Google+ Lays Down the Law Over Fake Names

Exactly. STICK to Facebook if you want to keep using Fake Names. I’m on Google+ and I really enjoy every minute of it. While it is not yet launched to the public, I can already see many improvements that Facebook missed out on.

Anyway, regarding the Fake names. NOT on Google+. Google wants you to either use your real name, instead that of your neighbour or your favourite celebrity. Sucks for people who think they can get away with this… I guess Facebook is still your friend.

Point of order. Skud’s female.

And @Lloydie — Pseudonyms are important. Some people aren’t known by the name on their ID. Security researchers are very often pseudonymous, as are authors.

Thanks, my mistake.

I’m glad my ‘JohnDoe@Google+’  still works!

How do you know it’s a fake name?  Is my name fake?  How would you know?  Why would you care?

What is a fake name and what isn’t?  Is it the name from your birth parents? From adoptive parents?  The name everyone calls you?  The name you’ve used for ten, twenty years professionally or online?  Is it the one given to you by your friends, or the one you went to court to get changed?  Is it the name placed on you because you married (aka Mrs John Smith)?  Is it what you sign your checks with or what you signed your credit card with?

Is it the name they call you at work or the name they call you when they’re friends with you?  Is it your first, middle, last; or is it your middle, first, last?  Is it the name that isn’t pronounceable in English, or is it the name that is?  Is it the signet your cows are signed with, or the kanji assigned your family, or is it the name that other people can actually read and vocalize?

This isn’t a simple subject.  To restrict access to legal names only leads to portions of the population being ghettoized, being unable to use these services.  Do you think gay or black people, who are marginalized by their real names, feel empowered by this?  What about stalking or rape victims?  Political dissidents?

Not even the founding fathers published under their real names when they were discussing what would make a better country.  Perhaps especially this.

Think of your inherent privilege to have your ‘real name’ be something you can safely put online, without fearing for your job, your life, your way of living.

YouTube asking for my phone number, Google+ forcing you to use your real name and scan some sort of photo-ID. I wouldn’t trust Google with a pack of unsalted crackers. It should be illegal for a company to harass users for this kind of information.

Penalty, touching cards.

I wonder if this has anything to do with that giant key-wording project google and the feds had going?

Sounds like someone wants to assume the role of big brother!

especially when companies sell it like candy as soon as they get it!

would like to know exactly WHY using real name is required…

The irony of this article is that Facebook also bans fake names and does routinely do exactly what Google did.  Want to use fake names?  Stick to Myspace.

Um, I have my real name on Facebook.

My problem with Google Plus is how linked it is to ALL your google accounts – I would have no problem putting my real name on Google Plus if that didn’t automatically mean that it shows up in Google chat and on messageboards where I signed in with my Google ID.

I’m in a profession where internet searches are used as fuel for firings and unfavorable reviews.  If I want to comment on a message board with my opinions, with my full name, I have to be sure I wouldn’t blurt the same thing to my bosses.  And, considering how my bosses all differ in political/religious/personal beliefs, this would mean saying nothing.  Ever.  I don’t say things I wouldn’t want my friends and family to hear me say, but my bosses are kinda nuts (like that).

What this may result in, unfortunately, is me creating *another* FACEBOOK account – as I previously mentioned I have one already in my real name – now I’m going to have to make a new Facebook account, with a pseudonym, to comment on things that I used to use my Google account for.

Good job, Google.

Furthermore, how does Google *truly* know what are fake names and what aren’t?  It seems to me like they are just looking for things that *look* fake.  I have about four aliases that look like legitimate names.

Now, I know what you’re thinking – why not just use those for you Google Plus account? I’ve contemplated doing so, but I want a G+ account for *me*, so my friends can find me, *with* the option of keeping my full name private. 

In the case of one person affected, someone they know who enjoys causing them grief reported them. Suddenly their presence disappears.

In the case of another, their gmail account and adwords vanished, too. Enforcement on complaint is ripe for harassment.

I agree completely.  One of the great equalizers on the internet is anonymity.  If one has an alias they are more comfortable in saying how they really feel.  When we know someone’s full name we get an image of them in our minds – and it might not even be the right one.  Once, when I used a (real-namesque) pseudonym to write a story, a number of the comments were along the lines of “you only think this because you’re —–” (or conversely “you wouldn’t say this if you were ——-”).  The blanks had to do with religions and races that I wasn’t even a part of – I’d just chosen my pseudonym because I’d liked the way it sounded and looked – but when I took a closer look it portrayed ethnic ties (and religious ones).  People subconsciously (or consciously) judge us for these things.  

Is it really so much more important to know someone’s name than to simply understand what they are saying? Now sure, some people will be jerks, but surely a reporting system can be easily integrated in Google+.  And honestly, I’m not even that upset about Google requiring full names be provided to sign up (I remember when facebook required you have a school e-mail address).  I’m annoyed that this (and gender – what?) is made public with no option for privacy/limited viewing AND extends to all their other services.

So if I have something like, “Thomas R. Brookes”, that could be taken down without question simply because it’s been reported?  That’s ridiculous.  I could understand something like “robberooks821″ being flagged as not a real name….

Exactly, and that’s why it’s been such a problem. In addition to it being enforced that way, the application of the rules after that has been inconsistent and ham-handed. And they haven’t explained themselves well — and they’ve even broken their own guidelines.

You know, just the other day I was explaining to a confused friend the the difference between the friending/following of G+ vs Facebook.  I compared G+ to Livejournal (you can friend someone without them friending you back!)… Just sayin.

You know, just the other day I was explaining to a confused friend the the difference between the friending/following of G+ vs Facebook.  I compared G+ to Livejournal (you can friend someone without them friending you back!)… Just sayin.

See, I don’t even want to use fake names.  I would just prefer that, if I use my real, full name for Google +, it doesn’t automatically change my google ID and gmail settings, where I prefer to go by my initials only.  If Google wants to have access to my real name?  Fine!  I have no problem with that.  If they want me to use my full name for *one* of their services?  Fine, again, no problem!  But when this changes ALL their other products, *that’s* what pisses me off.

I would actually like to be able to pick a “display name”. I don’t mind putting my real name in for google, either, but I’d like to be able to choose what people not in my circles can see.