Logo

Gypsy Quixote · 08-22-2011, 03:59 PM

On Pseudonymity, Privacy and Responsibility on Google+ - TechnoSocial

A Eulogy for Google Plus - Forbes

Dispatch from the Nymwars: Pseudonyms and science – Boing Boing

Argent Stonecutter · 08-23-2011, 04:53 AM

Google Plus: Too Much Unnecessary Drama | ZDNet

Argent Stonecutter · 08-23-2011, 04:56 AM

https://plus.google.com/108232977840...ts/9d1hcvHJ4iF

Quote:

Speaking with a psychologist yesterday, I was unsurprised that they are aghast at the idea that any public online publication system (blog/facebook/twitter) would demand real names be displayed for everyone. The psychologist's entire professional circle use nomes de net for talking to each other as well as for general broadcasts, both to reduce the chance that clients will inappropriately contact them or follow their writings, and so that they can add an extra layer of confidentiality in asking for advice about "a client of mine". Not to mention the freedom to ask for support and validation from their peers without compromising their professional reputation.

"Real Life Names?" the psychologist kept saying. "Real Life Names? ...Wow. Why would they even do that?"

**Joshua Nightshade** · 08-23-2011, 08:19 AM

This Is What Google Really Meant By "Don't Be Evil"

Quote:

Every time Google makes one of these moves, it's easy (and fun!) to point the finger at the motto which appeared in its IPO prospectus: "Don't be evil."

But as computer researcher and social activist Aaron Swartz points out, Google had a very specific definition of evil.

It had nothing to do with market tactics like stabbing former partners in the back or playing hardball with weaker competitors.

It was all about users.

Google gave three examples: it would only show relevant ads, would never show pop-ups or other annoying "tricky" ads, and would never sell search results.

In other words, it would never make a product worse for users just to make a quick buck.

So look back at Google's actions from the last year and they're mostly in line with this credo.

• Tightening the restrictions and source code releases on Android, and buying a hardware maker to create "reference" phones (free of the crapware that carriers install, for instance) makes Android better for users.

• Changing its search algorithm to get rid of crummy results makes Google search better for users.

• Adding a social network gives Google access to data that users are sharing with each other, which makes Google search better for users. Taking less money so developers will create games for it makes Google+ better for users.

Quote:

Google anti-spam engineer Matt Cutts also points out that there's a big difference between "don't be evil" and "do no evil." When writers misquote Google as saying "do no evil," they usually have a bone to pick.

Argent Stonecutter · 08-23-2011, 09:25 AM

Why I'm not on Google Plus - Charlie's Diary

Gypsy Quixote · 08-23-2011, 04:19 PM

Cheaper Than Paper: Welcome to the Echo Chamber (re-posted from Google+)

On the value of pseudonyms : Aetiology

And on a lighter note, Tom Waits has entered the internet privacy fray with this timely video;

Tom Waits' Private Listening Party - YouTube

DanielRavenNest · 08-23-2011, 07:25 PM

Google+ Product VP Bradley Horowitz when interviewed by Tim O'Reilly:

Quote:

Google is also sympathetic to users who for privacy reasons want to use a pseudonym on Google+, which currently requires people to use real names, he said."I am a pseudonymous user in many, many [online] services. I appreciate the ability to go incognito and anonymous at times," he said, adding that he believes those use cases remain valid across the Internet.
He said there is "no moral opposition" to pseudonyms on Google+, and that Google has heard the arguments in favor of them, but he stopped short of saying whether Google plans to allow their use on the site. "There's nothing to announce today and I'm sure that'll disappoint millions," he said.

Source: Google Feels the Pain of Users Who Can't Get on Google+ | PCWorld

In other words, do as I say, not as I do. Fucking hypocrite.

Argent Stonecutter · 08-23-2011, 08:02 PM

If he thinks it's about being "incognito and anonymous at times" he's completely missing the bleeding point!

DanielRavenNest · 08-23-2011, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argent Stonecutter

If he thinks it's about being "incognito and anonymous at times" he's completely missing the bleeding point!

He probably plays a stripper in Second Life, and doesn't want his friends and relatives to know.

