G+: Should I stay or should I go?

[firecat]

From here: https://plus.google.com/107625304798786970122/posts/cz6fCZDM5SV

Now that Google has clarified the name policy for Google+ I'm trying to decide whether to maintain a Google+ account. Do you have an opinion?

ETA: This is the clarification:
http://www.google.com/support/+/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1228271

ETA2: I'm not using my legal name on G+. I'm using Firecat Stef.

I'm not worried about having my account suspended because (a) I'm not influential enough for Google to bother about me, and (b) I don't use Google's other services in ways that would be broken if this account's G+ access were suspended.

(I use Google Reader, which is affected if my profile is suspended or private, but my tests have suggested that it's only affected in the sense that I can't "share" stuff or +1 stuff, which is fine. I don't use Picasa or Buzz.)

Reasons to leave

Google+ is not designed for people like me. " The name that commonly identifies you" doesn't apply to me. I have several names; they all commonly identify me, and I insist on choosing which ones I use in which fields.

The name rules are patronizing and controlling. I don't cotton to being patronized and controlled. I don't want to add value to a social networking service that patronizes and controls its users.

If I'm not sure whether my profile will be suspended, I'm unlikely to post anything particularly interesting.

Since I don't want Google to have more private data about me than it already has, I'm unlikely to post anything particularly interesting anyway.

I already try to follow far more information sources than I can keep up with.

Reasons to stay

I like the interface. I seem more inclined to interact with this interface than with Facebook's interface.

I like that I am learning more about some of my friends who are posting different stuff here than I've seen them post elsewhere.

I like some of the political discussions I'm seeing.

Comments

[libskrat]

I told 'em to go hang quite a while ago. I've gotten myself into enough employment trouble via non-pseudonymous online interaction. I don't need any more such, and Google has repeatedly shown itself not to be trustworthy or even possessed of a modicum of clue with regard to the privacy needs of online social interaction.

I'm quite good at screwing up my own life via online interaction, thanks. Don't need Google screwing up for me.

[aedifica]

I left, to show them that I was upset enough about the pseudonymity thing that it would stop me from using the service (and said so in the "why are you leaving?" box on the downgrade page). I don't know whether that had more or less impact than staying and continuing to make a fuss would have had.

In other words: I have no suggestion, but yeah.

[amadi]

I did likewise because risking all of my email and Google docs because my "obviously fake" name was insufficient for some bigot or griefer to start a campaign of reporting my name -- being an outspoken loudmouth on many controversial topics, this is a risk.

I don't think Google cares, honestly. In fact, this latest "clarification" on the policy pretty much says that they don't.

[firecat]

They clearly don't care about letting people who want or need to use pseudonyms use G+, but I'm glad that they have clarified that suspending someone's profile doesn't mean suspending their email. (But if I relied on Google as a primary email address or file storage I wouldn't want to risk it either.)

[submarine_bells]

As I also said on G+:

I'm only continuing on G+ as long as the folk I'm interested in reading continue being active there. For my part, I'd be happier if all this activity moved to DW, which offers pretty much all the features that G+ does (that I use, anyway) and has *much* better policies and attitudes. I find it a bit sad that the folk who would in the past have commented on a post of mine on DW/LJ ignore it there and now comment on it here instead. But what can ya do? **sigh**

I like the G+ interface, but loathe their policies and am nervous about their data-scraping tendencies. Sadly, it's the New Shiny Thing, and that by itself is enough to draw a crowd. I hope that when the gloss wears off they'll return to their DW/LJs, but I recall what happened to our Usenet haunts when LJ started up, and what happened to my LJ/DW flist when Facebook started getting ubiquitous, and I don't really hold much hope. *sad look*

[aquaeri]

I'm not on G+ and won't be in any hurry - if I'm neglecting you on DW that's not the reason ;-).

[submarine_bells]

Heh. You have Other RL Commitments soaking up your time and attention currently, I already know that. But thanks for confirming it. :-)

Perhaps we might catch up via email or phone or some such thing at some time, instead? Drop me a line if that sounds like something you might feel like doing, ok?

[zillah975]

Hmm. I haven't seen the clarification, but judging by items one and two under your "reasons to leave", I'm betting the clarification wouldn't make me want to join. I tried it very, very briefly because my Google Profile was created before the stupid name rules, so I was first-name Zillah/last-name 975. When the shit started to hit the fan about pseuds, I quit G+ and deleted my Google Profile because I can't risk my Gmail account.

It's frustrating because I still get G+ updates from people I know, but I can't reply there because I don't have an account. The best I can do is email them directly. :(

[firecat]

I edited the entry to post a link to the clarification:

http://www.google.com/support/+/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=1228271

[evilawyer]

While I love a chance to political discussions, the pleasure I get from that doesn't outweigh the revulsion I feel for a forced disclosure about myself to a company like Google. It's invasive and nothing I would get from the service would be enough for me to overlook that.

[deirdre]

When you friended me here, it did take me a half a minute to figure out who you were as I only knew you by the Stef part, but it's not like you're hiding or anything. I really hate that they're asking for "real" info.

[firecat]

I should have clarified! My DW profile used to have "Stef" in it but now it doesn't.

[azurelunatic]

The clarification underlines both why I left and why I was sobbing for a half-hour before I left.

[wild_irises]

I'm staying, for now at least, but I hate the policies with a rabid passion.

[piranha]

yeah, all of the above. i haven't written anything on G+ yet because i found out about the "real" name policy the day after i signed up, and that stopped me. i've been planning to get away from gmail anyway, and i can live entirely without picasaweb, and use google docs only because i share docs with a few other people and it seemed the best way at the time; but we could move them into email easily enough; we don't need to edit them often.

but now they clarified, so that's no longer a small reason to stay.

i have few spoons for fighting the google machine, but i am leaning towards leaving, followed by a paper letter telling them exactly why, politely. because no matter what people i know write there, i already don't have enough energy to follow all the sources now; i need another one like i need to out my legal name on the web so my toxic birth family and stalker can find me. how're they gonna check for that anyway? who's to say i'm not "john p. smith" if i sign up with that? nobody asked me for a copy of my passport. it's a stupid, narrow-minded, unenforceable policy.

google has moved into my "temporarily evil" list. seems no large corporation remains good for long.

[julian]

I'm using it more than I use Facebook (which is to say, I comment sometimes, as opposed to never logging in), but the patronizing, controlling, unrealistic demands they're making just do not thrill me.

Which is to say, I have no useful commentary.

[trixtah]

I'm still dithering on the fence - I have posted about three things?

My Gmail IS important to me, so I'm just in this state of anticipatory paranoia right now.

[graymalkin13.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about G+, but your analysis seems very logical. Your reasons to leave are pretty much the same as my reasons for not joining in the first place.

Since you do have some solid reasons for staying, maybe use a G+ compatible name to stay and just read stuff. (Not posting private information of your own.)

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

I've run into several accounts of people whose IRL names I know, who are using either completely fake names, or names lifted from their other journals (D. Firecat?)

You could try that, if you like ...

[firecat]

I'm using Firecat Stef, and they haven't tried to ban me. The issue is whether I want to continue using that name as a form of disobedience/ assuming I'll slide under their radar, or whether I want to make a statement by leaving.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

If you made it Stef Firecat, I can't see any objection under their real name policy. Who's to say that Firecat isn't your real surname?

Whereas Firecat Stef is unusual by Western name standards - Stef isn't a typical surname.

Just my opinion :)

[gmdreia.livejournal.com]

I only use it so that I can respond to my friends who use it. I'm hooked up enough as it is.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

The only part of Google I trust well enough to use is Search.