Songfighters on Google+

[jast]

Don't hold your breath, though. Google only really offers support to customers, not to products. And users of Google+ are products, not customers.

[JonPorobil]

I'm hearing a lot of arguments about activism under pseudonyms, how the refusal to accept pseudonyms disproportionately affects already-oppressed groups, and how forcing people to use real names can put them in danger. These are all valid arguments, but don't have any bearing on the business aspect of Google+. That's the part I'd like to talk about right now.

I know fluffy probably wouldn't appreciate me sharing his real name on this forum, so I'm going to make one up. Let's say, for the purposes of this argument, that fluffy's legal name is Jeremy Salisbury.

First and foremost, I want us to stop using "real name." As far as I'm concerned, fluffy is his real name. It's the name I've always known him by, and when you yell out "Hey fluffy!" in a crowded room, he answers. But Google insists that "fluffy" isn't real, and that he needs to change the account name to Jeremy Salisbury or get out.

Here's where it's interesting, for me: Forcing the user to change his name doesn't make the other identity go away. Jeremy Salisbury and fluffy would both continue to exist as parallel identities corresponding to the same real person. Jeremy is a mild-mannered programmer for a startup in San Francisco. On the other hand, fluffy is a prolific musician, webcomic artist, and blogger.

Why should Google prefer what Jeremy has to say, when it seems apparent that the work done under the stage name of fluffy is so much easier to catalogue and monetize? It seems to me that fluffy is much more fungible than Jeremy is, and Google is making a short-term terrible decision by assigning his legal name the designation of "real."

[BBABM]

I agree whole-heartedly. Are they gonna tell Madonna, or Cher, or better yet Charlie Sheen they must go by their birth name? And I like fluffy more, and care more what he has to say... And I've only ever known him as fluffy, and as far as I'm concerned, if that's what he wants to be called, I'll know him by that.

Technically "Alex" is a nickname too, and my profile isn't "Alexander"... Should I be banned too?

[Caravan Ray]

Are they gonna tell Madonna, or Cher, or better yet Charlie Sheen they must go by their birth name?

They probably wouldn't do that to Cher
1978: Tired of being saddled with surnames of her father, stepfather and ex-husbands, [Cher] has name legally changed from [Cherilyn Sarkisian] La Piere Bono Allman to just Cher.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotrib ... atl=google

[BBABM]

Well there ya go... What about that kid who's parents named him Adolph hitler? Would they ask him to use a different Name?

[fluffy]

Oops, wasn't getting notified on this thread, and forgot to mention that my appeal had already been rejected when I posted about the fact I'd used songfight and my own site as evidence in my appeal. I posted about it to my blog.

Meanwhile I've already gotten a server to host my own email and am moving my stuff off of GMail. I'm intending on making this available to friends (since I already have the server anyway) although it'll be a while before I have all the kinks worked out.

[JonPorobil]

https://plus.google.com/105261505658161 ... Wt2UfsmEyf

[fluffy]

Well, it wasn't "just denied" now (I appealed immediately and got denied maybe 15 minutes later - it's not like some big arduous process with a review committee or something), although "just" could also mean "without much forethought" or the like.

[JonPorobil]

Seeing as the word "just" didn't add anything substantial to the post, I just cut it.

[roymond]

You can now create "Pages" on Google Plus for brands or bands, etc. Just like Facebook (sort of). Roymond now has a page. Why...you ask...because he can.

Maybe one of the overlords would make the Song Fight page.

[Lunkhead]

Dang, just when I figured out how to write code to post to the Facebook Page, now I have to figure this s$#@ out too. Thanks for nothing, Google!

[roymond]

Keep in mind that it's not like a Facebook page in that no one can post comments on the G+ page. It's a lot like a user in that you can circle it and read its posts, but I don't know how this builds community. It's more a broadcast page for Song Fight, as far as I can see.

[Lunkhead]

That's fine. I'm not commenting on the Song Fight! Facebook Page's wall as me, I'm posting to its wall as the Song Fight! Page. So I'm using it just to broadcast the relevant Song Fight! related events (new titles, new songs, fight results). Mostly I just want to learn how to post to these sites, but also putting those notifications out in different channels might reach more people.

[jb]

I made a Google+ Page for Song Fight.

https://plus.google.com/110991524416548787705

Add it to a circle.

[roymond]

That's fine. I'm not commenting on the Song Fight! Facebook Page's wall as me, I'm posting to its wall as the Song Fight! Page. So I'm using it just to broadcast the relevant Song Fight! related events (new titles, new songs, fight results). Mostly I just want to learn how to post to these sites, but also putting those notifications out in different channels might reach more people.

Useful updates:
- new fight titles
- new winners
- SF Live announce
- Ken's Stupid Deal of the Day Band and Stuff

[Spud]

Wow, I become more obsolete every day. Just add voting and I can retire.

[Paco Del Stinko]

Aw, man. I need you, Spud! I have no idea about any of this! Carry the torch high! Proud!

[roymond]

Wow, I become more obsolete every day. Just add voting and I can retire.

I believe there's no original content used by any of these features...all directly fed by the Spud and JBB show. Pull the plug there and the house of cards crumble.

Oh, I see, your advertising revenue goes down when site traffic drops off...fair enough.

[Lunkhead]

I'm sorry if I've offended you, Spud. If I did, it was unintentional. My intention was simply to get Song Fight! info out into more channels. I think of the target audiences for these notifications as: 1) people who are checking Twitter/Facebook all the the time, but who aren't necessarily hitting refresh on songfight.org every 5 minutes, and 2) the millions of people on those sites who don't even know about Song Fight!. You're reaching those people without having to do anything different than what you're already doing, which to me seems like a good thing. If anything it seems like it could make what you're doing even more relevant. But if it really bothers you, just say the word and I'll turn it all off.

[roymond]

Is this an Occupy Song Fight moment?

mic check! mic check!

[JonPorobil]

1% of all Songfighters upload 100% of all the songs. It's time to OCCUPY SPUD.

Just kidding. Whatever happened to that "Oust the Mods" troll? He was kind of entertaining.

[jb]

You shut your mouth