Argent Stonecutter · 08-25-2011, 09:40 AM

What Google still doesn’t get about running an online community — Tech News and Analysis

Gypsy Quixote · 08-25-2011, 03:54 PM

Goodbye Google+ by Gwyneth Llewelyn

Cheaper Than Paper: A Firsthand Examination of the Google+ Profile Reporting Process

And now on wiki;

Nymwars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sea Warcliffe · 08-26-2011, 04:29 PM

My Nym Manifesto

DanielRavenNest · 08-28-2011, 05:00 PM

In which case I'm going into the identity card business....

Google+ Isn't Just A Social Network, It's An "Identity Service" (GOOG)

Quote:

Google+ is not just the search giant's effort to take on Facebook: it's primarily an "identity service" that Google will use to help build other services. That's according to Google chairman Eric Schmidt, who was explaining why Google+ is requiring users to stick with their real names. As Fred Wilson points out, Schimdt's statement raises the question of who Google+ is really for -- you, or Google?

Gypsy Quixote · 08-28-2011, 07:39 PM

Botgirl's Second Life Diary: CNN Interview Reveals More From Eric Schmidt on Google+ as an Identity Service

". . . I think it's pretty clear that the Internet as a whole has not had a strong notion of identity, and identity means, "who am I". So we spend an awful lot to of time trying to guess who you are. Plus it's easy to have impostors, people can spam, and so forth and so on. Facebook has done a good job of building a way of disambiguating names. So if you use Facebook, if you have John Smith and you try to pick which one, you look at the pictures of their friends and that's how you disambiguate it. But fundamentally what Facebook has done is build a way to figure out who people are. That system is missing in the Internet as a whole. Google should have worked on this earlier. We now have a product called Google+ which has been in developments for more than a more than your half which is a partial answer to that." Google Executive Director, Eric Schmidt

Plus, steal this avatar from Miso Susanowa;

Argent Stonecutter · 08-28-2011, 07:40 PM

So Eric's saying that every single thing Google has claimed as the reason for their policy is a lie, it's got nothing to do with Social or encouraging people to be civil and polite, it's all a big Trojan Horse to bootstrap an ID business? So the 99% of people who signed up with Good Old American Names will eventually have to be IDed too?

Gypsy Quixote · 08-28-2011, 07:49 PM

"That (facebook's) system is missing in the Internet as a whole." -Eric Schmidt

Speaks volumes.

Gypsy Quixote · 08-28-2011, 08:35 PM

"Oh no, not me
We never lost control
You're face to face
With The Man Who Sold The World"

Dedicated to Eric Schmidt;

The Man Who Sold the World - David Bowie - YouTube

DanielRavenNest · 08-29-2011, 10:48 PM

Snipped from the Google News front page tonight (how is that for being self-referential?).

http://www.computerworld.com/s/artic...Gmail_accounts

Quote:

Computerworld - Hackers have obtained a digital certificate good for any Google website from a Dutch certificate provider, a security researcher said today. Criminals could use the certificate to conduct "man-in-the-middle" attacks targeting users of Gmail, Google's search engine or any other service operated by the Mountain View, Calif. company.
"This is a wildcard for any of the Google domains," said Roel Schouwenberg, senior malware researcher with Kaspersky Lab, in an email interview Monday.
"[Attackers] could poison DNS, present their site with the fake cert and bingo, they have the user's credentials," said Andrew Storms, director of security operations at nCircle Security.

Still want to put your real name on there? This will be a gold mine for identity thieves.

Argent Stonecutter · 08-30-2011, 05:45 AM

The SSL hierarchy of trust is another thing that has always boggled me. It's main effect seems to be to discourage people from using SSL by making it a huge pain in the neck.

DanielRavenNest · 08-30-2011, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argent Stonecutter

The SSL hierarchy of trust is another thing that has always boggled me. It's main effect seems to be to discourage people from using SSL by making it a huge pain in the neck.

As recent history shows, account data will leak out. The particular method in the story using SSL certificates is not the important part of the story. What is important is that Google wants to build an identity system for commercial reasons. Like being your payments processor for buying stuff. The more valuable your identity is for merchants, the more valuable it becomes for thieves. And no data system that is online is truly secure. Someone will find a way to steal the info and use it. Therefore the best way to avoid having that data stolen is not to put it there in the first place, hence pseudonyms rather than RL name and personal info.

