60%) of these users want to simply add nicknames.
- About 20% of appeals are actually businesses (who are inadvertently trying to set up their business as a Profile, rather than using Google+ Pages which were intended for this purpose.)
- And the remaining 20% would either prefer to use a pseudonym or another unconventional name.

Today we’re pleased to be launching features that will address and remedy the majority of these issues. To be clear – our work here isn’t done, but I’m really pleased to be shipping a milestone on our journey.

Nicknames and Names in Another Script

Over the next week, we’ll be adding support for alternate names – be they nicknames, maiden names, or names in another script – alongside your common name. This name will show up on your Google+ profile and in the hovercards which appear over your name. In the next few weeks, we’ll be displaying it more broadly as part of your name in other areas of Google+ as well. So if you’re Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Jane Doe (Smith), or Saurabh Sharma (???? ?????), you can now communicate your identity the way you want to.

To add an alternate name, go to your Google+ profile, click Edit Profile, select your name and click on “More options.” (See attached photos)

It’s important to remember that when you change your name in Google+, you’re changing it across all services that require a Google Profile.

Other Established Identities

On Google+, we try to flag names which don’t represent individuals, such as businesses or abstract ideas which should be +Pages. Sometimes we get this wrong, so starting today we’re updating our policies and processes to broaden support for established pseudonyms, from +trench coat to +Madonna.

If we flag the name you intend to use, you can provide us with information to help confirm your established identity. This might include:

- References to an established identity offline in print media, news articles, etc
- Scanned official documentation, such as a driver’s license
- Proof of an established identity online with a meaningful following

We’ll review the information and typically get back to you within a few days. We may also ask for further information, such as proof that you control a website you reference. While a name change is under review, your old name will continue to be displayed. For new accounts without an old name, your profile will be in a non-public, read-only state during the review. Either way, you'll be able to see the status of your review by going to your profile.

For more details, check out the Google+ Names Policy: http://support.google.com/plus/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1228271

To reiterate, the features described herein will be rolling out over the next couple days.

Today is a small step towards improving the ways in which you can communicate your identity on Google+. We will be listening to feedback from the community and will continue to refine all aspects of how we handle names and identity over the coming weeks, months and beyond.

Thanks for your continuing feedback and support.

Bradley and Team G+

#googleplusupdate

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One of the best tablets available at this moment! Nice review +Marques Brownlee.

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It's finally here – The Transformer Prime Review! +1 for more!

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"Dutch authorities tried to block Dekker's trip, arguing she was too young to risk her life, while school officials complained she should be in a classroom."

Reshared post from +Breaking News

16-year-old Laura Dekker completes solo trip around world
Philipsburg, St. Maarten

Sat Jan 21, 3:05 p.m. AST: +The Associated Press reports that a teenager from the Netherlands has ended a yearlong solo journey around the globe aboard a ketch named "Guppy."

Laura Dekker celebrated her 16th birthday during the trip and claims she is the youngest sailor to complete a round-the-world voyage.

Several Dutch officials tried to block her trip, arguing she was too young to risk her life. School authorities have complained she should be in a classroom.

+The Associated Press – http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gSHPPPY3i8cRZsJZq-aLZ_LU3gIQ?docId=1a266c3a3ae9464b9b3ab4cb1870fa7c

Laura Dekker…FILE – In this Dec. 19 2010 file photo, Laura Dekker poses on her sailboat Guppy after arriving at Simpson Bay Lagoon near Philipsburg on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten. Now 16 years-old, Dekker is on the final leg of her solo sailing trip, a stint from Cape Town, South Africa, to the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, where she set sail in 2010. She's on pace to reach port around Jan. 24, her lawyer Peter de Lange said on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2010. (AP Photo/Judy Fitzpatrick, File)

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Wikipedia and Reddit are going black on Wednesday, Google will post links against Internet censorship on its homepage. I think Google will be giving a good signal to the politicians who endorse the SOAP law.

