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This seems positive for developers, extremely negative to users. For the developers they get more accountability and are able to talk with their users if they

This seems positive for developers, extremely negative to users. For the developers they get more accountability and are able to talk with their users if they want more information. It also might slightly discourage some fake-negative reviews (e.g. anti-competitive reviews). For users it has all kinds of negative consequences. You will need a G+ account to review at all. You will appear in Google search results (i.e. potential employers can find that you downloaded the Angry Birds app). It will allow developers to both harass reviewers directly (via G+ messages) and indirectly (use G+ information to find them in the telephone book and call them/send them a rude letter/sue them). All in all it is a mixed bag. I think in general the response to this will be mostly negative. Blizzard tried this with their Battle.net accounts and it resulted in a massive amount of bullying, harassment, and in general problems. They were forced to pull it soon after.

antr 14y ago
The only way this can be positive for the users is if Google links the developers' Google+ accounts to their Apps. This way they will be held accountable too. Right now users do not know who the developers behind the Apps are (unless explicitly mentioned in their website, etc.), by linking it to the Google+ profile (here comes my WAG) developers of crappy, spammy and clone apps can be made accountable, and consequently reducing the number of overall bogus/lame apps in the Android ecosystem.
- rkwz 14y ago
  A Google+ account can be created by anyone and for any number of times. How does this solve the bogus/virus apps problem?
- diminoten 14y ago
  I'm trying to imagine the scenario where my app publishing history precludes me from a job, and I'm struggling.
  - Evbn 14y ago
    "Sexy Movie Stars of an Unexpected Gender Free"
  - blake8086 14y ago
    Apps for tracking specific medical conditions. Apps related to financial difficulty: budgeting, bankruptcy, etc. Apps that seem mischievous: hacking, tracking, encrypting, pirating, etc.
    - diminoten 14y ago
      Yeah, I don't see a scenario where a company would decide not to hire me because of any of this activity.
e40 14y ago
I completely agree. I'm not a developer of Android apps, just a user. No longer will I post a negative review, for the reasons you mentioned. This will have the unintended side effect of reducing the quality of reviews and that is a very bad thing for Android users.
abrahamsen 14y ago
There are advantages for readers as well. Assuming it will work like Google Local, then reviews from people you are connected to will be emphasized, and if you wonder about a specific review you can see a profile of the reviewer. Does he hate all Mexican food places, or only this one? The direct disadvantages are for the reviewers, who are the ones who loose anonymity.
uween 14y ago
Your last statement is incorrect. Blizzard proposed to try it when they rolled out their new version of battle.net in 2010, but they reneged long before release when some people kicked up a gargantuan fuss. The people who opposed it -speculated- that it would result in bullying, harassment, gender-discrimination and other general problems.

antr 14y ago

The only way this can be positive for the users is if Google links the developers' Google+ accounts to their Apps. This way they will be held accountable too. Right now users do not know who the developers behind the Apps are (unless explicitly mentioned in their website, etc.), by linking it to the Google+ profile (here comes my WAG) developers of crappy, spammy and clone apps can be made accountable, and consequently reducing the number of overall bogus/lame apps in the Android ecosystem.

rkwz 14y ago
A Google+ account can be created by anyone and for any number of times. How does this solve the bogus/virus apps problem?
diminoten 14y ago
I'm trying to imagine the scenario where my app publishing history precludes me from a job, and I'm struggling.
- Evbn 14y ago
  "Sexy Movie Stars of an Unexpected Gender Free"
- blake8086 14y ago
  Apps for tracking specific medical conditions. Apps related to financial difficulty: budgeting, bankruptcy, etc. Apps that seem mischievous: hacking, tracking, encrypting, pirating, etc.
  - diminoten 14y ago
    Yeah, I don't see a scenario where a company would decide not to hire me because of any of this activity.

e40 14y ago

I completely agree. I'm not a developer of Android apps, just a user. No longer will I post a negative review, for the reasons you mentioned. This will have the unintended side effect of reducing the quality of reviews and that is a very bad thing for Android users.

abrahamsen 14y ago

There are advantages for readers as well. Assuming it will work like Google Local, then reviews from people you are connected to will be emphasized, and if you wonder about a specific review you can see a profile of the reviewer. Does he hate all Mexican food places, or only this one? The direct disadvantages are for the reviewers, who are the ones who loose anonymity.

uween 14y ago

Your last statement is incorrect. Blizzard proposed to try it when they rolled out their new version of battle.net in 2010, but they reneged long before release when some people kicked up a gargantuan fuss. The people who opposed it -speculated- that it would result in bullying, harassment, gender-discrimination and other general problems.