Argent Stonecutter · 09-01-2011, 06:57 AM

Google+ Growth & Time on Site Peaked in Mid-July [REPORT]

Chuck Baggett · 09-01-2011, 07:20 PM

What are free alternatives for what Google offers? For email, an alternative that would suit me would be one that has only text ads. What free alternatives for Google Docs are there? Abandoning Google is more likely if people know of alternatives that suit them as well as what Google offers.

Gypsy Quixote · 09-01-2011, 08:22 PM

I like GMX for email.

WordPress kicks Blogger's butt for blogging.

Vimeo or MetaCafe for videos, although nobody has Youtube's traffic.

I don't have any suggestions for documents. And I welcome suggestions for a calendar alternative. Also for search, I've been using Bing but I don't really care for it.

And then there's this;

Unthink

Argent Stonecutter · 09-02-2011, 12:29 AM

Diaspora. Look me up as "https://poddery.com/u/argent", I think that's all you need to know.

Ariane · 09-02-2011, 03:51 AM

This whole topic has fascinated me, being someone who goes by four different names, my legal name being the least often used one.

I think this debate has basically made Google Plus "uncool" to the point that Google Inc. may as well throw it on the scrap heap with all their other failed social network endeavors (remember Google Wave? or Google Buzz?). Even before it goes into wide release, it is a failure, and threatens the reputation of the entire company the longer the debate goes on.

I work in the tech industry, so I am privy to the word on the street on things like this. NOBODY is using Google Plus anymore. Lots of people were excited about getting accounts when it first came out, but now nobody cares about getting accounts, and the ones that already have them, never use them.

Despite a quick rise to 25 million users, Google Plus is declining faster than Google Lively did. Any hopes of beating Facebook, or even LinkedIn have been dashed. It does not matter how cool your tech is, reputation is everything.

08-22-2011, 03:59 PM	#1126 (permalink)
Gypsy Quixote virtual slactivist rutting ... Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 319 SL Join Date: 10/26/09 Business: Live performer Client: no allegiance	On Pseudonymity, Privacy and Responsibility on Google+ - TechnoSocial A Eulogy for Google Plus - Forbes Dispatch from the Nymwars: Pseudonyms and science – Boing Boing __________________ http://gypsyquixote.com/

08-23-2011, 04:53 AM	#1127 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	Google Plus: Too Much Unnecessary Drama \| ZDNet __________________ Argent Stonecutter -- Skyhook Station -- Coonspiracy Store "And now I'm going to show you something really cool." The previous is a cybernetic datum published - in direct contravention of DoD Regulation #229RR3X3 - as being conducive to the physical, psychological and/or social well-being of the population.

08-26-2011, 04:29 PM	#1137 (permalink)
Sea Warcliffe nubcake there otter be a law... Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,195 My Mood: Business: Deep Blue Sea designs	My Nym Manifesto __________________

09-02-2011, 03:51 AM	#1150 (permalink)
Ariane Senior Member Looking down at the uncanny valley Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,493 My Mood:	This whole topic has fascinated me, being someone who goes by four different names, my legal name being the least often used one. I think this debate has basically made Google Plus "uncool" to the point that Google Inc. may as well throw it on the scrap heap with all their other failed social network endeavors (remember Google Wave? or Google Buzz?). Even before it goes into wide release, it is a failure, and threatens the reputation of the entire company the longer the debate goes on. I work in the tech industry, so I am privy to the word on the street on things like this. NOBODY is using Google Plus anymore. Lots of people were excited about getting accounts when it first came out, but now nobody cares about getting accounts, and the ones that already have them, never use them. Despite a quick rise to 25 million users, Google Plus is declining faster than Google Lively did. Any hopes of beating Facebook, or even LinkedIn have been dashed. It does not matter how cool your tech is, reputation is everything. __________________ ArianeB's Life in the Metaverse and Blog

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

08-23-2011, 09:25 AM	#1130 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	Why I'm not on Google Plus - Charlie's Diary

08-23-2011, 08:02 PM	#1133 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	If he thinks it's about being "incognito and anonymous at times" he's completely missing the bleeding point!

