Google forcing Google+ on new YouTube Accounts

Tom DWC

Moderator
Moderator
Just wondering whether anyone else has noticed this? For existing accounts I think this happened awhile ago but you could opt out, but I just created a new one and not only does it force you to use your real name, it doesn't want to let you remove Google+ without deleting the YouTube account as well.

You can either delete your entire Google profile and YouTube or just your Google+ profile... and YouTube.

It lets you create a sub-account which you can name, and it does have a link to disconnecting accounts, which when followed has no follow up. And frankly it's the most over engineered list of menus in the world.

Google should not be forcing their social network on people, probably the only reason they got away with it is because nobody uses or cares about Google+. Imagine if Facebook were forced on people to create an account for another service, people would go mad. Don't see why Google+ should be any different.

Bad Google.
 

Bsrz

Rising Star
Just wondering whether anyone else has noticed this? For existing accounts I think this happened awhile ago but you could opt out, but I just created a new one and not only does it force you to use your real name, it doesn't want to let you remove Google+ without deleting the YouTube account as well.

You can either delete your entire Google profile and YouTube or just your Google+ profile... and YouTube.

It lets you create a sub-account which you can name, and it does have a link to disconnecting accounts, which when followed has no follow up. And frankly it's the most over engineered list of menus in the world.

Google should not be forcing their social network on people, probably the only reason they got away with it is because nobody uses or cares about Google+. Imagine if Facebook were forced on people to create an account for another service, people would go mad. Don't see why Google+ should be any different.

Bad Google.

it really is bad what they are doing however there are ways around it - deleting Google + and gmail associated with your account and changing your YouTube name does work however it is a long winded process and Google seem to be trying everything to stop you from deleting it.
 

tom_gr7

Life Serving
yeah they tried it with my picasa web account too. So now I have to google search picasa web instead going straight to it.
 

mdwh

Enthusiast
A less obvious problem that I haven't seen discussed much is that surely this means people are also being forced into using a single Google account.

Traditionally, Google have had no problem allowing people use multiple Google accounts. But a rule of Google+ is that you can only have one. At first, this makes some sense - it's means to be a social networking thing.

But wait a minute - so imagine like many people, I have one account for Youtube, and also a separate dedicated account for my Android phone (I think setting up a Google Account specifically for one's Android phone is a fairly common thing). So to use Youtube, I have to link it to a Google+ account. But also, to leave reviews on a Google Play Android application, I also have to create a Google+ for my Android account. So suddenly, Google have forced me into having two Google+ accounts, whilst saying I must only have one Google+ account!

Other problems are the whole "real name" thing - there are plenty of cases where people reasonably don't want to advertise their real name. Although Google claim to now allow pseuodonyms, it seems you still have to show proof that you are widely known by this name. Google's enforcement of this has also been appalling, e.g., cases of people with unusual names being banned ( http://gawker.com/5824622/names-banned-by-google-plus , http://infotrope.net/2011/07/22/ive-been-suspended-from-google-plus/ , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymwars ). I wrote some more on my thoughts of this with regard to the requirements for Google Play at http://www.gamedev.net/blog/1224/entry-2256051-thoughts-on-google-play-ratings-requiring-google/ (and I can now say, as an Android developer: no, it doesn't stop the occasionally dumb one star reviews, but it does reduce the number of reviews I get, meaning the dumb one star reviews carry more weight, and it's harder to get feedback).

"Imagine if Facebook were forced on people to create an account for another service, people would go mad."

You haven't seen the websites that now use Facebook for things like comments ... (not that I think this makes it okay - that's annoying too, but unfortunately this has already happened).
 

Androcles

Rising Star
Google have been going on a rampage lately, they've been actively working through all their services (especially the ones they bought instead of developed) and bringing them into line with single google accounts, they're also screwing around with the UI's on these sites to try and get them to conform to similar visual looks across the board, which in the case of many of them (youtube spcifically for me) has made them very unwieldly to use, i try to avoid anything google nowdays.

As to the real name thing, they can take that and shove......... /insert vague references to dark places

I administer multiple youtube accounts for friends sites, one for a paranormal group, a few for various gaming blogs and others, and every single darned one of them nag me constantly to use my real name .... for crying out loud if i wanted to use my real name i would have entered it to start with, leave me a lone!
 
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gaaron

Silver Level Poster
Google have been going on a rampage lately, they've been actively working through all their services (especially the ones they bought instead of developed) and bringing them into line with single google accounts, they're also screwing around with the UI's on these sites to try and get them to conform to similar visual looks across the board, which in the case of many of them (youtube spcifically for me) has made them very unwieldly to use, i try to avoid anything google nowdays.

As to the real name thing, they can take that and shove......... /insert vague references to dark places

I administer multiple youtube accounts for friends sites, one for a paranormal group, a few for various gaming blogs and others, and every single darned one of them nag me constantly to use my real name .... for crying out loud if i wanted to use my real name i would have entered it to start with, leave me a lone!

Ditto :(
 

DeadEyeDuk

Superhero Level Poster
Can never stand these unified log in processes that companies seem to like.

I still flatly refuse to convert my LoveFilm login to my Amazon login, just on principle :)

That said...what is this Google+ you speak of? :D
 

Androcles

Rising Star
Can never stand these unified log in processes that companies seem to like.

I still flatly refuse to convert my LoveFilm login to my Amazon login, just on principle :)

That said...what is this Google+ you speak of? :D

I don't mind the whole idea of unified logins, it does make remembering passwords and login details for multiple sites much easier, but what i do hate is when a company buys up other sites and tries to intergrate them causing no end of hassle to the user who has used the service for years, i tend to refuse to unify my logins in that scenario just ona matter of principle.
 
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