Is Google+ a Cathedral Or a Bazaar? 200
An anonymous reader writes "With its recent mass suspension of accounts, Google has highlighted its desire to create a social network that is very different to the way many (including those whose accounts were suspended) would want to see it. The metaphor of the Cathedral and the Bazaar used for software development can be applied to the two types of social networks being proposed by Google on the one hand and the pseudonym supporters on the other. Google's Cathedral model emphasizes order and control whilst the bazaar model supports users who can be anonymous, have multiple identities, interact with anyone they please, and remain unobserved."
i usually dump all the anonymous into a circle (Score:5, Insightful)
where they don't have access to most of my information. if you don't want to use your real name then i usually don't want to have anything to do with you on a social network
Re:Why not both? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not as profitable to Google if they can't link an online identity to a fake/anonymous account. Having a 'real' person linked to those accounts would be very profitable indeed, especially to bidders in the marketing/sales areas. Google has always been a pimp of sorts for your personal data. They just haven't gone to these extremes before.
I still spend very little time on Google+. There just isn't any activity there as of yet, and not many personal friends. I expected it to reach a critical point sooner but that hasn't happened in my circles as of yet.
I'll hold on to the account, if just to reserve my account name, but other than that? Meh...
Re:i usually dump all the anonymous into a circle (Score:5, Insightful)
if you don't want to use your real name then i usually don't want to have anything to do with you on a social network
Of course. That's why you are using your full real name on Slashdot (which is a sort of a social network.) I wouldn't want to reply to you because of merits of your opinion - no, I'd reply only because I personally know you.