Embedded Link

Google to Use Homepage to Protest SOPA on Wednesday
Google is planning to protest SOPA by offering an anti-SOPA link on its homepage on Wednesday.

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If This, Then That, a really useful 'app' which I'm using for some time now. I hope the Google+ API will be integrated soon. Nice to have +Robert Scoble on board

Reshared post from +Robert Scoble

One of the coolest web apps I've seen in some time

Thanks to +Shashank M for telling me about this: http://ifttt.com/recipes

What does it do? It lets you write little macros in this syntax: "If This, Then That…"

So, if my profile picture on Facebook changes then also change it on Twitter. That kind of thing. Already has a ton of different pre-done ones, and you can add your own. Thanks!

Embedded Link

ifttt / Recipes
Put the internet to work for you.

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Mike Elgan is telling about the tremendous power of using Google+. Great summary for new users!

Reshared post from +Mike Elgan

Don't be shy!

Millions of people are on Google+, but not getting much out of it. Why? They're shy.

Most people on Google+ have never posted anything publicly, commented, participated in a hangout, posted pictures of themselves or their lives or blocked anyone. Yet these are the very things that make Google+ enriching and enjoyable.

Here's the problem: Google+ is massively powerful.

On Twitter, everyone feels comfortable posting anything. I just searched Twitterfall for the word "dream," and up came these tweets:

"I had a dream i guess it was just a dream tho"

"Dream a little dream of me."

"I wonder what that dream meant :/ lmaooo"

And a thousand others posted within the span of a minute or so.

Posting on Twitter is utterly without consequence. Nobody is paying much attention. A tweet is just a needle in a haystack. People tweet like it's a bodily function, and feel no pressure or embarrassment. A tweet is there for a second for the minority of followers who happen to be looking at Twitter, then it's gone forever.

On Facebook, people feel pretty comfortable engaging, too. It's mostly just family and friends. And EdgeRank will prevent most people from seeing it anyway.

But something about Google+ gives people stage fright. That something is: power.

When you post something publicly, it's indexed and placed on the public Internet. When you comment, your comment will be "judged" by a lot of smart people. Doing your first hangout is like public speaking. Posting pictures feels exposing. And blocking people feels rude.

That's why Google+ is "dominated" by journalist, celebrities, writers, musicians, bloggers and others who are used to being "out there," living and thinking in public.

And that's the key to overcoming Google+ shyness: Understand that it's simply a matter of acclimation. Just do it, as the Nike ads say, and your shyness will soon fall away.

Here's my advice to everyone on how to overcome Google+ stage fright:

Public posting: Start by sharing other people's posts publicly (like this one). When you feel more comfortable, add comments to those shares. Eventually, graduate up to posting things publicly from scratch. Why post publicly? You won't know until you try it!

Commenting: You don't have to become the Debate Club president to comment. Just do it. Remember that your comment can later be edited or deleted. Just be yourself, speak your mind. And if anyone attacks you or makes you feel lousy, block them (see below).

Hangouts: Ah, now we get to the truly hard thing for shy people to do. Here's the secret to becoming acclimated to Hangouts: Be a lurker. That's right. Join or start hangouts, and turn off both your mic and your camera. Other people in the hangout will see a black screen and a red symbol indicating a muted mic. You can see and hear them, but they can't see or hear you. It's OK! Nobody minds. By lurking, you'll get to see how friendly, supportive, interesting and fun hangouts are. Eventually, you'll want to turn on your mic and your camera. But only when you're ready.

Pictures: You don't have to post beauty shots or personally exposing pictures. Take a picture of anything with your camera phone — your food, your dog, your workplace, or anything at all. Of course, you don't have to post pictures. But you shouldn't be avoiding it because of shyness. Pictures are fun, and people like seeing them.

