At first blush, this may seem off topic for a blog about writing but what group of people use false names on a regular basis? That's right, we do. We call them pen names. Pseudonyms. We adopt them as part of our branding strategy, or because we want to keep our writing private from mother's and fathers, aunts and uncles, colleges and clients.
It seems that Google+'s policy of only allowing real names might make the service unusable for people who write under a pseudonym. That's too bad. Circles are great for sending information about ones different writing lines to only those people who would be interested in it.
Links:
- Google+ name policy 'frustrating,' Google confesses
- Use your real name or else. New social network will force Google+ users to identify themselves.. or leave the site
- Google’s Real Names Policy Is Evil
- “Real Names” Policies Are an Abuse of Power
