Google Friend Connect is Ramping Up

Posted by Charles Heflin as Social Media

It seems that if you are logged in to Google and then navigate to http://www.google.com/friendconnect/ that you will be able to add the friend connect widget to your website or blog.

I had been waiting for an invite, requested it twice. Today I went there (I was logged in to my Google account) and then I was able to add the widget (see the block to the right).

I would be honored to have you join my site just click the ‘join this site button’ in the Friend Connect widget to the right. Now we are on to figuring out how this thing works and the benefits of using it.

I would also like affirmation that Friend Connect has opened up to everyone with a free Google account. Leave your comments below and let me know.

Thank you

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27 Responses

Internet Marketing for Beginners

December 3rd, 2008 at 2:42 pm
1

Now we just gotta wait on all the reports and secrets and ebooks on how to utilize Google Friend Connect
David K. Enders, D.C.

December 3rd, 2008 at 2:59 pm
2

Just filled out form to receive Friend-Connect, will let you know when I am included in F-C. Joined your F-C.
Sue

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:04 pm
3

Hi Charles

This looks very cool indeed, have joined your site, accepted a friend here already, filled out the form so that I can get the gadget as well for my sites.

Where did you get the gadget from again, can’t seem to see where it would be?

Thanks
Sue
ShriNagesh

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:07 pm
4

Sounds great. It looks similar to mybloglog & blog catalog widgets. Wonder how different it is from the others in functionality. I signed up for the preview release, will check it out.
Rob Sellen

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:09 pm
5

Hey Charles.

Well it worked, my pic is there in your widget.

I also filled out that form, any idea how long it will be till we can also add the widget to our blogs?

There was no mention of anything on the form.

I can this being great, an added way to collaborate ideas, info and share with like minded people, using other google apps with this could be useful.

Thanks.

Rob

P.s How did ya know of this!! ;o)
Sue

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:13 pm
6

Hi Again Charles,

I did a blog about this in May and at the same time remember filling in the form (which looked different back then) and had wondered what happened with it all.

So that is why I am wondering why I cannot access the gadget yet, how long did it take for your acceptance to come through if you don’t mind me asking, just a little confused here in Wales LOL

I have submitted a new form this time around as I said before but hoped that my previous submission would come to something, so any info you can give would be great.

This was my post about it:
http://susanneuk.com/digest/new-ideas/give-your-website-the-power-of-facebook-myspace-youtube/

Sue Marshall
Charles Heflin

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
7

@Sue,

The first thing I did was logged into my Google account, then I clicked on the Google Friend Connect logo at the bottom right of the widget and it allowed me to add the widget. I never received an acceptance from Google … I just went in and added the widget.

I am curious to see if this has opened up for anyone with a Google account or if it is just me. I have been receiving a ton of invites from other people who added the widget but they had received an acceptance notification from Google.

I never got a notification so I am curious if it is now open to all Google account holders.
Sue

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
8

Thanks Charles, I did accept a friend via your gadget and got the pop up. When you say you logged into your google account, do you mean your google email or some other google account?

Sue
Anna

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
9

At first I got a screen with a button that said

“Sign up for the preview release
This is a preview release with limited availability”

So I clicked that. I had to enter my name, URL of my site (I had to choose one), visits and page views per day. Then I had to give a detailed description of what I wanted to use Friend Connect for. I could also give additional info if I wanted.

I filled in my main niche site (not buildingfromnothing.com).

Then I got a page that said

“Thanks!

Your response will now appear in my spreadsheet.
Create your own form” which was followed by the logo for Google Docs.
Rob Sellen

December 3rd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
10

My comment above is waiting for moderation. (Not sure why, seeing I have commented a few times and not seen the before) :/

But I also wanted to add, are those widgets adjustable?

I ask because yours is quite wide, obviously it’s great, but would be to wide for mine.

Thanks.

Rob
Seymour Sibley

December 3rd, 2008 at 8:39 pm
11

I just received an email with this friend connect social circle and it sounds great, so just checking it out to see what it is all about.
Richard Kannegieser

December 3rd, 2008 at 10:25 pm
12

“@rob sellen You said “But I also wanted to add, are those widgets adjustable?

Yes the are adjustable!:) I know because I just finished installing my friend connect widget to my blog! (Took about 2 months for them to finally let me have it after sending in their beta application)

It is fully adjustable, and the height and width can be adjusted independently. The smallest it will go is 200×200. I haven’t tested the max but did have mine set at 373×400 at one point in time, but that was way to big.

