Privacy Controls Made Easy on Google+

A couple of months ago, I blogged about what might make me quit Facebook. Now, I think I may have found the answer: Google+.  One of the things I love best about G+ is that it makes sense.  The UI is intuitive, smooth, and self-explanatory.  Sure, it will take a bit of learning and getting used to at the start, as with everything that is new, but it is all so very interesting and the UI of G+ just feels to me like things are in the right place (I guess it's safe to say that G+ learned from the mistakes of other social networks and its own unfortunate Google Wave).  Just click here and there (or drag-and-drop, so much funner) and you'll soon find the answers to all your questions.

As I said, G+ appeals to me primarily because it makes sense, most especially when it comes to information security.  I've lamented often about how hard it is to control what you post where and when and to whom on Facebook.  But what Google has got going for it is the fact that they already have the infrastructure, they just needed to get it all organized on one spiffy UI.  So, having said that, it follows that the basic privacy settings you have in your Google account will apply to all your Google applications/accounts, including G+.  Furthermore, G+ has a few additional settings that you should check out before you go crazy on Google's shiny new toy.

Here are some things you should do now to secure your profile, posts, and info on G+:

• Use 2-step verification
• Turn off spam notifications in Google+ settings - on your G+ page, click the sprocket icon (Options) on the rightmost end of the navigation bar, then click "Google+ settings".  Review the checkboxes under the "Receive notifications" header.  You may also want to look at the settings under the "Photos" header at the bottom of the page.

• Set/Review your privacy settings in your Google account - go to "Profile and privacy" and review your privacy settings as well as spend a few minutes pimping up your profile, at the same time setting the viewing access of other people (those in your "Circles") to your profile.  Some parts of your profile that you might want to secure better are your contact information and the list of places where you've resided or still live in, just in case you've provided those pieces of info previously.
• Take advantage of the built-in security settings of Circles - one of the G+ features being raved about is the plug-and-play behavior of the "Circles", which is best described as "the painless way to create Facebook friend lists".  I now have 7 Circles (by default, everyone starts out with 4, I think).  You can create as many as you need, but remember that a social network can only be as effective and manageable as the way you organize it.
• Control who can see your Circles - a visit to your Profile page will tell you that clicking the "Edit Profile" button not only makes it easy for you to control how much about yourself you reveal to the world or to your own Circles (and even to which of your Circles) but, it also allows you to edit the public's viewing rights to your Circles (which answers the question "Can you see if someone has placed you in a "Loser's Circle?" with a possible "Yes").  By default, the "Show people in your Circles" is set to "Anyone on the web".  If you're like me and you want to keep things on the down-low, then change it to "Your circles". You can also choose which of your Circles will be visible to the people in your Circles.

Learn more:
Highly-recommended -- 20 Google+ Tips to Enhance Your Google Plus Experience
9 Reasons to Switch from Facebook to Google+
How to Send Google+ Invites
The Google Plus 50