Google Thread

[PC]

If you want a google+ account, you have to sign up under your real name.  You can't be "Pickles the Clown" unless that's your name.

Do they ask to see your driver's license and birth certificate?

[houston-nat]

If you want a google+ account, you have to sign up under your real name.  You can't be "Pickles the Clown" unless that's your name.

Why would someone object to that? That's pretty much how it was on Facebook when Facebook required a legit university email address.

[PC]

Why would someone object to that? That's pretty much how it was on Facebook when Facebook required a legit university email address.

You were "Pickles the Clown" on Facebook?

[JMW IV]

Why would someone object to that? That's pretty much how it was on Facebook when Facebook required a legit university email address.

because it is google. thats why.

nobody has any issue using their real name and posting a whole host of other real life information on Facebook. the amount of Phone numbers that I didn't ask for but have anyway because of Facebook is astounding.

But when google says "You need to use something that sounds like a real name", they get their panties in a bunch.

[JMW IV]

It doesn't have to be your real name. it just has to be *A* real name.

you can't be Pickles The Clown, but you can be Johnny Jones. even though your real name is George Wilson.

[The Chief]

But that's just it...  It IS because it's Google.  Google is an entirely different beast than Facebook.  Facebook is easy to avoid.  You can barely use the internet without coughing up info to Google.  Nothing wrong with wanting to draw the line somewhere.

[Nathan]

I will not sacrifice the Enterprise my privacy. We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far and no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!

[houston-nat]

It doesn't have to be your real name. it just has to be *A* real name.

you can't be Pickles The Clown, but you can be Johnny Jones. even though your real name is George Wilson.

Maybe I should become Johnny B. Goode.

[The Chief]

But when google says "You need to use something that sounds like a real name", they get their panties in a bunch.

^^^Also, this is disingenuous.

http://www.itproportal.com/2011/08/15/google-real-name-policy-vs-users-battle-continues/

YOUR real name is required, not just "something that sounds like a real name".  Just because you can get away with that doesn't mean it's the policy - it isn't.

[The Chief]

Maybe I should become Johnny B. Goode.

I think you should be Bill Ladson

[imref]

Google just bought Motorola Mobility (the consumer handset manufacturer) for $12.5 billion.  They are saying that it will better allow them to compete with Apple and will protect them against patent suits by Apple and Microsoft.

LG, HTC, Samsung, etc. can't be happy right now as Motorola/Google will compete directly with them.

[JMW IV]

Google just bought Motorola Mobility (the consumer handset manufacturer) for $12.5 billion.  They are saying that it will better allow them to compete with Apple and will protect them against patent suits by Apple and Microsoft.

LG, HTC, Samsung, etc. can't be happy right now as Motorola/Google will compete directly with them.

android will eventually go the way of the iPhone, where the only manufacturer of android phones is google.

this won't bode well for anyone. I don't like this at all.

[PANatsFan]

android will eventually go the way of the iPhone, where the only manufacturer of android phones is google.

this won't bode well for anyone. I don't like this at all.

Android is open source IIRC, so that just won't happen

[The Chief]

android will eventually go the way of the iPhone, where the only manufacturer of android phones is google.

this won't bode well for anyone. I don't like this at all.

Haha, we never agree do we?  I actually see this as just a pre-emptive defense against Apple's patent trolling, and a way for Google to work more closely with their #1 handset vendor.  From what I've read, Motorola will remain an independent company and brand.

[imref]

android will eventually go the way of the iPhone, where the only manufacturer of android phones is google.

this won't bode well for anyone. I don't like this at all.

i've heard some speculation that the 3rd party Andriod folks will be calling Microsoft.

[JMW IV]

Haha, we never agree do we?  I actually see this as just a pre-emptive defense against Apple's patent trolling, and a way for Google to work more closely with their #1 handset vendor.  From what I've read, Motorola will remain an independent company and brand.

I certainly hope so.

and I hope that Motorola won't be locked into only making Droid phones in the future.

[PANatsFan]

Haha, we never agree do we?  I actually see this as just a pre-emptive defense against Apple's patent trolling, and a way for Google to work more closely with their #1 handset vendor.  From what I've read, Motorola will remain an independent company and brand.

If they do close off development of Android, the other companies can start their own branch and Motorola can run Mandroid

[JMW IV]

I wonder if it is possible to "de-google".

is google that much entrenched in everything that such a thing is totally impossible?

[The Chief]

I wonder if it is possible to "de-google".

is google that much entrenched in everything that such a thing is totally impossible?

I would say yes.  Even if you personally block or avoid everything google, you would still be on google search results.  Any public information about you anywhere on the internet is known to google.

[MarquisDeSade]

I would say yes.  Even if you personally block or avoid everything google, you would still be on google search results.  Any public information about you anywhere on the internet is known to google.

And LinkedIn.

[JMW IV]

wow, get the freak outta here.

Google+ added every single person I added to a circle to my GMail Contacts list.

yeah, it is listed under "Other Contacts" , but still. when I import my contacts, it imports all of them too. so now I have 150 contacts in my Windows Live Contacts, and only 20 or so of them actually have any real contact information on them. the rest are just Google+ Names.

I want to see these people on Google+. but not in my Contacts list. just makes it unwieldy to manage.

I deleted all of these G+ people from my GMail Contacts, and it deleted them from G+ too.

thats total bullcrap. what is so god damn hard about making a social network that is not tied in some way to your email.

I don't really care enough about G+ to re-add these people either. freak it.

[MarquisDeSade]

So G+ gets an F--?

[JMW IV]

So G+ gets an F--?

nah. its a good product overall.

it just shouldn't be connected at all to the GMail app. it should have its own contact list app, especially since the majority of the contacts are just Names and a link to their G+ profile.

[HalfSmokes]

Isn't the whole point of Google+/Gmail for google to be able to more effectively data mine and market? I'm not surprised they are trying to tie everything together

[The Chief]

http://arstechnica.com/web/news/2011/08/google-account-verification-begins-may-be-required-for-all.ars