08-25-2011, 09:40 AM	#1135 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	What Google still doesn’t get about running an online community — Tech News and Analysis

08-25-2011, 03:54 PM	#1136 (permalink)
Gypsy Quixote virtual slactivist rutting ... Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 319 SL Join Date: 10/26/09 Business: Live performer Client: no allegiance	Goodbye Google+ by Gwyneth Llewelyn Cheaper Than Paper: A Firsthand Examination of the Google+ Profile Reporting Process And now on wiki; Nymwars - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

08-28-2011, 07:39 PM	#1139 (permalink)
Gypsy Quixote virtual slactivist rutting ... Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 319 SL Join Date: 10/26/09 Business: Live performer Client: no allegiance	Botgirl's Second Life Diary: CNN Interview Reveals More From Eric Schmidt on Google+ as an Identity Service ". . . I think it's pretty clear that the Internet as a whole has not had a strong notion of identity, and identity means, "who am I". So we spend an awful lot to of time trying to guess who you are. Plus it's easy to have impostors, people can spam, and so forth and so on. Facebook has done a good job of building a way of disambiguating names. So if you use Facebook, if you have John Smith and you try to pick which one, you look at the pictures of their friends and that's how you disambiguate it. But fundamentally what Facebook has done is build a way to figure out who people are. That system is missing in the Internet as a whole. Google should have worked on this earlier. We now have a product called Google+ which has been in developments for more than a more than your half which is a partial answer to that." Google Executive Director, Eric Schmidt Plus, steal this avatar from Miso Susanowa;

08-28-2011, 07:40 PM	#1140 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	So Eric's saying that every single thing Google has claimed as the reason for their policy is a lie, it's got nothing to do with Social or encouraging people to be civil and polite, it's all a big Trojan Horse to bootstrap an ID business? So the 99% of people who signed up with Good Old American Names will eventually have to be IDed too?

08-28-2011, 07:49 PM	#1141 (permalink)
Gypsy Quixote virtual slactivist rutting ... Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 319 SL Join Date: 10/26/09 Business: Live performer Client: no allegiance	"That (facebook's) system is missing in the Internet as a whole." -Eric Schmidt Speaks volumes.

08-30-2011, 05:45 AM	#1144 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	The SSL hierarchy of trust is another thing that has always boggled me. It's main effect seems to be to discourage people from using SSL by making it a huge pain in the neck.

09-01-2011, 06:57 AM	#1146 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	Google+ Growth & Time on Site Peaked in Mid-July [REPORT]

09-01-2011, 07:20 PM	#1147 (permalink)
Chuck Baggett Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Jackson, MS Posts: 46	What are free alternatives for what Google offers? For email, an alternative that would suit me would be one that has only text ads. What free alternatives for Google Docs are there? Abandoning Google is more likely if people know of alternatives that suit them as well as what Google offers.

09-01-2011, 08:22 PM	#1148 (permalink)
Gypsy Quixote virtual slactivist rutting ... Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 319 SL Join Date: 10/26/09 Business: Live performer Client: no allegiance	I like GMX for email. WordPress kicks Blogger's butt for blogging. Vimeo or MetaCafe for videos, although nobody has Youtube's traffic. I don't have any suggestions for documents. And I welcome suggestions for a calendar alternative. Also for search, I've been using Bing but I don't really care for it. And then there's this; Unthink

09-02-2011, 12:29 AM	#1149 (permalink)
Argent Stonecutter Emergency Mustelid Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 15,379	Diaspora. Look me up as "https://poddery.com/u/argent", I think that's all you need to know.

LinkBacks (?) LinkBack to this Thread: http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/general-sl-discussion/61693-here-we-go-again-google.html
Posted By	For	Type	Date
Imnotgoing Sideways \| Darkly Cute	This thread	Refback	07-16-2011 01:38 PM
The status of pseudonymity and privacy on Google+ \| Geek Feminism Blog	This thread	Refback	07-11-2011 05:33 PM

Logo

Site Navigation