Saturday, September 17, 2011

So Many Good Reasons Not to Tell the Internet Who You Really Are

Well, after being denied and disabled, and me spending time frantically trying to find how to get my account back again, it has been reenabled. Maybe it's a coincidence that it reappeared after I posted on my blog about it. I decided to leave the post so as a warning to the rest of the world that if they have something to hide, the Google Identity Police will get them.

You know, hiding something like you're not using your real name because you have an ex parte order against your abusive husband and you don't want him to find you.

Or maybe, you're not using your real name because you're gay and they will fire your ass if they find out, or if you're lucky, just key your car.

Or maybe, you're a dissident in Iran, and they'll arrest you. Hell, maybe you're a dissident in the USA, and you don't want the Tea Party on your doorstep.

Or maybe, you're the author of the Totally Erotic Lesbian Sex Guide (I made that up) and you don't want the world to know you're actually unemployed Joe Sixpack with flabby manboobs.

Or maybe, you write totally tame stuff, but you'd really rather not have some rabid fan showing up at your kid's school so they can ask you for an autograph.

Or maybe, you have a disability and you want to suck the American teat like a leech by doing something evil like getting a job and not wanting your disability to be a source of discrimination in the employment process.

Or maybe you're doing something nefarious, like running a small non-profit organization and are using gmail as your email. Because yanno, it's free, and you'd rather spend the money to feed the hungry or fight AIDS or something.

So many good reasons not to tell the Internet who you really are, but if you need more, here's a few suggestions:

http://geekfeminism.wikia.com/wiki/Who_is_harmed_by_a_%22Real_Names%22_policy%3F

http://mikecanex.wordpress.com/2011/07/24/the-google-real-name-policy-is-wrong/

https://plus.google.com/117665613028757061169/posts/U1PZufyuNHY

2 comments:

  1. I have not involved myself with Google+ because of the 'Real Name' policy. I have my own reasons to closely guard my privacy.

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  2. I looked at Google+ but I really didn't like what I seen. I didn't use my real name either but I wasn't on there long enough for the Google Identity Police to boot me off. I'm still on FB but sometimes I really don't know why. I do have several bolgs on different subjects of my life. I really don't know why I do that either but it gives me a place to share what I'm doing with my friends and family. I really don't have anything to hide. Oh there was a time back in my military days there were things that the government didn't want to get out. But after they placed me on disability retirement because of PTSD, thay can always say that never happened, that man's crazy anyway.

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