The Google+ Name Game Continues 171
theodp writes "'Sticks and stones will break my bones,' the old nursery rhyme goes, 'but names will never hurt me.' Unless, of course, you're on Google+. While touting what it calls a move toward a more inclusive naming policy for Google+, the search giant's Name Policy would still make Sister Aloysius Beauvier smile. Names like 'Doctor Stan Livingston,' 'Bill Smithwick DDS,' and 'Rev. Jim Copley, S. P.' are cited as examples of violations that could cost you your Google+ privileges. And since new Google account users are reportedly now forced to join Google+, one wonders if the Name Policy might even preclude one from establishing one of those adorable dear.sophie.lee or dear.hollie accounts."
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:5, Informative)
There is a way to avoid creating a google+ account when signing up. Just go to https://accounts.google.com/NewAccount
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Android phone (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:5, Informative)
We all care; If Bing has to try to beat Google by getting better then there is hope of better things. If Google loses to Bing by getting worse then Microsoft won't feel any need to work to improve things.
Remember that Netscape, once they realised that Microsoft had found a way to destroy them with illegal market manipulation, panicked and started to rewrite their whole product which meant that, even if the US justice department had intervened earlier, there would have been little left to save.
I just went through the Google registration process. The whole article is a lie, of course; as you would expect from any Microsoft associated publication; your Google+ account is only activated later on by explicitly signing up. Unfortunately even I, who have done Google registration quite a few times, didn't realise that until after I had signed up for Google+ with my new account. I have verified that even if you make the same mistake as I did you can trivially delete your Google+ features from your Google account.
Summary: as usual recently the first post is someone who manages to get Microsoft sponsored lies into place. Unfortunately Google opened themselves up for this by having an unclear registration process.
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:4, Informative)
Well, check all those accounts supernatural psychic ability to know without subsciption when the article gets published, which allows them supernatural first post with same timestamp as article.
That's sure a lot of a) freshly registered, b) subscribers, c) all clicking "No karma bonus" so their subscriber status doesn't show in postings, d) all hating Google and loving MS, e) sharing similar writing style. Or just a single puppeteer with a new sockpuppet every day. You decide!
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:2, Informative)
Use a Google Apps for Domains account. You need your own domain name, but most people on Slashdot probably already have one. Once you have your apps account set up and working with your domain, go to the Google Apps Dashboard, Organization and Users, click the services link then scroll down and turn off Google+. Problem solved.
Re:Android phone (Score:3, Informative)
A google account is not private, whereas an AppleID is. If you have to create a google account for an android phone, that means you have to have an account with some of your information made public [eg: your name]. An AppleID is private - it is used solely for billing purposes though you can expand it to include iCloud [a private-that-can-be-public service], and it can also be used for GameCenter, a public service. But by default an AppleID is private and no online profile of you is made, unlike what happens when you create a google account.
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:5, Informative)
Account settings -> Delete profile and remove associated Google+ features, select "Delete your entire Google profile", check box labeled "I understand that deleting this service can't be undone and the data I delete can't be restored", press "Remove Selected Services", done. Five steps in total.
Re:Google Inflating User Amount (Score:5, Informative)
That is bullshit. Not only is there a clearly visible skip button in the image on that story, but I just created my fourth google account (via IGoogle) and never even saw that screen.
If I go to http://www.google.com/accounts [google.com] to create one, I am indeed forced to get GMail, but I can still skip the Google profile by unchecking the "personalization" checkbox on step one.
Furthermore, once you have a Google account with Gmail it is possible to delete the Gmail account while keeping the rest of the account (you must supply a non-Google email address, which will become you new sign-in email address.)