I still don't get it how Google can ignore the fact that people have multiple Google accounts, yet insist on everyone having one true Google+ account. I've decided that I want my Google+ "identity" to be based on my company's Google account. Which for example does not have support for logging in to YouTube. What then?

Like many of us, you'll have multiple G+ accounts.

Doing this in conjunction with Chrome's multi-user features (settings -> users -> add new user) has made this setup a lot smoother.

There's also a command line argument that lets you specify a different profile subdirectory, for even more separation. (I believe this was also available before Google added the multiple user support and/or made it on by default.

Can you share a link about that command line argument thing?

From the mouth of Google / Chromium project:

http://www.chromium.org/developers/creating-and-using-profil...

http://www.chromium.org/user-experience/user-data-directory

A couple of other takes that look useful for some (e.g. screenshots and a bit more context about data bleed) -- apologies for any spamminess I missed/ignored while quickly skimming these (e.g. IIRC wikihow does not have the most sterling reputation).

http://www.wikihow.com/Create-Multiple-Google-Chrome-Profile...

http://www.labnol.org/software/create-family-profiles-in-goo...

To maintain a separate youtube identity I use this

http://kwerty.com/YouTube-User-Guard

I'm really surprised by the comments here. I came in expecting to see "oh thank goodness; now maybe 'YouTube comments' will stop being the gold standard for the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory."

is there any evidence at all that forcing real names in Internet comments improves quality? Its a sentiment you hear parroted a lot, and it's a justification for a lot of pretty damn user unfriendly moves.

For instance Facebook comments are far from the height of civility and well thought out discourse.

Our local paper (stltoday.com) uses Facebook comments on its stories and the discourse is notoriously bad. Either these people don't realize their real names are attached or they don't care.

Are you sure those are real names? I've had around five fb accounts, only one or two used my real name.

I think in most cases the average user will only have one account, with their real name attached.

Really? Maybe because some people still remember how things used to be in the good old days when people themselves were a little more caution about privacy on the internet.

Heck, even youtube was like that: http://i.imgur.com/H0VCNde.jpg

And now you are supposed to use your real name. Yeah, that reduces the stupid comments. But it also reduces every other type of comment that isn't on the "This is nice" or "I like this video" kind of null comments.

Even if you are okay with just these types of comments, would you want your network to see that you commented like that on My little Pony videos? Or anything else that isn't illegal or shady but basically just embarrassing.

I myself would not want a google search for my name to produce my comment history I left on youtube videos. But that's just me.

The most interesting quote from this article:

Just because it's powered by Google+ doesn't mean that you'll lose your YouTube identity, though. "You are still allowed to use pseudonyms," said Janakiram, whether you're "a Syrian dissident or SoulPancake".

Made me wonder, who is Janakiram? Article says: Nundu Janakiram, product manager at YouTube.

Wonder if his views are indicating a shift at Google proper? or just YouTube.

Previous discussion: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6440009

It has little to do with the quality of the comments, but a greater initiative of a Single Identity online. For better tracking, control, and ad coverage. The goals that also align well with the government.

First, they got a hold of our data with trendy cloud computing. Now they gradually lock in our identities - for our own good.

Time to stop using youtube... sigh. Google sure knows how to destroy services.

So you actually comment on youtube?

He's upset that the comments section might show him more than one comment worth reading. Good comments are a huge time sink!

I do. I have many videos on youtube and have had many mini-conversations on youtube. And I think this is a disappointing move. YMMV.

huh, I prefer to keep this gamer tag and youtube acct "smtddr" not connected to my realname on g+.

Have you tried recently? I don't remember the steps, but they let me create a public page for my YouTube account. I still have one Google/Google+ account, but all my YouTube stuff (videos, playlists, favorites, etc) is tied to that public page, which I've locked down on Google+.

So my channel still has my original YouTube name and comments won't be made with my real name.

Good luck. Google's adamant about using its position with search and YouTube and other products to get everyone to use Google+, and there's no room for anonymity on Google+.

"to get everyone to use Google+"

To which I say: good luck. :-)

My gamer tag youtube became a G+ Page that I can manage with my professional email.