(I can has vote pleeze? kthxbai!)
Will the Nym Wars ever arrive at some semblance of a reasonable compromise? Like a lot of folks these days, I tend to avoid commenting on this matter in the location where it's still being hotly contested, namely Google+. Why? Because, for the time being, I am still in violation of their anti-pseudonym policy. If this wasn't such an important issue, then as of this entry, why does a Google search query for nym wars yield around 1,560,000 results?
Don't get me wrong, I adore Google+ despite their insistence upon use of "real names." What confounds me is the myopic lack of general understanding why pseudonym use is indeed valid and necessary. Even one of America's best known founders, Benjamin Franklin, periodically used some clever noms de guerre. I can't help but wonder what Mr. Franklin would have to say about today's forced erosion of privacy, and subsequently, free speech.
About a month ago, I took a bit of risk by becoming personally proactive in self-defense. I privately contacted a Google+ VIP directly involved with the project and "came out" as it were. I also started a growing G+ circle of Google VIPs. That circle, along with my circles of veteran Newsvine alums, and my "besties" have permission to view my real name in "Other names." Not that I expect my offering to spare me from the public real names guillotine, however it's still better than doing nothing but debating endlessly in what's becoming a drone of white noise. As stated in the previous entry, my ego really isn't *that* big.
