At long last, I can retire this alias and move on. I’ve said a lot more on my G+ post last night, but the gist of it is:
– There is no longer a requirement to use your real name on Google Plus, they’re not demanding it and they’re not going to flag people’s profiles for violation on these grounds and no, nobody else can report you for it as it is simply no longer a violation of their rules. People who need to use pseudonyms are now allowed to do so, freely and openly. This is what I wanted above all else, not just for myself but for everyone out there who, for reasons of safety, can’t afford to use their full real name publicly online.
– People who want to use a handle by which they are already known are now allowed to do that, they just have to show Google that this is indeed an established handle (through links to relevant websites, for instance). So, for example, well-known bloggers won’t have the problem of: everyone online knows me as Blogger123 and my offline name of John Doe means nothing to them.
– People who want to show an alternative name by which they are also known, like a nickname or maiden name, can now do that. So you can be shown, for example, as John “Fitz” Doe, and those who know you as Fitz will know it’s you.
There are still some issues that need work, and it looks like someone is indeed working on them, and making a huge effort to address all the problems. And he’s communicating with the users. In real English and not in Googlespeak.
To those who say: yes, but they’re still insisting that you use a name-shaped name and not a handle (except for established use), I say, yes, they are, and personally I’d rather they didn’t but I don’t see what the harm is in that. People who need to use a pseudonym for reasons of safety don’t need it to specifically look like it isn’t a name. People who need to use a handle need it because it’s an established online identity, so they’re fine under the new policy. And people who fell foul of the old policy because they wanted to use their real name and their real name looks particularly peculiar – these people can just show documentation and get their real name approved. (And when I say “their real name looks particularly peculiar” I mean it doesn’t look like a normal name in any known culture, not just in US terms.) Ideal? no, it isn’t, but life often isn’t. Personally I would have liked to see total freedom to use whichever name you want, but since Google own this thing and they’re evidently quite adamant that they’re not willing to go down that route, I think what they’re now offering is a pretty good deal. I will not fight them for someone’s right to call themselves JohnDoE3 instead of just John Doe, when there’s no reason for it other than that’s what they feel like. Sorry.
Yours
Meirav M., aka Meirav Berale, who is very definitely Not Celia Rogut.
P.S. The policy has been changed again since I posted this, and they now allow the free use of handles. (They also allow the use of a name-shaped name with an initial instead of either first or last name – for example, I’m now using the name Meirav M. on G+.)
Not Celia Rogut's Blog 
I followed the link over to G+ (the first time in how long?) and read the post and most of the comments. Sorry, it’s not going to make me change my mind and go back yet. They can still get you for using what you are commonly known as, and you would have to provide a ‘meaningful following’ to get them to allow you to use what you are commonly known as. (Meaningful following? Me? HA!!) Even though I have spent more time as wolvesandrainbows at Multiply, not too sure I won’t run into a problem if I wanted to use Wolves N. Rainbows. Otherwise, for their other Google products and WP, I’m known as Misty Rainbows. Think I’ll get away with it?
I don’t know what would count as meaningful following, they are deliberately being vague about that as they don’t want to make it easy for people to game the system, so I think if you want to use your Wolvesandrainbows handle or your Misty Rainbows handle, you’d have to try it and see what happens, I don’t think there’s any way you’re going to get a guarantee beforehand
It seems to me that they are aiming to encourage a mainly name-shaped environment (but would Misty Rainbows be regarded as name-shaped? I don’t really know, it’s all still a bit foggy) and only to allow non-name-shaped handles for those who really need them for consistency. A name-shaped pseudonym would not be a problem, that’s the bit that is clear.
One thing I really want to get a clear answer on (and I’ve asked several times) is whether using a First Name + Initial would be classed as name-shaped or not. From the fact that I haven’t had an answer yet and neither have others who have asked, it looks like that’s something they’re still cogitating about. But from all those comments it’s clear they’ve got tons of issues to deal with, so I’m trying not to tap my foot too loudly 🙂
p.s. re the First Name + Initial thing, this is what Yonatan Zunger just said in a comment on his post:
“The stuff is under discussion… we’re having a conversation in-house. I’d like to be able to give people firm guidance on this one way or the other.”
I’m really glad to hear that – I would much rather have clear guidance than just try and see what happens.
P.S. I just popped in to update – they’ve changed the policy and no longer require a “name shaped” name, they’re letting people use handles freely now. (This came in a while ago, I just forgot to update here.)
Like so many other people have said: It’s too little, too late. Google has scared away a LOT of people, including me who wasn’t even subject to their name witch hunt. I have deleted my G+ account, and I don’t want it back. I don’t want to be part of a “community” where I can risk being asked about identification, or if I know the right people. The former sounds like a police state, the latter either as a fancy night club, or the local biker gang – I’m not sure which is worst.
but tanghus, they are not doing that any more! they are no longer asking for identification, they are not interested in whether or not the name you use there is the same name you use offline. They have totally climbed down off that tree.
I know a lot of people have been scared away by the crazy policy, I’ve seen plenty of people leave because of that. That’s why I felt it was important to shout from the rooftops and let people out there know that the policy has been materially changed and that it’s safe to come back if you want to – obviously I realise some people will have been so hurt/put off by the whole thing that they won’t want to, and if that’s how you feel then I will respect your choice. But the “papers please” attitude is gone, the requirement to use our real names, or “the names we are commonly known by”, is gone.
To quote just one of the places where Yonatan Zunger has addressed this, a comment on Bradley H’s post (emphasis mine):