A Misstep For Google+?- Click here http://bit.ly/ranGHE for full article

A Misstep For Google+?- Click here http://bit.ly/ranGHE for full article

As Google continues to find its footing in the social networking game with the newly released Google+, they may have hit their first major road bump. In a story broken by ZDNet, “a striking number of Google+ accounts” were deleted over the weekend for violating the Google+ common name policy.  

The common name policy states that users must provide their legal name on Google+. Unlike Facebook which allows users to utilize any name from John Smith to Galaxor, Google+ aims to promote social connections through open identification.

Google+ users found themselves banned without warning for violating this policy. An ex-google employee was flagged for including a nickname within his given name. Google+ asked for a scanned government ID before they would release his account. Limor Fried, owner of Adafruit Industries, was temporarily banned for including her pseudonym. Even actor William Shatner found his account flagged, announcing on Twitter that since he wasn’t allowed to say hello on Google+ perhaps he should say good-bye.  

The crackdown wasn’t limited to Google+. Many users reported that all their Google accounts were banned, including Gmail and Docs. Given no warning, many users were justifiably confused and angry at losing all their access. Some users, such as Ms. Fried, were able to get their account reinstated through their many fans but the average Google+ user found their account banned with no recourse.

Google was quick to respond to the outcry. Bradley Horowitz, Vice President of Google, admitted they had made a mistake in removing the accounts. Google+ will continue to use the common name policy but notification and education about the policy will be given before shutting down accounts. In the future, users who violate the policy will receive a warning with clear directions for how to comply with the policy and a timeline for compliance.

As for the deletion of other Google accounts, Horowitz states, “If your Google+ Profile is suspended for not using a common name, you won't be able to use Google services that require a Google+ Profile, but you'll still be able to use Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Blogger, and so on.”

Google+ will continue to keep the common name policy but whether this will impact its growth has yet to be seen. For business owners, this means creating a business page using Google+ will be an impossibility until they are ready to roll out their social media site to businesses which is slated for next year. For now, keep your business on other social media sites and stay tuned for more Google+ news.