Anyone who still works for Google has to think seriously about what they're getting up in the morning to do every day.
Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
131–140 of 189 posts
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#132Alternatively, why not think of it this way: If you disagree with what's being done on YouTube, delete your account and move on. Nobody's forcing anyone to comment or maintain a Google account. If you're going to be there, you play by their rules. What's the point in bitching about Google's changes in policy when Google isn't forcing you to use their product and when you can leave when you want to.
A lot of the problem is reneging on previous privacy/data segregation policies. That is an entirely legitimate complaint.
There's also the question of to what extent you can opt out in the modern world. Got a mobile phone, pretty much essential to work or life these days? Your life is now beholden to Google or Apple. So "lol just stop using it" is fatuous.
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#133A comment I left a few weekends ago, which addressed the same topic but before the Youtube/G+ story broke: [0] "Hijacking the top comment to talk about a big concern I have. This EFF article argues that there's a place for Anonymity on the Internet [1], and I think most of us agree (especially if we emphathize with those in Iran, China, Syria, and the like). But what HNers must realize is the following: The mainstrea…
It’s interesting that you would hold up reddit as an example of the “positive sociological impact” of anonymity on the internet, when OP specifically describes her desire to avoid “sexist, racist, homophobic, sophomoric, monosyllabic jerks”—precisely the sort of creature that reddit breeds. Though to be fair, the anonymity may not be to blame for reddit’s culture, seeing as other internet forums with similar traditions of anonymity have managed to avoid attracting such unpleasant crowds.
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#134I still see people commenting with their normal YT usernames. How do they do it?
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#135A comment I left a few weekends ago, which addressed the same topic but before the Youtube/G+ story broke: [0] "Hijacking the top comment to talk about a big concern I have. This EFF article argues that there's a place for Anonymity on the Internet [1], and I think most of us agree (especially if we emphathize with those in Iran, China, Syria, and the like). But what HNers must realize is the following: The mainstrea…
It’s interesting that you would hold up reddit as an example of the “positive sociological impact” of anonymity on the internet, when OP specifically describes her desire to avoid “sexist, racist, homophobic, sophomoric, monosyllabic jerks”—precisely the sort of creature that reddit breeds. Though to be fair, the anonymity may not be to blame for reddit’s culture, seeing as other internet forums with similar traditio…
But on reddit you can create an account called "fred_jones" or "slwkajbgj" instead of "Eleanora Rashid-Feldman" and avoid having that behaviour directed at you like a heat-seeking missile. GP is arguing that the douchebags only become a significant problem if your diversity[1] status is tagged to your profile.
[1] Women are the majority, so "minority status" => "diversity status"
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#136Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#137A comment I left a few weekends ago, which addressed the same topic but before the Youtube/G+ story broke: [0] "Hijacking the top comment to talk about a big concern I have. This EFF article argues that there's a place for Anonymity on the Internet [1], and I think most of us agree (especially if we emphathize with those in Iran, China, Syria, and the like). But what HNers must realize is the following: The mainstrea…
It’s interesting that you would hold up reddit as an example of the “positive sociological impact” of anonymity on the internet, when OP specifically describes her desire to avoid “sexist, racist, homophobic, sophomoric, monosyllabic jerks”—precisely the sort of creature that reddit breeds. Though to be fair, the anonymity may not be to blame for reddit’s culture, seeing as other internet forums with similar traditio…
The quality that breeds such jerks is simply comfort. When people are comfortable, they make bad jokes, express unpopular opinions, reference subcultures and so on. Whether comfort is a positive thing, sociologically, has occasionally been debated, but only in comfortable settings.
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#138Earlier quoted context omitted.
Anonymity is vital for many types of discussions. Can you imagine HN working if people were required to put their name and job titles ? Just because someone works for Microsoft for example does that make their support or criticism of the company any less valuable. Or what about all the political discussions where there could be legitimate fears of reprisal by government agencies.
Quora works surprisingly well with a real names policy. They let you post particular comments anonymously if you want. Then it's pretty obvious when people are using anonymity for good reasons and when they're just being dickish. There, community voting plus some moderation polices things pretty well.
Depends on what mean by "working well". I don't post on Quora nor do I read anything posted there because they don't let you read without logging in. I heard many others say similar things.
That doesn't mean Quora isn't working well for you, but you should be aware of the fact that some who are willing to contribute in constructive ways are not contributing to Quora as things stand.
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#139Earlier quoted context omitted.
If anything, at best this has left the comment quality unchanged. Now you have people bombarding sections with ASCII art tanks, memes and protests against the G+ revamp. Personally I don't think YT comments, for all their vulgarity and chaos, required any "solution". They were cesspools, but ultimately cesspools of humanity. There is absolutely no reason one couldn't ignore them if they found them so distressing.
> people bombarding sections with ASCII art tanks, memes and protests against the G+ revamp. I have to say I've been amused at the people exploiting the combo of "no character limit" and "collapse button at the end of the post" by tacking public domain novels on the end of innocent-seeming posts.
>collapse button at the end of the post
This one in particular confused me. I get that it's a common pattern, but I thought Google had UX people these days.
Re: Dear Googles: G+/YouTube Anschluss – you've done outed me
#140Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s interesting that you would hold up reddit as an example of the “positive sociological impact” of anonymity on the internet, when OP specifically describes her desire to avoid “sexist, racist, homophobic, sophomoric, monosyllabic jerks”—precisely the sort of creature that reddit breeds. Though to be fair, the anonymity may not be to blame for reddit’s culture, seeing as other internet forums with similar traditio…
But on reddit you can create an account called "fred_jones" or "slwkajbgj" instead of "Eleanora Rashid-Feldman" and avoid having that behaviour directed at you like a heat-seeking missile. GP is arguing that the douchebags only become a significant problem if your diversity[1] status is tagged to your profile. [1] Women are the majority, so "minority status" => "diversity status"
@SnydenBitchy - Given the context, Reddit seems off-putting as an example. The comment I reposted was not in direct response to the OP.
Tehwalrus makes an excellent observation. The role that anonymity played for OP on YT would serve her well on other communities like Reddit.
Specifically to your remark on the questionable 'positive impact' of Reddit: I would argue that it has done a great deal to heighten the visibility of the Free and Open Internet/NSA stories and cases of corruption or injustice. There's a lot of insensitive humor, but I'm not going to say my (or anyone's) opinion of that matters, as long as no one is hurt or put in an inescapable position.
The bigger point remains: Which web-communities depend on anonymity? As OP's story highlighted, clearly she (and presumably others), as a Youtube user - depend(ed) on anonymity.