Opening-night reviews for Google+ have been fairly breathless, with the social-media hipstocracy declaring it just-better-enough than Facebook in almost every way that matters. But on one count at least, the unhappy story of an Italian Second Life die-hard who goes by the nym Opensource Obscure suggests that Google has missed a chance to handle online social life with more flexibility and nuance than the spawn of Zuckerberg. As reported by Wagner James Au, Cnet, and Business Insider, Google suspended the user's Google+ account because "Opensource Obscure" didn't pass muster as the kind of real name the company is requiring Google+ users to adopt. Here's the story in Opensource's own words:
I'm a Second Life user since 2006. My avatar name is 'Opensource Obscure'.
https://my.secondlife.com/opensource.obscure
A few days ago I joined Google Plus. There, I engaged in some
discussions about virtual identity and pseudonyms, exposing
myself to the attention of some Google employees.
Then, my Google Profile was suspended because I'm using
my SL name as my primary name on Google Profiles.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceobscure/5915226844/
My profile is still suspended. Since then I never provide Google
with my "real" name. Note that they don't have a "real-identity"
verification system - so they don't verify if your name is "really real".
If I changed my Google Profile name from "Opensource Obscure"
to "Tom White" or whatever, they would be fine - if it was a "realistic"
name. And my Google profile would be reinstated.
Ah, the perils of virtuality!
Well, commentariat, is this proof that, as W. James Au puts it, "Google still doesn't get social"? Or is it a sign that "social" has gotten irrevocably real?
