Google has been rigid on its terms to keep real names for users on Google+, but it seems there is a slight modification in that policy. Google+ has started accepting Nicknames and Pseudonyms. The ‘real name’ policy had got a number of Google+ accounts suspended from the social network. The need to stick to the real names of the users has been one of the reasons, why people were trying to ignore Google+. So, this is a smart move from Google, to further have more users on Google+.
Monday, saw the search engine giant allowing nicknames and pseudonyms, as well as maiden names and names in non-Latin scripts.
However, there is a catch. The social network of Google might still deny some names, setting up a preference on its own. But still if the user wants to apply that nickname, they will have to prove it to the search engine giant that the user is known by that alternate name. This proof should be a powerful one too, which could be a reference in a news article or a link to a blog with a “meaningful following.”
Moreover, Google notice a slight point to note for the users, who want to change their names on Google+. The company says that if the name is changed on Google+, the changed name would appear in all Google products, such as Gmail, etc. To know more about the name change queries, one can click here.
It even notes that if a user changes its name on Google+, they would not be allowed to change it again for up to three months, citing reasons that people do not change their names frequently in the real world, so Google+ limits how often one can change their profile name.
Talking about the nicknames and pseudonyms, Google+ still requires the real name to show up. The same can be noted in the image below:
Google+, however, is not the only social network which requires users to socialize with their real names. The social networking giant, Facebook even requires users to have their real names on display. Other few social networks even have been reluctant to permit alternate names, arguing that real names improve trust.
The real name policy has been an important part of Google+, but the Web 2.0 Summit, last year, saw the extension of Google Co. making claims that they would support pseudonyms in the future. Google’s Vice President of social, Vic Gundotra, said, “We plan to support pseudonyms in the future. We’re working on it. It’s coming.”
Another comment came from Bradley Horowitz, who stated that, “With Google+, we aspire to make online sharing more like sharing in the real world. And during the Google+ signup process, we’ve asked users to select the name they commonly use in real life. Since launch we’ve listened closely to community feedback on our names policy, as well as reviewed our own data regarding signup completion. The vast majority of users sail through our signup process — in fact, only about 0.1% submit name appeals.”
Its for the critics, users and experts to determine, whether Google is actually listening closely to community feedback, or is trying to dictate its way.