Google is not stopping to remind users of their rules on Google+ right from the get go. Using a fake name is not acceptable prints this CNN.com article. The approach provides much needed authenticity to people on the Internet while presenting a challenge to existing social networks.

When it comes to real names and identities G+ is making real names a feature launched too early to resist. On the other side of the social network battle sits Facebook, with a ‘social culture’ accustom to using false identities. Since the Facebook culture is relatively developed, veering from the norm is risky business as change isn’t always welcome.

If Facebook chose to enforce it’s terms of service with a firm hand it’s likely to upset users, inconveniencing them, or possibly causing them to leave. Businesses who rely on personal accounts instead of page and place accounts will lose connections, or have to work hard to migrate their fan base.

The Consequences of Fake Names on Facebook

Real names mean big bucks, at least when it comes to valuation. A false identity in the eyes of an advertising and marketing executive doesn’t hold much value. It’s similar to disqualifying a survey because the respondent answers the same question two different ways.

In regard to business pages and places, fake names or incorrectly used accounts devalue Facebook as a whole. Facebook designed features for these types of accounts and the less people who leverage the features appropriately, the less users benefit. While the messaging feature is not enabled like it is for a personal account, many valuable features for businesses are available on the page.

P.S. using a personal account on Facebook for commercial purposes is a violation of their terms, see point 4 under the “Statement of Rights and Responsibilities” titled “Registration and Account Security”.

It’s Not Google’s First Identity Crisis

Back when Google acquired foursquare and delivered Google Places, they ran into some serious data quality and identity issues. Merging data from Google Maps with Google Places was clearly a nightmare. Issue’s still exist with place account ownership and quality of information that cost businesses real money.

An Opportunity for G+ To Differentiate

Google said right from the start, don’t create business profiles yet. Why? Long term common sense says revenue models… as well as ownership of more controlled and higher quality data. This goes hand in hand with their fake name policy as well; as Google+ seeks higher quality and more reliable people information.

Being a new service, Google+ is able to differentiate itself by setting rules early in the game. While parts of a ‘social media culture’ and ‘Facebook culture’ will roll over into Google+, someone who is willing to switch or try something new is more likely to abide by new rules. When new rules are strictly enforced, they become clearly understood.

From Leon Haland, who posted the graph on Google+

Don’t jump too quickly into discrediting Facebook for their challenge. Understanding just how much data they had to manage early in the game was impossible to estimate for the service that gave birth to social networking.

Quality Content is Important

Facebook was a boom, a new way of using technology to interact with people. As more Internet, social media, Facebook, and the likes are consumed, users of all types will require higher quality of content and data. If reliable information is not available, significant credibility is lost.

Search engines also face a similar issue with quality of content and identity. With the growing popularity of Internet marketing and search engine optimization (SEO), the Internet has become flooded with information. Reaching a point of super saturation, there is now a growing need for content filtering which Google+ is addressing head on.

Like Facebook was a progression of MySpace, Google+ will in some ways be a progression of Facebook. It’s highly unlikely Facebook will vanish off the face of the earth like MySpace, but Google+ has an opportunity to pick up where Facebook leaves off.

While people will ultimately decide what social network is best for them, there is always room for new market entrants. As history shows, fad’s are cyclical, and Google+’s method of differentiating seems to be circling lots of attention.

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