ONCE YOU’VE WRITTEN A POST, shared it, and seen how it shows up in a stream, you’ll have a better sense of how the whole stream thing works. Plus, writing a post is a great way to announce yourself to the Google+ universe, and then you can watch the comments and approving +1s (Interacting with Posts) roll in.

To get started, head to your main stream page (if you’re not already there) by clicking the Google+ logo or the Home button near the top of the screen, and then click the “Share what’s new” box. The box expands to give you plenty of room to type. Decide what you want to tell everybody, and then type it in (“Hello world!” is always a good start). You may automatically see a blue rectangle labeled “Your circles” appear below where you’re typing; if not, click the “Add people or circles to share with” box and select “Your circles.” When you’re done, click the Share button. Congratulations—you’ve just written your first post and shared it with everyone in your Google+ circles!