Connect with our staff on Facebook

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Those of you on Facebook may have seen some of our reporters and editors a little bit more recently as all of us now have fan pages where you can get insights on what’s happening in your area or ask us questions.

You can even report news tips or share story ideas on our Facebook pages.

To make it easier for you to find us, I have created a directory on our site as well as on Facebook. The directories outline the coverage area of each staff member.

You can find the links to the directories where it says “click it,” or if you know the person you would like to follow – say Terry Jones if you live in Forrest County or Tim Doherty if you live in Lamar – you can search for their names with Hattiesburg American following it and find their pages that way.

Don’t forget to “like” their pages once you find them so you can easily go back and find them the next time around.

You’ll be seeing us more often on Facebook – and Twitter – in the coming months, as we expand our social media base.

We aim to have a little fun as well as present news coverage with our fan pages and tweets. For instance last week Terry (@americajones) tweeted from the Forrest County Board of Supervisors meeting and tagged everything #FCSupes.

But you also might see him on Facebook joking around a little as he talks about some of the things he encounters on his Hattiesburg beat.

Terry said he plans to tweet more often, although my guess is maybe not next week since we’ll be pretty swamped with primary election stuff.

Look for some of our election coverage on Facebook – and Twitter, too.

Election 2011

Oh, and just in case you missed it last week, you can review all of the local and state candidates seeking office this election season on our website.

Even though Reform Party and independent candidates won’t be on the Aug. 2 primary ballot, their information also is included.

The information will be updated after the primary and again after the Aug. 23 runoff, so you can go back to the section from time to time up to the Nov. 8 general election.

You can find the section at http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/election2011.

We’ll be up here Tuesday night and into the wee hours on Wednesday gathering poll results and putting them on our website.

We won’t have complete results in Wednesday’s paper, but we will post them at www.hattiesburgamerican.com as we get them.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at lbeveridge@hattiesburgamerican.com or 584-3104. Follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/licibev or find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/licibeveridge.

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Your complete guide to Google+

If strong privacy options, the absence of Farmville, and a fresh set of friends sound good to you, you’ve probably signed up for Google+.

Not everyone has access to the new social network, so if you’re waiting patiently for your invite, we’ve got a few tips on how to take a peek inside, gain access, and bring your Facebook friends along for the ride.

Once you’ve settled into Google+, browse our handy collection of tips including the essentials, profile tweaks, and a few guides for moving your photos from other social networks (like Instagram and Facebook) swiftly into Google+.

Get inside Google+

How to look inside Google+ without an invite
Just because you can’t sign up doesn’t mean you can’t access the social network. Sharon Vaknin shows you how.

How to import, invite Facebook friends to Google+
Google+ might be your latest addiction, but what’s the fun if your friends aren’t involved? Here’s how to import and invite Facebook friends to Google+.

Learn the basics

7 Google+ essentials
Learn how to tag friends, format text, edit photos, share directly to Facebook and Twitter, send direct messages, use permalinks, and let friends e-mail you directly from your profile.

How to tweak your Google+ profile
Make sure your profile is up to snuff. Sharon Vaknin shows you how to customize privacy settings, display photos, link to favorites sites, and more.

How to create a Google+ vanity URL
Unlike other social networking services, Google+ doesn’t let you create your own personal URL. Follow this guide to create your own short URL for sharing with friends.

How to delete your Google+ account
If you’ve tried it but just aren’t impressed, we’ll show you how to delete your Google+ content without affecting your other Google services.

Manage your photos

How to move your Facebook photos to Google+
If you’re ditching Facebook for Google+, don’t leave your memories behind. Sharon Vaknin shows you how to transfer your Facebook photos to Google+.

How to import all Instagram photos into Google+
Follow this easy guide to importing your Instagram photos onto your profile.

How to share your Google+ photos using a Creative Commons license
Creative Commons licensing lets you protect your images (and other stuff) from strangers that might take advantage of them for financial gain. Google+ makes it incredibly easy to share your photos using CC licensing. Here’s how to get started.

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