Why Twitter doesn’t care what your real name is. Amid all the noise and fury over Google’s policy of requiring real names (or at least real-sounding names) on its new Google+ network — a policy that Facebook also has, and one we have been critical of in the past — it’s easy to forget that there’s a pretty large web service that doesn’t much care what your real name is.
Although it does prevent you from pretending to be people you aren’t, Twitter doesn’t block or ban users for having pseudonyms the way Google and Facebook do. Why is that? I think it’s because Twitter realizes it can provide plenty of value for users (and thus for advertisers) without having to know your real name. The social web is about reputation and influence, not necessarily names. Not real names — persistent identity with reputation attached Does that sound like any kind of online network you know of? Reputation and influence matters — not names Post and thumbnail photos courtesy of Flickr users Klobetime and Danny Cain. Google+ says your name is “Toby” NOT “Kunta Kinte” CNN Interview Reveals More From Eric Schmidt on Google+ as an Identity Service.
Google Plus Tells Pseudonym Lovers to Shove It. Pseudonymity Debate Coverage. Anti-Pseudonym Bingo – Border House. People testing the Google+ social network are discussing increasing evidence that, terms of service requirement or not, Google+ wants people to use their legal names much as Facebook does.
Skud shares a heads-up from a user banned for using his initials. Then, for example, see discussion around it on Mark Cuban’s stream, Skud’s stream and Sarah Stokely’s blog. Let’s recap really quickly: wanting to and being able to use your legal name everywhere is associated with privilege. Anyway, in honour of round one million of forgetting about all of this totally, I bring you anti-pseudonymity bingo! Text version at bottom of post. What squares would you add? Quick review of bingo: the idea is to play it against a commenter or a comment thread. Also, yes, thank you, we are aware that a bingo card does not constitute a logical reasoned argument. Like this: Like Loading... Who is harmed by a "Real Names" policy? This page lists groups of people who are disadvantaged by any policy which bans Pseudonymity and requires so-called "Real names" (more properly, legal names).
Often theses policies attempt to reduce or eliminate the veil behind which online bullying, harrassment, and stalking can occur. However, there are unintended consequences to anti-pseudonymity policies. This article is an attempt to create a comprehensive list of groups of people who are affected by such policies. The cost to these people can be vast, including: harassment, both online and offline discrimination in employment, provision of services, etc. The groups of people who use pseudonyms, or want to use pseudonyms, are not a small minority (some of the classes of people who can benefit from pseudonyms constitute up to 50% of the total population, and many of the others are classes of people that almost everyone knows).
Marginalised and endangered groups Edit People with direct identity concerns Subject-related considerations. The Google Plus 50 - 50 comments/opinions about google+ If you’re curious about Google+, the new social network platform from Google, you’re not alone.
I’ve logged several hours already on the platform, experimenting, testing, and observing. It sparks my attention from several angles: marketing, technology, community, media, mobile, advertising, and more. To that end, I wrote down 50 things to think about with regards to Google+, in no particular order: The purpose of this list is to get you thinking about a bunch of different possibilities. You’re welcome to dispute them all, but that really wouldn’t be the point. The Google+ 50 Google+ is built to take you away from either Facebook or Twitter (or both), and it could do it, in time. “A question to ask yourself is, ‘Should I get in early, before anyone’s there to bother with? A standalone Google+ Apps version plus Google Docs = a very powerful business collaboration environment that would trump most white label social enterprise tech easily. I Could Be Wrong All Over the Place And thanks!