Blocking: Blocking people is one of the secrets to a great Google+ experience. And it's NOT rude to block someone. Think of your stream as a party in your home. Everyone there is by invitation only — people are by default invited. Blocking is merely not inviting them to future parties. Block for any reason — because people are rude, because they spam, because they're negative. Any reason is a good reason. Why? Because you're only going to interact with fewer than 1% of the people on Google+ anyway. Blocking and circling are the two controls you have on who those people are. Use them!

I hope this advice is helpful. But ultimately, there's no substitute for just doing it. Post! Comment! Hangout! Share pictures! Block!

Yes, Google+ is powerful, and that can be scary. But once you get into it, power = awesome.

Pic props to TriStar Pictures

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Thanks +Susan Core for name and shame such kind of behaviour…

Reshared post from +Susan Core

PLEASE RESHARE: What we know about +Manik Photographe so far:

This person is stealing the work of others! Let us all band together and keep our community a safe place to post such beautiful work. Please reshare to all your circles, I will keep this post updated with any new information as best as I can! EDIT: The amount of response has been overwhelming. I can't keep up with all the stolen work and information! Keep resharing!

REAL INFORMATION:
Name is Manik Nur haq
Works for Jawa Pos Newpaper in Indonesia (http://www.jawapos.com/)
Birthday: 3/9/1987

She is a freelance photographer for Jawa Pos newspaper. CONTACT HER EDITOR, tell him she's stealing other's work Email: editor@jawapos.co.id

