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Is it "evil"? No. While I agree with the author that it sucks, I feel that calling it evil dilutes the word of the power it should have when used. So much ink

Is it "evil"? No. While I agree with the author that it sucks, I feel that calling it evil dilutes the word of the power it should have when used. So much ink has been spilled on the "evil" stuff that it seems as though people's energy and attention spans are exhausted when the more "banal" stuff comes around. And so Google can get away with shoving as much G+ on us as they like. "Google, don't be banal"....more accurate, but decidedly less catchy

kevingadd 13y ago
Tricking/coercing users into broadcasting their real name to the internet (through repetition, malicious UX design and just plain broken software) is actually pretty close to 'evil', since it can put some groups at risk. Less relevant for a Youtube account, perhaps, but the same criticisms of FB and G+ 'Real Names' policies apply here to Google trying to force YT users to display real names.
- sirkneeland 13y ago
  Okay I concede I hadn't considered that. It can definitely be upgraded to evil status then.
  - thatswrong0 13y ago
    Definitely falls into the 'dark pattern' category as well. http://www.90percentofeverything.com/2013/07/23/the-slippery-slope/ http://www.90percentofeverything.com/2013/07/23/the-slippery...
- jevinskie 13y ago
  Exactly. They pester you quite often to try to link YouTube with Google+. I'm surprised I haven't accidentally clicked the wrong choice yet. The copy for the two options is confusing!
  - kevingadd 13y ago
    They've changed them/moved them a few times, too. Presumably in the hopes that you'll screw up.
    - jevinskie 13y ago
      It just happened again. It is a two step process. 1) "Hey fix your name, you better do this!" and then if you click "No", it does 2) "Are you really sure?" with a new way of presenting the same two choices! It is absolutely a dark pattern and I am thinking about finding/writing a browser extension to take care of it.
- Draiken 13y ago
  I unfortunately got tired of those damn dialogs one day and ended up with a G+ profile. Their methods are getting more and more like dark patterns (just colorful ones). I deleted my G+ account and fortunately didn't lose my subscriptions. Thanks to that I'll never comment on another youtube video again.

kevingadd 13y ago

Tricking/coercing users into broadcasting their real name to the internet (through repetition, malicious UX design and just plain broken software) is actually pretty close to 'evil', since it can put some groups at risk. Less relevant for a Youtube account, perhaps, but the same criticisms of FB and G+ 'Real Names' policies apply here to Google trying to force YT users to display real names.

sirkneeland 13y ago
Okay I concede I hadn't considered that. It can definitely be upgraded to evil status then.
- thatswrong0 13y ago
  Definitely falls into the 'dark pattern' category as well. http://www.90percentofeverything.com/2013/07/23/the-slippery-slope/ http://www.90percentofeverything.com/2013/07/23/the-slippery...
jevinskie 13y ago
Exactly. They pester you quite often to try to link YouTube with Google+. I'm surprised I haven't accidentally clicked the wrong choice yet. The copy for the two options is confusing!
- kevingadd 13y ago
  They've changed them/moved them a few times, too. Presumably in the hopes that you'll screw up.
  - jevinskie 13y ago
    It just happened again. It is a two step process. 1) "Hey fix your name, you better do this!" and then if you click "No", it does 2) "Are you really sure?" with a new way of presenting the same two choices! It is absolutely a dark pattern and I am thinking about finding/writing a browser extension to take care of it.
Draiken 13y ago
I unfortunately got tired of those damn dialogs one day and ended up with a G+ profile. Their methods are getting more and more like dark patterns (just colorful ones). I deleted my G+ account and fortunately didn't lose my subscriptions. Thanks to that I'll never comment on another youtube video again.