Recommended Practices

These are recommended practices you should be doing NOW. As of January 30, 2019, given the announced shutdown of Google+ effective April 2, 2019, time is rapidly running out. If you have not already begun the steps below, start them now.

You, your Circles, and your Communities should:

• Exchange permanent contact information with contacts and groups.
  • Make a pinned Profile post, it is easiest to find. Update your profile "About" page with forwarding addresses. Any addresses you don't want public can be shared in private Circles or Communities, or directly.
  • Help other refugees find you on other platforms by referencing your Google+ profile/name in your profiles there. On platforms with hashtags, putting #googleplus or #gplusrefugee in your profile helps as well.
  • Announce your new arrival with a public introduction post using tags like #newhere or #introduction. Include your G+ name and use #googleplus and #gplusrefugee tags.
  • Add your public contact information to the Google+ Mass Migration Public Directory or find others.
  • Use the G+ Notable Names Database and G+ Notable Communities Database to list and find your and others' alternate online homes.
• Discuss and decide on your online/social-media presence after April 2, 2019. Your closest relationships, family, friends, work, professional, or other immediate community will likely be your biggest influence.
• Back up your G+ content if you plan on using it, or abandon hopes of doing so, NOW. You need to make a Google Data Takeout, Friends+Me Google+ Exporter, or other archive NOW.
• Make a Google Data Takeout Archive. You should already have done this and you have limited remaining time. If you've already done so, secure and preserve the data.
• Assess Google+ alternatives. You should now have selected your migration options. If not your final destination, a viable current option.
• Develop a goal-directed plan, timeline, and actions to achieve it.

Each of these steps may involve far more detail, this is just a basic outline. Other planning sections of the Plexodus Wiki address activities and aspects in more detail and should be helpful.

Next Steps

• Read Exodus Planning and Scheduling to determine your goals and timeline.
• Read Data Migration Process and Considerations to determine what, if any, data export, processing, and import you will need.
• Study the Social Platforms pages to determine your needs and options.

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