Google+ Suspending Profiles

[FiB3R]

There are a growing number of people that are unhappy about Googles decision to force Google+ users to use their real name rather than a nick name, or even just a first name.

If you choose to stick to your guns, and use your nick, then your profile gets suspended.

Granted, you are given fair warning that this will happen, before you click yes to agree.

Check the help forums for peoples opinion on this

http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/+/learnmore/forum/

Topic > Profiles

Personally, I'm ****ed about it. DARKFiB3R or FiB3R for short, is the nick I've used for years, at almost 200 sites and services across the net. It is my identity, and I believe I should be allowed to use it.

What do you guys think?

[Japlabot]

Same policy as Facebook. Don't use it if you don't agree.

[thommcg]

Mightn't suit some alright, though no-one's forcing you to use a service that doesn't wish to allow aliases either.

[episode]

Its not a site for your 'online identity'.

Plus, you used it for both your first and last name. You'd probably be able to get away with 'Fib3r [real last name here].

Also, don't forget that there aren't really that many accounts on the service now, so its easy for them to review.

[SMELTN]

I agree with Simon.. SMELTN has been my nickname for 20+ years as well, but I am comfortable with having to use my real name on G+ just like Facebook.

Honestly it keeps it clean(er) than forums or other sites were you aren't personal. Its just me with some random name and I can talk trash or whatever and have no repercussions, but when you have to use your real name then it becomes more real, and people will make better decisions on their posts and hopefully less trolling.

[Damien]

Well it is unfortunate in the sense that you can't create a unique username, but yeah I agree that it's much simpler to use your real name. Perhaps later on Google may make it a bit more flexible but for now we're using their product and have to abide by their rules.

[+StevoFC MVC]

Honestly, they would have never noticed if you didnt have the number in the name.

Just get rid of the 3.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Don't be silly. It's an extension of the real you, not your online persona. If you don't like it, don't agree to the terms and conditions.

[Roger H. Veteran]

I agree, it helps bring up the conversation level a notch. I'd rather having a conversation with "John Doe" than "L33t Ryd3r69" . It already bugs me when my friends change their name on Facebook to something else making it harder to find them. In my phone I have people save by their names, not SexiLexi or some crap like that. You are adults people, let's keep the childish behaviour to the kids. :)

[Guth]

I don't mind it. Its the whole point of social networking, the people you "friend" on there, should be friends from IRL. Its the only way your friends family and old friends could find you.

[Detection]

I don't mind it. Its the whole point of social networking, the people you "friend" on there, should be friends from IRL. Its the only way your friends family and old friends could find you.

What about people who you used to know, who would search for your real name, that you no longer want to have any contact with ?

Close family and friends would know your alias - but the others wouldn't unless you wanted them to.

[Guth]

What about people who you used to know, who would search for your real name, that you no longer want to have any contact with ?

Close family and friends would know your alias - but the others wouldn't unless you wanted them to.

Which is why I dont use facebook, if they find your profile, they can see your photos even if theyre not your friend. With googles "circles" feature, you can limit what people can see, and make it so anyone who isn't in a circle cant see anything from your profile except your name and location.

This feature is the only reason I am back using Social Networking.

[Roger H. Veteran]

Just like in real life, if some old friend finds you and you no longer want to associate with them, you don't. You can't stop someone from trying to find you but you can just ignore them when they do. Then again they can only see what you publish publically. So once again, if you don't want someone to see your balls in public, don't show them in public then!

[thechronic]

Which is why I dont use facebook, if they find your profile, they can see your photos even if theyre not your friend.

to my knowledge, a small change to your facebook privacy settings fixes this.

[Calum Veteran]

I don't even know who it is who's tweeted in my Twitter feed half of the time because they annoyingly allow aliases. I'm fine with them allowing real names. It's something that is becoming much more acceptable since Facebook required it.

[firey]

What about people who you used to know, who would search for your real name, that you no longer want to have any contact with ?

Close family and friends would know your alias - but the others wouldn't unless you wanted them to.

well, on G+ you can make it so you can't be found.. so you could just give your profile to family.. or look up family. Also I am pretty sure you can BLOCK people. Im on the same boat as everyone else here though.. I have 100% no problem using my real name.. the one given to me. As said.. I'd rather socialize with someone I know by a real name, than an online name. Leave the online personas to MSN (Harder now with MS's WLM 2011), Games, and message boards where the point is to stay anonymous.. a social site is the opposite of that.

[Julius Caro]

you could have used ANY name (and not just your realname), yet you went all l33t h4ck0rz on it. facebook has the same policies

[Ruciz]

fail. Guess you can still use that nick, but take the 1's and 3's out of it.

[Julius Caro]

well, on G+ you can make it so you can't be found.. so you could just give your profile to family.. or look up family. Also I am pretty sure you can BLOCK people. Im on the same boat as everyone else here though.. I have 100% no problem using my real name.. the one given to me. As said.. I'd rather socialize with someone I know by a real name, than an online name. Leave the online personas to MSN (Harder now with MS's WLM 2011), Games, and message boards where the point is to stay anonymous.. a social site is the opposite of that.

