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The Google Account was already in use before Google+ was created. The difference was that you could have a mixture of services enabled for your account (I only
by adrianb 13y ago
The Google Account was already in use before Google+ was created. The difference was that you could have a mixture of services enabled for your account (I only use Gmail, I never use Picasa so I don't have it on my an account).
Now they seem to force you to always have the Google+ enabled even if you never use it. Including for older accounts. I guess this is what makes people angry. It's like being prompted to create Picasa albums every time you try to read your Gmail.
- Shooti 13y agoExactly his point: A lot of the Google services hosted within a Google account essentially served as independent accounts themselves, each with their own independent sharing model/systems divorced from the others. Google's trying to switch over to a new system there's just one generalized Google identity (hosted by G+), and all of the products/services tap into that. If you want that identity to be your real identity, you use a Google+ Profile. If you want to remain anonymous or represent a business entity/organisation, you use a G+ Page. The problem is there's two Google+' sharing the same name: "Google+, the identity system" and "Google+, the social network" and they've done a hamfisted job of explaining what the value of any of it is to the user.
- DominikR 13y agoNo you are not forced to have Google+ enabled on your Google Account. Some social services like Youtube and Google+ require it, but you could still use Gmail without having Google+ enabled.