Also when setting up your widget you can change the colors of your text, links, backrounds, and border. Which lets it integrate nicely into your site.

Hope that helps,
Richard K.
delords

December 4th, 2008 at 2:05 am
13

Great News Charles,

Am about joining to start connecting.
Scott Thompson

December 4th, 2008 at 9:50 am
14

Glad I found this widget. Killer application. Thanks for keeping a good eye out.

Respectfully submitted,
Scotty
Rob Sellen

December 4th, 2008 at 9:55 am
15

Thanks Richard,

Good to know, it would be a shame for them all to be the same size and look in a way.

Thanks for taking time to answer that for me, much appreciated.

Rob
Abi Carmen

December 4th, 2008 at 10:41 am
16

Same thing happened to me as to Anna,

“Sign up for the preview release
This is a preview release with limited availability”

So I clicked that. I had to enter my name, URL of my site (I had to choose one), visits and page views per day. Then I had to give a detailed description of what I wanted to use Friend Connect for. I could also give additional info if I wanted.

I filled in my main niche site.

Then I got a page that said

“Thanks!

Your response will now appear in my spreadsheet.
Create your own form” which was followed by the logo for Google Docs.

Do you get a acceptance from Google and then proceed?
Rob Sellen

December 4th, 2008 at 11:06 am
17

I had the same thing too Abi.

Not sure what it was, maybe it was Charles’s google doc?

Getting feedback like that will be good in any case.
Sure if it was Charles who created that doc, we will soon know about it

Rob
Salihu

December 4th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
18

You are okay Charles. just like you directed. i have my own Google friend connect up on my Joomla website within minutes.
Was wondering how you got to know about this Google service. Heard of it on this blog for the first time.
Thanks.
Dale Calder

December 4th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
19

Hey many thanks Charles. I had the invite send to me within the day .. and now have the widget installed. I am looking forward to seeing just how powerful this may become.

Abi .. yes .. you should receive word from Google in the next day or two all going well ..
Charles Heflin

December 4th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
20

Thanks everyone for your comments. It has helped us to determine whether or not Google is throttling this thing up…. Apparently they are.

I am not sure what the Google docs thing is … this is confusing to me and everyone else. Perhaps it is a glitch in their BETA release.

In any case it appears that Google is approving people for BETA shortly after the request. So if you want to get in on Friend Connect just fill out the request and wait for the invite… Apparently invites are coming in within 24 hours vut knowing Google this will probably change.

Thanks to everyone that has joined this blog through Friend Connect, now we can start playing with this new toy an see what its all about.

All the best,

Charles
Sue

December 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
21

Hi everyone,

Yep I got my invite 24 hours later and now have it installed on my blog and my directory, very cool, I have used the comment gadget as well and also the review widget, both on my blog.

Interested to see how this works out.

Sue
Anna

December 7th, 2008 at 12:44 am
22

I got an acceptance/invitation email from Google after I filled the form out. I followed the instructions and added the widget to two of my blogs so far.
Jerry Chen

December 8th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
23

Hey Charles and friends. I created a step-by-step video for adding Friend Connect to Wordpress blogs for those that are interested.

http://knowledgeip.com/training/video-how-to-add-google-friend-connect-to-a-wordpress-blog-website-step-by-step/
Rob Sellen

December 17th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
24

Charles, all,

I finally got mine added, I had to moved hosting so due to having to upload them two files to the host had to wait.

On there now, but does anyone have any views on that?

Is that missing out on all them thousands of blogspot users? Or do you think it was done to stop it being abused in some way using blogspot blogs?

Considering they all have a google account to use blogspot etc.

I can see this will be a good addition already.
Will blog about it I think.

Rob
Brenda Bunney

March 17th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
25

This is a cool application. Always nice to add cool things to the website, but I use wordpress.com and I am thinking this will not work for me. Is that correct?

Do I have to host elsewhere?
Joey Logano Fan

April 19th, 2009 at 3:32 am
26

@Brenda I am sure that Google Friend connect works for wordpress

After all Charle’s blog is running wordpress, and as you can see, Google Friend connect is working just fine
Pelin

April 27th, 2009 at 9:24 am
27

I added this application to my Wordpress Blog yesterday. It has questions and answers feature since last week and I am looking forward to see my community engagement