I think they're going to delete all non-public profiles by july 31st

[FiB3R]

Same policy as Facebook. Don't use it if you don't agree.

I won't. But I don't agree with that attitude. There are many pieces of software for instance, where a feature or function was not to my liking. I contacted the dev while continuing to use the software, and in many cases changes were made from my suggestions.

Mightn't suit some alright, though no-one's forcing you to use a service that doesn't wish to allow aliases either.

Really? You really felt the need to tell me that no-one is forcing me? :rolleyes:

Its not a site for your 'online identity'.

Plus, you used it for both your first and last name. You'd probably be able to get away with 'Fib3r [real last name here].

Also, don't forget that there aren't really that many accounts on the service now, so its easy for them to review.

So what is it a site for exactly? It is a social network, and this is my identity.

As StevoFC said, I think it's the 3 that is causing the problem, rather than than the same letters being repeated.

You are right about the lack of accounts at the moment. Will they review it on a per user basis, or will it require a change in policy? We shall see.

I agree with Simon.. SMELTN has been my nickname for 20+ years as well, but I am comfortable with having to use my real name on G+ just like Facebook.

Honestly it keeps it clean(er) than forums or other sites were you aren't personal. Its just me with some random name and I can talk trash or whatever and have no repercussions, but when you have to use your real name then it becomes more real, and people will make better decisions on their posts and hopefully less trolling.

Thank you for being the only person to actually give a reason as to why a real name should be used. Obviously this could still be abused if someone wanted to be a troll, as there is nothing stopping a user from using a fake name.

Well it is unfortunate in the sense that you can't create a unique username, but yeah I agree that it's much simpler to use your real name. Perhaps later on Google may make it a bit more flexible but for now we're using their product and have to abide by their rules.

I hope they do.

Honestly, they would have never noticed if you didnt have the number in the name.

Just get rid of the 3.

Agreed, but the 3 is part of the nick, so it stays, even if I don't. I will have other accounts, so...

Don't be silly. It's an extension of the real you, not your online persona. If you don't like it, don't agree to the terms and conditions.

My on-line persona is an extension of the real me, and it is important to me. I agreed to have my account suspended while it was reviewed. I have made my bed, I will lie in it.

I agree, it helps bring up the conversation level a notch. I'd rather having a conversation with "John Doe" than "L33t Ryd3r69" . It already bugs me when my friends change their name on Facebook to something else making it harder to find them. In my phone I have people save by their names, not SexiLexi or some crap like that. You are adults people, let's keep the childish behaviour to the kids. :)

So the level of conversation I can expect from you here on neowin should be less then if you had used you real name? I don't agree that the use of a nick name/pseudonym is childish behaviour. Read some of the comments posted in the forum linked above to find some more "valid" reasons than my own. Suppose I don't really need to point out that "SHoTTa35" isn't far off "L33t Ryd3r69". Pot, Kettle, Black?

I don't mind it. Its the whole point of social networking, the people you "friend" on there, should be friends from IRL. Its the only way your friends family and old friends could find you.

Why should it be restricted to friends from real life? I have made many, many friends on-line that I have never met in person. I still regard them as "real" friends. Some are better friends than people I have actually met.

Nobody seems to be addressing the poll question (apart from SMELTN), "Should we be forced to use are real names"

If so, why? Baring in mind that there is nothing to stop you using a fake name.

Or should we be allowed the freedom to use the names we have used for years, and that many people only know us by.

[PsYcHoKiLLa]

It's a social site, not a gaming site. Not using your name on a social site is....well....anti-social. You agreed to the rules when you joined so you have to abide by them.

[Lee G. Veteran]

Don't be silly. It's an extension of the real you, not your online persona. If you don't like it, don't agree to the terms and conditions.

I agree. Aliases are fine for forums, for example, but I think only real names should be used on social networking sites such as Facebook and Google+.

[Ruciz]

Like 10 years ago everyone was told to NOT share a real name online, NOT share a photo online, NOT to talk to strangers and most IMPORTANTLY don't share where you're at or phone numbers. Seems the internet has made a 180 degree change in this dept and all websites are going 'social' now. They want to know WHO you are and WHERE you live. Then they want you to link all your real friends together so they can browse over the content your friends and yourself talk about. They want to know where you shop and they want photos and emails.

[Xilo]

Which is why I dont use facebook, if they find your profile, they can see your photos even if theyre not your friend. With googles "circles" feature, you can limit what people can see, and make it so anyone who isn't in a circle cant see anything from your profile except your name and location.

This feature is the only reason I am back using Social Networking.

Looks like someone doesn't know how to change privacy settings...

[causa45]

I think this policy is fine, I hate to see people not using their real picture or name. Don't be so dicky.