YouTube Pushing Users Switch To Real Names

[Mave]

I went to make a comment on a YouTube video today and was welcomed with the above pop-up from YouTube basically telling me to "Start using your full name on YouTube" with an example of what my current YouTube account appears like ("jimyounkin") and how it will appear ("Jim Younkin III"). It appears in the image above that YouTube (owned by Google) is pulling your "real name" from your Google+ account.

Now, for me, I already use my "full name" on my YouTube channel but judging from almost every other YouTube channel name I've ever seen I am severly in the minority. Most people don't have their "real name" on their YouTube channel.

Read on past the jump for a few more screenshots of the popup dialog boxes YouTube (and by extension Google) is using to try to push "YouTubers" into using their real names.

Privacy? What Privacy!

I find this change especially tone-deaf mainly for the fact that the majority of users are likely to not want to make this drastic a change. Going from something like "skipro865" to "George Jones" sure does remove some of the "distance" that online pseudonyms afford.

Haters Gonna Hate

Of course that may be YouTube (and Google's) whole point for making this change. "skipro865" calling you an "ugly douchebag" doesn't quite have the same feeling as having "George Jones" call you an "ugly douchebag".

While removing anonymity may make some YouTube commentors (often held up as one of the most trustworthy examples of the Internet Fuckwad Theory at work) think twice about sprewing bilious nonsense all over YouTube videos, if previous attempts to "unmask" users for the sake of curbing "bad behavior" are any indication, YouTube/Google may be have an uphill battle on their hands.

That said, hasn't Google already gone down this street before?

Me?

What will I be doing? Will I be using my "real name" on YouTube? Most likely since I already do but what if I didn't really want to? Perhaps I'll press the "I'm not sure, I'll decide later" button in the image above and wait for the backlash that is more than likely to come and wash away the feature from the site altogether.

Will you use your "real name" on YouTube? Why? Why not?

Author & Source: http://www.jimyounkin.com/2012/07/youtube-pushing-users-switch-to-real.html

 

[SovareZza]

It does not surprise me that Google is getting rid of something to do with privacy. Anyone remember a few years back when the Google car was caught tapping into WiFi in people's houses without permission?

Anyway, like I said, doesn't surprise me. I'm going to keep my YouTube username the way it is though.

 

[Fries]

To be quite honest, out of all the giant corporations out in the world, google is one of, if not the best. I mean honestly, the "illegal" things google does are nothing compared to the shit the other companies do and all the good things google does more than makes up for it.
To your specific example, I don't remember that happening but as far as i can tell it was only a big deal because it was Google doing it. I mean seriously, who doesn't steal unprotected wifi....

Back on topic: Nice concept, but it won't really work in execution, there'll just be a ton of "John Doe"'s insulting people instead of "skipro865"'s

In terms of privacy, if anyone thinks they have the least bit of privacy while surfing on the internet, they're being ignorant. Tons of sites, google included are constantly collecting information about who you are, where you are and what you're doing. Google is just generally more open about what they do (or at least, some of the things they do)

And all in all, google isn't getting rid of something to do with privacy here, they're just encouraging it. They aren't forcing people to use full names at all....

 

[ThePro]

Well, the thing about privacy is that people don't really care about google having their info, but they care about some pedo's, rapists, or just any unstable person having their info available easily.

 

[Maffia171]

Well, the thing about privacy is that people don't really care about google having their info

I do.

 

[Mave]

Well, the thing about privacy is that people don't really care about google having their info

I do.

Same here.

The idea is everybody using their real names, but I really don't look forward to an internet where everything will be associated with your identity (and perhaps real life ID).