

Google+ Can Be A Social Network Or The Name Police – Not Both - jdp23
http://blogs.gartner.com/bob-blakley/2011/09/01/google-can-be-a-social-network-or-the-name-police-not-both/

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ansy
Google should relent on this issue. It's clear the policy is polarizing and
even Google should have the good sense to react to customer feedback. It is
not in Facebook's position to do what it wants because it can nor should
Google be that kind of company.

This doesn't affect me. But I don't see the convincing argument against
pseudonyms. Gmail has pseudonyms. Twitter has pseudonyms. Blogger has
pseudonyms. Why can't Google+ have pseudonyms?

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joebadmo
I agree. Not only can Google+ not get away with what FB can given their
respective market positions, they could use it as a differentiating feature.

And not only that, but it seems like an obvious complement to the Circles
feature, so you can present yourself differently to different Circles, even to
the same person depending on which Circle you share to. And it could be a
progressive enhancement, too, in that it could be completely invisible to
people who aren't looking for the feature.

So many reasons to allow them, and so few good reasons not to.

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ori_b
I don't understand the sudden outcry. I mean, Facebook has been doing this for
years -- and enforcing it. The policy may or many not be common, but it's
certainly nothing new.

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beachrat
Facebook doesn't have a multitude of apps and services that people have been
using for years, under whatever names, and isn't ambushing people by offering
a brand new 'service' that has a hidden requirement designed to compel people
to out themselves across all of their work, family, and other social
connections -- or else lose access to those other tools already invested with
tons of time, data, and distinct networks (for distinct reasons).

It's entirely different (and there are boatloads of folks with unreal names on
FB, for heaven's sake). I don't know what FB requires if you sign up for a new
account today, but I do know that my FB account contains =zero= accurate info
about me (besides my name). Across the Google suite it is a very, very, very
different case.

