Provides an easy to use interface for site authors to claim google authorship, and use their google profile picture as an avatar.
Main features
- Users authenticate their google accounts via Oauth protocol and get the required info using the appropriate google API calls.
- Inserts a <link href=”User’s G+ profile URL” rel=”author”> into the head part of the HTML for any content type created by the user. The existence of the link lets google know that the user is the author of the content and display his picture next to search results.
- Use the users google profile picture as avatar image in comments and admin
Back story
User authentication via the Oauth protocol eliminates the need for the user to find out what is his google profile URL, and copy&paste it without mistake. An already registered application is used as a proxy for authentication and using the API, and no extra work is involved. For the user, authentication, and gathering the required info, is just one click away.
Once authenticated, anyone who can edit the user’s profile can set it to show or hide authorship and use google picture as avatar.
Network considerations
The plugin will work for any sub site in the network for which it was activated (or if the plugin is network activated).
Any change the user will make to its profile will impact all the sites in the netwrok in which the user had posted or commented.
Limitations
User still needs to aadd the site to his G+ profile “contributor to” or “profile” links in order for the google authorship to work.
Only the user can authenticate himself, therefor an admin can not set authorship or avatar instead of the user.
In network usage, sub sites admins can’t edit other users profile therefor they will not have any control and only the super admin will be able to change the settings.
Installation/Usage instructions
- Follow the usual procedure of installing and activating a plugin
- Go to your profile click the “get info” link under the “google profile” section
- You will be asked to authenticate yourself to google for a “Identify google user for WordPress” app
- Once authenticated you should be redirected back to your profile page and see your google profile image displayed at the \”google profile\” section
- Don’t forget to edit the “contributor to” URLs in your google profile to include the site
- Ask all authors which are interested in getting authorship to do steps 2-5.