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Comment by Matt_Cutts | Hacker News Reader

I just saw this and passed it on to the right folks in Google+.

Added: Looks like it's back now. The field test is definitely helpful for finding corner cases that we can improve before rolling out more broadly.

One small thing: If you do the query [site:plus.google.com ladyada] on Bing, it looks like Bing has an older version of the profile. The title for that search result is "Adafruit Industries - Google+" So my quick guess is that the name of "Adafruit Industries" might have been the issue. Either way, I'm glad that it's solved now.

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Matt, can you suggest a strategy for dealing with Google support issues that doesn't involve "get Matt Cutt's attention on Hacker News"?

I don't mean any snark with that question, for what it's worth, but I fear that you don't scale well. :)

So far, it seems the occurrence rate is 1 user in 19,000,000 users. If everyone on Earth joined Google+, then there would be a grand total of 316 similar incidents.

I think Matt will be able to handle that :)

One thing that I love about Google+ is that a bunch of Google employees are feeling more comfortable interacting with the outside world.

For example, it looks like Amanda Walker from Google stopped by Ladyada's blog and left a comment just before me with even better advice than I gave: http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2011/07/23/google-suspended-lim... . Amanda pointed to the official way to appeal, and I believe that appeal would have gone through quickly. So I think the right thing would have happened in not that much more time.

that actually reinforces his point. If she didn't make that post, Amanda wouldn't have showed up to give her comment...neither would you.

And that's pretty weak "support", telling someone to go fill out a customer support form. Especially since it's Google we are talking about here, where the support is pretty much worthless.

Seriously, I hope you guys have some A/I handling support that's just isn't working properly yet...because if the support is handled by actual human beings, you must have an active policy of hiring the lowest common denominator.

vaksel, it looks like the profile was flagged when it was something more like "Adafruit Industries" and less like a person's name. If people want to appeal a suspension, we have a form to appeal that suspension; the form gets the right info to the right people to review. If people have a more complex question or issue, we have forums where people can post.

that's actually the big problem...the account doesn't get judged by the bot over it's current status...and is instead judged through it's entire history...that's a problem...since it means people aren't allowed to ever make a mistake.

this is the same exact reason why my adwords account was permanently suspended over a campaign that was disabled for more than 6 months(which was approved at the time I ran it), just because Google decided to change their rules midway through and apply them retroactively to all campaigns past and present.

"the account doesn't get judged by the bot over it's current status...and is instead judged through it's entire history"

I don't believe that's correct in this case. I believe that earlier today the profile didn't look like it had a real name.

And what would be wrong with a warning email (even an automated one), rather than going direct to execution?

That's an improvement that's scheduled to happen: https://plus.google.com/113116318008017777871/posts/VJoZMS8z... says one of the changes that's coming is "Giving these users a warning and a chance to correct their name in advance of any suspension."

I too think it is great that Google is improving here, but if Ladyada ( <hipster>I knew her back when she was called l3m0n</hipster> ) wasn't a relatively well known blogger this method of "support" wouldn't have worked. Clearly something needs to be done to make the appeal process more visible for average-joe/jane users whose accounts are shutdown.

Matt, Lady Ada is not allowed to use the artistic pen name she goes by, but Lady Gaga is able to use her artistic pen name. I have a feeling the same will apply to Madonna. Clearly there are two standards in play. Certain people are "big" enough and corporate profitized enough to be "permitted" to use their artistic pen name, and others are cast out into the outer darkness. Clearly there is a policy at Google delineating what the cut off point is between the two. Would you please state what the official policy is so that we can know what we have to do before we are allowed to control our own names without having to ask Corporate Google for permission?

Not that you care about me, particularly, but the stories/anecdotes going around describing complete account blocking (1) have kept me from accepting the invitation I received.

Google's help pages, which I'd started reading through, make it sound as if the Google+ profile exists separate from this other access. But I've now seen enough such "WTF I'm blocked -- from everything!" stories to make me very hesitant.

I've thought of making a new account to use with Plus, but there is also some buzz going around that makes it appear Google has coincidentally become more aggressive about pursuing and blocking "duplicate accounts". Again, anecdotes, but worrying.

1) Not just Google+ profile dependent activity, but Gmail, Calendar, Docs, etc.

http://infotrope.net/2011/07/24/more-comments-on-google-plus... says "As far as I know, people are not losing access to all their Google services simply for using a name that Google doesn’t like. I have not yet heard of a single documentable case of this."

... and now it's back.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/108772200278976934119/about

Matt, could we suggest that ban should be suspension of posting rights until naming matter is resolved..we keep hearing reports of people being banned o n G+ but also loosing access to other Google Services..

shareme, good point. My understanding is that suspension of an account because of a "real name" violation does leave the owner with access to Google services like Gmail.

Keep in mind that some people, like me, actually have a one-word name as their legal name.

Would be nice to get a warning email, rather than waking up dead.

There are numerous, if anecdotal, stories indicating otherwise.

There are also some anecdotal stories of people now having trouble due to having multiple Google accounts.

I won't accept my invitation until 1) I know it can't bork my access to Gmail, Calendar, Docs; or 2) I can use it under a different Google account without worrying about being whacked (I don't have a detailed knowledge of these supposed events) for having "duplicate accounts".

I agree with other comments, here; unless you're one of the "beautiful geeks", historically Google support is, well, not so much.

Fuck google. I love there e-mail but hate verything else about them. here me google? FUCK YOU. im sticking with facebook and bing

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