Using Google+ to Track Job Numbers

When people send me their watch for work, I assign a number based on when I get the watch in hand.  When I create the estimate, I pass along that number to the owner.

This number isn't actually something I use much.  I started doing this so that folks would be able to have some idea of where their work is in line, and how things progress.

To facilitate this, I post photos of most items currently being worked on, on a public Google+ stream.

The links to Google+ that I have placed on my websites, and on this blog, go to that public stream.  So there is no need to remember, or ever type, the big, long, ugly URL, which actually looks like this:

https://plus.google.com/104405056094644812060/posts

On clicking one of these links, you are taken to the Google+ page for my profile.  Listed there are all my public posts, including the watch photos.  As of this morning, what you'll see looks like this.

I drew a red arrow on this picture to show where the scroll bar is.  It's at the top of the right hand edge.  That scroll bar is the only thing on the screen you'll need to use.

I have heard from a few people that they are confused by Google's big red "Join Google+" button at the top of this page.

Ignore that.

You can join Google+ if you want of course, and no doubt Google would love it if you did, but it is not necessary at all in order to see my public posts.

I have also been told a couple of times that people are wanting to search this site for their watch job number.  But posts are already in chronological order.

There is no need to search.

There is one and one one thing to do, once you get to the above screen.  Grab the right hand scroll bar using your mouse, and scroll down.  There is nothing to type, no log in needed, nothing else to do.  There is nothing on this page that you need to know "how to work."  Just scroll down, that's all.

Here's a tip: you can even do this without a mouse.  On the Google+ site the 'J' and 'K' keys on the keyboard jump up and down from post to post.  Thus you can scroll down just by pressing 'J' a few times.

Anyway, scrolling down past a few things I posted this morning, you come to the most recent watch job post, from yesterday.  Here's the screen...

I have added a red arrow pointing the the job number of this latest work, from yesterday.

The numbers do not go in absolute order for various reasons, such as some things needing the wait for a special part or something.  But this page should give some idea of where things are.  The posts are dated.

When you are looking for your number, and the latest posts are much lower job numbers, then you know that your watch has not come up yet.  As the numbers get closer, your job is getting closer.

One last thing...  When I post photos like these, with the job number, I share these posts "public", so anyone can see them, and for each post I also add the watch owner.  This is usually an ordinary email address.  When an item is shared with someone expressly like this, Google sends that person an email with the post included.

So, when your watch does come up, you will not miss it because you will get an email.  There's no need to keep checking back. 

Hope this helps!