PT. Media Virtual Indonesia (Jawa Pos Group)
Gedung Graha Pena Lt.14, Jl. Ahmad Yani 88,
Surabaya, Jawa Timur
Indonesia
digital@jawapos.co.id
(031) 8202199, 08123567930 (sms)
(031) 8288371

~~~~~~~~
This photo by +Jeff Vyse was not only posted without his consent, but this girl also went to the trouble to edit/mirror it to pass it as her own. https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/5666863940488539489/5683569658814836322
Here is his original work: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeffvyse/5191313219/

Her profile photo has been discovered as belonging to +Stefan Beutler(http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=10378724). Thanks to +P E Sharpe for pointing it out in this post: https://plus.google.com/107066609145001672622/posts/1xZVNRckDMo

Yet another photo: https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/5666863940488539489/5687345822713537170
The original: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gudjonotto/5977583508/in/faves-filippusj/

Deviant Art Site: http://manikphotographe.deviantart.com/
Original photos she's stolen to post to DA: http://www.rinze.com/22552/253988/favorites/blue-flame-sean-jean-agency

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/manikphotographe
Stolen from: http://gallery.lfi-online.de/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=2409

Book? LOL: http://fineartamerica.com/blogs/dreams-a-book-written-by-manik-photographe-received-silver-award-on-youngminds-book-awards-2009.html
Yet, when I search popular sites that people use to buy books, it comes back with zero results!
Her so-called publisher's website: http://www.randomhouse.com/book/search/search.php?x=0&y=0&title_subtitle_auth=manik+photographe
Her "book cover": http://www.flickr.com/photos/hildarandulv/6015532989/in/pool-1665074@N20/

MORE STEALS Fake: https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/5575431297510780353/5575431995940145538
Stolen from: +Kalliope Amorphous: http://www.positive-magazine.com/photography/kalliope-amorphous/

Fake: https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/5658607035799718673/5658607034872990706
Stolen from: http://www.mexican-fireworks.com/post/11119545461

Fake: https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/5666863940488539489/5683136151362548722
Stolen from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gudjonotto/5916363660

Fake: http://www.photodom.com/member/manikphotographe
Stolen from: http://www.rinze.com/22552/221155/favorites/aventura-magazine
Stolen from: http://www.merdu.com/2011/08/the-luxurious-beauty-by-carsten-witte-a-beautiful-photo-series/

Fake: https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/5664546692759126961/5666293335666325474
Stolen from: +Gary Wong Photography/+Gary Wong here– http://www.flickr.com/photos/koolgary/5883912782/

Fake: https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/posts/5635048900568031346
Stolen from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sunset-snapper/5919128695

Fake: https://plus.google.com/photos/101390450505878666494/albums/posts/5631225315359783810
Stolen from: +Dean Woodyatt here– http://www.flickr.com/photos/bleugh/5775657974/in/photostream

WordPress Photos:
Stole from: http://javiergarciarosell.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/img_8036.jpg
His wordpress site: http://javiergarciarosell.wordpress.com/

Here are links to all of her profiles through the web:
http://www.fotoblur.com/portfolio/manikphotographe?p=7
http://www.linkedin.com/in/manikphotographe
http://manikphotographe.wordpress.com/
http://www.maximopanes.com/blog/manik-photographe/
http://www.worldphoto.org/profile/manikphotographe/
http://www.pixoto.com/manik.photographe
http://1x.com/artist/96963
http://www.myshutterspace.com/profile/manikphotographe
http://www.picturesocial.com/profile/ManikPhotographe?xg_source=activity
http://twitter.com/#!/manikphotograph/
http://www.photosight.com/ownpage.php?authorID=8932&cat=18
http://www.myspace.com/manikphotographe
http://www.facebook.com/manik.photographe
http://www.facebook.com/manik.photographe2 (both are hers because she has so many fans!)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/manikphotographe
http://manikphotographe.deviantart.com/
http://19746.portfolio.artlimited.net/
http://www.photodom.com/photographer/manikphotographe
http://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/manikphotographe
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/manik-photographe.html
http://www.youtube.com/user/manikphotographe
http://www.redbubble.com/people/manikphotograph
http://profileengine.com/people/manik.photographe/manik.photographe
http://www.salambc.com/profile/manik__nur_haq
http://maniknurhaq2008.wordpress.com/ <–another blog with a real name.

She claims working for: #Elle, #Versace, +FashionTV, #SanFranciscoChronicle, #MetropolitanMuseumOfArt, +Ford Models, +W Hotels Worldwide, +Vanity Fair, +Volkswagen USA, +Leica Camera, +Audi USA, #Loreal, +Land Rover USA, +Artful Dodger, +National Geographic, +BMW USA, +Vogue, +Ford Motor Company, +TOYOTA, +Australian Geographic, #ArtGalleryOfWesternAustralia & more!

I'm pretty sure she has now blocked me and will likely do the same. All links should still work. PLEASE post here or email me if you have any links that I missed or anything I should add.

I'd suggest that you guys go through her links and make sure she isn't claiming any of your work. If she is, take the appropriate measures and let me know. I'll add you to this post! * We aren't going to put up with stealing*, right guys?!

Edit: She doesn't seem to take much of this seriously. https://plus.google.com/101061346397172471758/posts/ek3xDrFw43H

Thanks goes to +Olav Folland & +Giuseppe Basile for their discoveries.

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I love this one…

Reshared post from +Salah Seddik M

+ILLUSION ?
Amazing

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Thanks for the Schemer invite +Daria Musk and enjoy the hangout broadcast!

Reshared post from +Daria Musk

MY 1ST HANGOUTS-ON-AIR BROADCAST STARTS SOON
Check one, two! I can't wait to sing, laugh and Hangout LIVE on air with you G+nisues!

WATCH AND JOIN RIGHT HERE IN THE STREAM – 6PM ET

1. Find Global Start Times: http://bit.ly/t19WRd
2. Scheme It on +Schemer: http://bit.ly/uL3zlm
3. Get Your Schemer Invite Here: http://goo.gl/PEqoX
4. Join The Hangout on Saturday – 6pm ET

See You Soon!
D

Ps. Congrats to the 20 Schemers who Schemed it first! You'll be getting diabolically-mustachioed +Schemer t-shirts signed by me!! Thanks +Andy Szybalski and +Carol Lin for givinG+ so generously to these gorgeous G+niuses!! Yay for extra presents! I'll post who got 'em after the hangout!

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