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I'd like it if I didn't need a Google account to read anything on it.

Well be happy then, you don't need a Google account, as can be seen by entering the url in an Incognito window.

The problem arises if you are signed into google elsewhere but not on G+.

Yeah, it's pretty lame that if I'm signed into Google but don't want to accept G+'s real name policy, I can't read otherwise public posts.