I’m pretty sure that Google+ is making a mistake of galactic proportions in suspending @LordPalpatine‘s account. That’s a bad pun but it is also true.
One of the first things I noticed about Google+ was that the “Following” circle, and the non-requited fashion with which it deals with connections means that it incorporates the functionality of Twitter and Facebook into a single interface. This is very smart from a competitive standpoint. If you couple this with a plug-in that will echo selected output to other social services you’ve got a strong argument for G+ being someone’s ‘primary’ app.
Unfortunately the decision to crack down on ‘bogus’ names handicaps some of that functionality. Part of the beauty of Twitter (and even Facebook Pages!) is the ability that it gives public identity holders and businesses to speak directly to their connected audiences. If you strip these entities of their ability to make use of the G+ platform in an accustomed manner, you’re basically telling them that they have no place here.
I think that is an enormous mistake, especially right now in the opening stages. Let’s not be naive here: 10 Million users is not some sort of market share milestone in the Social Network business anymore. The clock is ticking right now on G+ success and they don’t have long to prove their viability before usage starts to drop off a la Buzz.
Now is not the time to be closing the door on anyone who is going to add desirable content to the Stream. Google should re-consider their stance here. Is this really a hill they want to fight for? Because frankly, I think a G+ without @TychoBrahe, @StewieGriffin, and the @DeathStarPR machine is a less-fun place.
Agree? Disagree? Comment here, or head over to my Google+ post and talk it up.
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