Good post. The problem is that the privacy needs of the users of social networking sites are at odds with the commercial interests of the social networking sites. Google is desperately trying to show that Google+ is competing with Facebook so the more public the data is by default, the better. Also, they see from Facebook that most people don't care about privacy.<p>The problem for Google+ is that people already have Facebook for their non-geeky friends so it has become primary for tech people who care more about these things. They could just try leverage that and stay more specialized, but that's unlikely to happen.
I disagree with some of the generalities about women being judged and placed into categories - and not men. Is she saying most men can say whatever they want in public with no consequences while most women have to be very careful what they say? Is that true? Or is it just perception?<p>I have a twitter account and a Facebook profile, and do not hide those things from co-workers. I am fairly true to myself though, so nothing I say in FB or twitter should surprise anyone who knows me. There will be no pictures posted that can get me fired - partly because I don't act in private in a way that will get me fired if my boss knew.<p>What kind of job requires you to have no online presence? Examples?
What is it with the gender related posts that brings out all the assholes on HN?? So many people are falling over themselves to denigrate this person's opinion.
I'm a woman. I have a Facebook account and a journal. Both accounts are under pseudonyms and at least the Facebook account is listed as male. I won't use Google+. But I'll express myself all over the Internet. I have a right to say whatever I want without worrying about being stalked by some ass who feels the need to punish me for thinking without permission. My employer doesn't have a right to know anything about what I do off hours.
I retain, and will retain, the expectation of my right to privacy, even as I take advantage of my right to speak. The fact that an entity announces their intent to steal my private information, does not deprive me of the expectation of my rights. It just means that what I put where they can steal it will be of no value.
It's not like I can't have an online presence without Google+.
This article is RIGHT ON. Google+ IS screwing itself out of a large population of potential users , for these reasons, by these methods, and can take this valid feedback and... do what they do with feedback.
Totally agree with this: ... "and not reality for most people that have jobs that expect a particular level of professionalism that excludes an online presence."<p>The work expects that you have to be your professional self on these social networking sites as well, which is a total BS policy. The whole idea of being one true authentic self everywhere you go, is bogus.
Like many people, I use google for search many times per day. The majority of my searches throw up no ads and are reasonably private. Google seems fine to recognize that and does very well monetizing the small number of searches of interest to advertisers.<p>Why can't a social network become very profitable and operate in a similar way?<p>This blog makes a compelling argument that being forced to use your real name and a tendency for the system to default to 'public' is a big deterrent to adoption. It's not about 'what do you have to hide?' but rather, 'if you don't make me feel comfortable how my information will be used, then I won't give it to you.'<p>At best, arguing with me that I should be comfortable, misses the point. I get to decide whether I am comfortable or not.<p>Users like the author of this blog need to feel comfortable with how their information is used if google+ is to succeed.
I'm pretty sure you don't have to use your real name anymore, you only have to use something "name-shaped".<p><a href="https://plus.google.com/103389452828130864950/posts/YJbzDptWGQt" rel="nofollow">https://plus.google.com/103389452828130864950/posts/YJbzDptW...</a><p>You also need not select a gender.<p>The only thing that is problematic is that your friends will be confused ("who is this Name Shaped person of gender Other with no pictures?").<p>At some point, it does make sense not to use social networking or be online at all. But this is not unique to Google+; if you've paid Wordpress for an account, I'm sure they'll cough up your name if I send them a DMCA notice or something.
Oh great! Another "Look at me, I'm a woman" post. I'm going to call her a "stuck up bitch" in her wordpress comments and see if wordpress has some magical powers to stop me from judging her in public.<p>Edit: Also, the reason I (and most others) use Google+ is that we get to know a lot more people who share our interests on a global scale. The whole point of the platform is to socialise. Sharing photos with just your friends (which is primarily what FB is used for) isn't "socialising", it's "sharing photos with your friends".
I think a more apt title would be "Why I don't need online presence"<p>with gist: I'm a woman and will be targeted for it. and my job doesn't require me to, and is better avoided
Switch to social networks which respect users' privacy. For example to Diaspora. Facebook and Google+ can't be "fixed" in that regard. Just avoid using them if you care.
<i>Don't waste your money on another UI overhaul. I want to use your product, but I will not sacrifice my privacy to do so</i><p>That sums it up, for me.<p>Perhaps Google could turn things around, and accommodate privacy concerns while <i>educating</i> users as to their advantages. And leveraging their advertising offers to promote to interests rather than to names and incessantly tracked identities.<p>When I'm most interested in an item, is when I'm specifically reading about it or its area. As opposed to being nagged about it for the next three months.<p>But then, like television ads, I suppose all that nagging works, in the aggregate.
So she didn't understand that she was commenting publicly? The universal comment setting doesn't even make sense as the conversation would look completely different based on who's in whose circles.<p>I don't understand how this is related to Google+. You can make comments on Facebook that are more public than your wall, so I fail to understand what this is G+ specific.<p>edit: posting in all bold text is about one degree of separation from posting in all caps.