

Vic Gundotra: Pseudonyms are coming to Google Plus - joebadmo
https://plus.google.com/110215372857969443518/posts/b9czpBv3MBy

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mindstab
This still misses the issue by making a distinction between "real names" and
pseudonyms in the first place. Fine you might now be able to go by a
pseudonym, but are you still required to sign up with a Google Approved real
name? Will Lennart Poettering's Google+ be unbanned?
[[http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/google-doesnt-like-my-
name....](http://0pointer.de/blog/projects/google-doesnt-like-my-name.html)]
Will they keep auto banning names they don't like? They seem to continue to
fail to get it. :(

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SkyMarshal
At least one other problem is that the term Gundrotta used, 'pseudonym',
implies it will be connected to their primary account and real id, rather than
being an entirely separate account under a anonymous persona. Hence, it
doesn't sound like it will offer dissidents and whistleblowers real protection
from a government order to Google for their identity.

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joebadmo
I don't understand. Why wouldn't a dissident or whistleblower just create a
separate account under a fake but real-sounding name, then use their preferred
pseudonym?

It seems to me that the issue wasn't about anonymity from government, since
that's easy with a fake name. The issue was about respecting people's choice
of self-representation, which this policy does in a way that more accurately
mirrors our analog procedures.

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wccrawford
Let's wait for official word, instead of rumor. This twitter-able statement
doesn't really say anything except that Google is listening... It doesn't say
what they heard, or what the full reaction to it is.

He states that they are 'moving away' from the Real Name policy, but... Is
that his interpretation of what was said, or was that actually said? We don't
know. He probably doesn't even know.

~~~
mindstab
I think it was said best here [http://www.jwz.org/blog/2011/10/eff-declares-
premature-victo...](http://www.jwz.org/blog/2011/10/eff-declares-premature-
victory-in-nymwars/)

~~~
fl3tch
As long as they allow pseudonyms, that is in fact a victory in the "Nymwars",
which were always more about pseudonymity than anonymity. Again, if you
require strong anonymity, there are far better places to publish. From what
I've seen, Google requires you to enter a phone number when you create an
account in the US and some other countries. You can still get a prepaid phone
in cash, but the point of sale and cell tower pings can still geolocate you to
a city, possibly even a few blocks, so for strong anonymity, you're better off
using a service that doesn't require phone / SMS confirmation.

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ethank
Why is identity tied to a name? Identity is such a fluid construct, and the
arbitrary forcing of it into First/Surname seems on one hand anglocentric, and
on another hand, trying to impose on online identity the vestiges of real-
world identity that we don't need on here.

I would think given the discourse around online identity (i.e.
<http://www.juliandibbell.com/> and <http://www.mit.edu/~sturkle/>), including
feminist discourse, socio-political, etc that we would beyond this.

