Ouch! Google+ axes Arianna Huffington and many others in "real names" row
It was supposedly the "Facebook killer" but Google+ has dropped a real clanger with a giant purge of people who want to use pseudonyms.
A blogger on the website ZDNet accused the network, now confirmed to have in excess of 20 million users as it chases rival Facebook, of "alienating and frightening the people it aims to serve."
As messages poured in, blogger Violet Blue said "it was clear that the dam had burst and Google+ is on an account suspension rampage."
Saturday’s purge of multiple Google+ user accounts over the network enforcing the use of “real names” ran from well-known tech figures to ordinary users. One who had her account suspended was Arianna Huffington. She got the immediate and personal restoration of her account by a Google+ Community Manager, said ZDNet. Others were told to seek help in forums or submit a request for review. Other social networks are "now probably laughing into their morning coffee," said the website. Ex-Google employees were deleted. Writers, musicians, programmers were deleted. People even began tweeting that they were voluntarily deleting their Google+ profiles in a pre-emptive strike. There is now a drive to persuade Google to allow pseudonyms. To fix the mess said Violet Blue, Google+ leaders "must make an immediate priority of openly addressing this issue and restore all legitimate accounts that were suspended for pseudonymity." They must state their official policy regarding exceptions for notable people. Lady Ada is not allowed to use the name she goes by in business, but Lady Gaga is. "Two standards are being applied. Certain people are clearly famous, privileged, and/or wealthy enough to be permitted to use a pseudonym - and others are not." Ex-Google employee Kirrily “Skud” Robert originally applauded Google+ for insisting on real names. Today she wrote: " I got off a plane this afternoon to find a pile of tweets, emails, and blog comments asking whether it was true that my Google+ account had been suspended. When I managed to get some wifi and check, it turned out that it had been." Bill Noble wrote: "The stories we’re hearing so far are of people being suddenly frozen out of EVERYTHING, all their data and resources, not just one or a few Google functions. Given who we early adopters are, even a few more days of this unreasonable behaviour could abort the whole G+ effort."A spokesperson for The Huffington Post told The Drum that the move was 'merely a short term error' on the part of Google.