I'm not entirely sure whether or even how real names could really help with increasing profits for online advertising. I'd say interests and preferences would m

I'm not entirely sure whether or even how real names could really help with increasing profits for online advertising. I'd say interests and preferences would matter but I can't see how the name would. Google+ does support nicknames and pseudonyms now, but yes there is a preference for users to use their real names. Also personally, I don't really think real anonymity truly exists on the web anymore and in such a scenario I trust the bigger companies more than the thousands of tracking companies but I'll write that rant sometime else. Coming back to real names in Google+, I'm not entirely sure why Google+ prefers it, but I think it ties in with generating better social signals. Facebook really showed the way here. If people use their real names it's easier to find real friends. I also would care about signals/content created by friends with real names. I'd care more what a particular friend I know has recommended more that what rockstar_spongebob has. Also if I'm rockstar_spongebob on a website, I'd lose the incentive to connect with only people who are my "real" friends and I'll end up adding lots of people at random. I think this is what happened on Digg and these "friendships" had no true affinity (atleast on Digg). I truly would never have cared about restaurants recommended by my Digg friends. Of course these reasons are just my guesses and I really have no research/data to back it up.