All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
Summary: If you don't make your Google Profile public and searchable by Google+ users by July 31st, Google will delete it.
If you're using a Google Profile - which describes anyone using the new Google+ social network - Google's issuing an ultimatum: If you don't make your profile public by July 31st, Google will delete it.
Here's Google's official help article on "Public Profiles:"
The purpose of Google Profiles is to enable you to manage your online identity. Today, nearly all Google Profiles are public. We believe that using Google Profiles to help people find and connect with you online is how the product is best used. Private profiles don’t allow this, so we have decided to require all profiles to be public.
Keep in mind that your full name and gender are the only required information that will be displayed on your profile; you’ll be able to edit or remove any other information that you don’t want to share.
If you currently have a private profile but you do not wish to make your profile public, you can delete your profile. Or, you can simply do nothing. All private profiles will be deleted after July 31, 2011.
In other words, if you've been keeping your Google Profile private for the sake of social media invisibility, well - you can't. Google is requiring that Google+ users be able to at least see that you exist on the network when doing searches. Oddly enough, Facebook still allows users to pull a more complete disappearing actthrough a judicious use of privacy settings.
As Searchengineland points out, though, Google Profiles do still have the option to avoid Google search indexing. But anyone within Google+ can still track you down thanks to this change.
It's obviously part of a play to help the fledgling Google+ Project get off the ground - more public Google Profiles searchable means more connections made means more active users. What's more is that I don't think most people will even notice the change.
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Talkback
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
They appear to feel the need to force them to use Google
That is the only reason that makes sense
:|
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
good move
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
Which is why I never give my Facebook identity to anyone. The first time I friend, anyone can track me down. Which has in fact been tried there; my wife mentioned an unsavory character from my college days that was persistent enough to friend a cousin (different last name) a couple years back...
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
1. You have a Google Account/Login
This login/account can be connected to accounts on all other services of Google (Gmail, youtube, etc) and manage them all.
2. That account can have a profile or not have a profile. (THIS is the key here)
If you have a profile, that means you've created sort of a "life-card" for your account (similar to a Business card in the real world) that helps describe who you are and what you do (and how to contact/find you). *** You do NOT have to create a profile. ***
If you choose to have a private profile, THAT (i.e. the profile) will be deleted on August 1. Your account will still be fine, but your profile will no longer exist. Think of it as getting rid of all your business cards, and your entry in the phone book.
Of course, without a profile, your account will not be able to use Google+ (and possibly other services as well).
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
The idea is to have a private GROUP of people
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
Indeed, this is a move that's is only beneficial to stalkers and google.
Looking forward to it
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
Google is providing you a service at no cost to you.
Don't like it, then don't use it
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
Your information is already available if you use any social networks, have credit cards or a criminal history. Get used to it.
Well, I guess it's better than...
At the moment, I'm just using pseudonyms. Seeing private profiles go is a bit annoying as there IS information I would like to share with a select group of people, but not with the entire world. Something like individual profiles/personas for each of the Google+ circles rather than it all being the same monolithic social identity and without having to hassle with multiple Google accounts.
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st
Just remember Mad Men was a TV show, but they were in advertising, just like Google ;-)
RE: All Google Profiles will be public, private profiles deleted on July 31st