Real Names Policy Debate

Did they sort out the "forcing you to use real names" thing yet? A lot of people have very good reasons for not wanting to expose their real identity to every community Google eats up.

When I think through all the different conversations I've had online that I almost certainly would have chosen not to have were they directly traceable to my real name it becomes brain dead obvious to me that a "Real Name" policy is going to strangle the life out of G+ as a medium for interesting conversations. Sure I'll be on there ... but what you will see will be strictly my professional persona - the lowest common denominator of what I can afford to expose publicly across all aspects of my

I think there are two reasons for making people use their real names, and it's not this. One is preventing non-person entities from using the service. Nobody wants a "friend" that's "Mashable News" or "Coca Cola". When these accounts start following you, it's worse than spam. If you want to advertise, buy an ad so I can block it.Secondly is the "anonymous people are jackasses" problem that's pervasive everywhere on the Internet. If people have to use their real names, they will behave on

Not everyone wants this identity. Especially with your real name.

If you're trying to maintain anonymity, why is your username your real name?

Im assuming to the goal is to keep people using their real names?

"The promise [...] was that making people use their real names would incentivize them to behave themselves. It's abundantly clear now that there are more than enough people who are willing to be jerks under their real names. In the meantime, people who have good reason not to post under their own names -- vulnerable people, whistleblowers, others -- are now fully on display to those sociopaths who are only too happy to press the attack with or without anonymity."Told you so :(<

How is not using a real name "giving up social networking entirely"?

What's the issue with using your "real name"? Honestly I think that should be the policy more places, so people aren't hiding behind their online personas.

Why don't you require real names while you're at it?