How I Defeated Google (and You can too)

Back in July of 2011 I wrote the post “An Open Letter to Google+ .. Your Policy Is Nuts (with all due respect)“. I won’t go into the details but it was a scathing report on Google’s draconian anti-privacy policy to disallow pseudonyms on its Google+ network, and my advocating for the use of “established” pseudonyms.

About six months later Google reversed that decision:

To be approved, the ‘nym must now be considered “established” and get approved in Google’s hazy appeal process…

During those six months I continued writing against the policy and hounded Google Plus VP Vic Gundotra on Twitter. I heckled him so much that he even blocked me.

I thought that was funny. You can only stick your head in the sand for so long. Thank goodness for blogs. Can’t block me on the internet yet but I’m sure they’re working on it.

He’s still trying to ignore me by the way. Being an effective advocate is not a troll, and it’s bad customer service on your part. Just saying Vic.

By blocking me Gundotra let me know in a roundabout way that I was getting to him. So when I see Google changing it’s policy and even quoting me (allowing “established” pseudonyms) I know that my efforts weren’t in vain.

Coincidence? I don’t believe in coincidence especially since everything was in Google’s favor to keep it’s policy intact.

Of course I wasn’t the only one affected and there were probably other mitigating factors that helped. But I was out in front leading the charge and when others gave up, I didn’t.

So the moral of the story is if I could be successful so can you. You need to speak up folks because if you don’t they will definitely run rampant over your rights.

Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you either. Apathy and laziness can be lethal. There is strength in numbers and in the end we consumers will rule the day.

Or like I said on Twitter:

The power in social media is not about warm and fuzzy pictures — the REAL power is citizen journalism and advocacy.

Get real and give them hell.

Filed under: Blog Tips, Featured Articles, Privacy Tips, Search Engine, Social Media Tips Google, google plus

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