Delphi Programming

and software in general.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Google+ Delphi User Groups

A suggestion for self-curating the Delphi content on Google+! Why? Because although we all are lovable developers, we can only handle that many photos, reshares and caturday gifs!

Using Google+ allows us to have a unified comment system, and a loosely coupled Delphi community where you can actually pick and chose among who you want to follow.

Here is how:

Step 1: Create your Google+ Delphi Page. With Google+ adding pages, we now can self-curate our content. This means that each of us can create our own Delphi page, which can be used to promote our blog posts, or our Delphi musings directly in the page stream. Note that we would need to refrain from posting caturday gifs, or reshares of the events of all world+dog on our Delphi page.

Step 2: From your Delphi Page, Follow the Delphi User Group and/or Firemonkey User Group pages This will make your page visible to other Delphi users, assuming you also complete step 3.

Step 3: Ensure that you show in public on your Delphi page profile that you follow the page(s) above. This because a Google+ page will NOT show you as a follower, unless you follow it in public.

Step 4: Pick the pages and/or users you want to follow from the User Group pages. As people publicly add (i.e. follow with) their Delphi pages, the user groups will automatically grow the list of available pages and visible for all.

Step 5: Enjoy a "spam free" Delphi circle!

Step 6: Optionally, reshare your old personal Delphi posts on your Delphi page.

The generic Delphi and Firemonkey user groups are just a start. Anybody can create their own topic-centric User Group page as well.

If you want to help grow the Delphi community:
Create your own Delphi page, and follow the User Groups!

3 comments:

  1. Am I right that only the creator can post to a Google+ page though? It's not much of a user group when it relies on only one person for its content.

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  2. You are correct - currently only the owner of a page can post to the page.

    The point of the User Group pages is that people can follow them in public, hence making the pages lists of people that would like to be considered as a member of the respective user group.

    The page itself can be used to publish the current list of followers bi-weekly, but.

    That way you can add those of the visible users/pages you want to follow to your own Delphi circle.

    Think of it as voluntary directories that are self maintaining. You can lurk, but if you want people to discover your Delphi posts, you should create your own Delphi page, and from that page, follow the relevant user group pages to become visible to other Delphi users.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sheesh - I look forward to G+ comments on Blogger - hate that I can't edit them!

    The page itself can be used to publish the current list of public followers bi-weekly, but that is not strictly necessary.

    I am hoping that Google will add a functionality that allow followers to create a joint stream through a page, thus making pages into self-curating focal points, i.e. interest groups.

    ReplyDelete