regarding G+ profile images

[elke_tanzer]

Thing #423 which I didn't realize I needed to be concerned about when I activated G+: Google encouraging-vs-requiring people to use photographs of our own faces as profile images. *headdesk* It looks like at this point, they're "encouraging", not "requiring" for all G+ users. Can I just keep linking folks to http://geekfeminism.org/2011/07/08/social-networking-requirements/ again and again, please?

I have just stumbled upon these, which relate to the names issue, the gender-in-profile issue, and also the issue of possibly being required to use photos of our own faces as our profile photo:
https://plus.google.com/106792630639449031994/posts/4v29vbteeG5
https://plus.google.com/106792630639449031994/posts/DEivCBm4qxs
https://plus.google.com/117198316664830078863/posts/GGjc1oqWxa9
https://plus.google.com/117198316664830078863/posts/EWFCZLEMf5r

Of course, http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/+/policy/content.html is also pertinent to all of these issues.

(crossposted to my G+ at https://plus.google.com/107619776564880847214/posts/KmQHcyxAUGi )

Comments

[ratcreature]

That would be such a stupid policy. And not just because of privacy concerns with photos, it's also bad for self-expression. I mean, I have used my big nosed avatar since high school. In fact in my high school year book I've chosen to represent myself with it, i.e. drawn a comic instead of a photo of myself for my profile page in the year book, so it doesn't even have anything to do with being on the internet. I've chosen to draw myself like this before I was online. How would a photo be more myself or more "real"?

[copracat]

Urgh. There's a guy banging on in all those John Hardy posts* who in no way encourages me to want to share my legal name.

The hilarious thing is I have a couple of gmail accounts in real-sounding names which I use entirely for 1. Facebook - like they're getting access to an email I can't dump like hot potato if they ever decide that sharing my email address is good business for them and 2. Signing up to webpages that require "free" registration with a valid email to access just like anyone with half a brain and no love for spam does.

*the links in your previous post.