Google's at it Again ... or How They Just Don't GET That I Don't Want a Google+ Account

If you would like to sign a petition that was created on Change.org to express your outrage at Google's new policies, click here, PLEASE! 

It begins slowly, little by little with messages popping up asking if you'd like all your existing Google account to share a name. This, just to point out quickly, is dumb because I may have used my birth name for my business email at Gmail, and the name Serialkillaz01010101 as my Youtube account. So no, Google, I do not want strangers to know my given name when I comment on Dr. Phil videos, nor do I want any business inquiries to see my name pop up on their dashboard as 'SerialKillaz4lyfesuuuuun' when I reply to a job posting on Monster.

I tried to ignore these pop ups for the most part until today, when it seems that they have integrated their "magnum opus", the complete change of commenting on Youtube.  I finally had to give in, for it would not let me post comments without choosing a name that would either carrying itself across all of my Google accounts, or separate one name for YouTube, one name for all the rest. The kicker in this is that whichever option you choose you are notified that a Google+ account is going to be opened for you, regardless of whether or not you want one (I think you know from my previous experience that I do not want one. Ever).

 Now look, I get it. Google wants to integrate their Google+ service in a way that they believe will help it's users to easily navigate between all their Google accounts. And I understand that they sank real money into creating Google+, in hopes that it would rival Facebook in it's "sharing" and "connecting" capabilities. I also understand that no one used Google+, mostly due to it being unnecessary as people are capable of either bookmarking or simply typing gmail or blogger into their search engines. Ultimately the problem Google+ faced was that Google users were sick of involuntarily having Google+ accounts opened for them, without the ability to choose if they wanted one or not.

 Now I don't know about you, but I sure don't like it when my freedom of choice is taken away from me. I certainly don't like it when a company imposes their service upon me as a requirement for continuing to access another one of their services that, up until that point, had no strings attached to it. It's insidious! If you know what I am talking about, let me continue making points that you, or others you know, may be thinking about your experience with the Evil Overlord of our Digital Information, Google.

• They make it 99.9% impossible for you to figure out how to delete your Google+ account without flushing your whole Google identity (Gmail, Blogger, etc.) down the toilet.
• Only YouTube can be 'untethered' or 'unlinked' from your Google account. This is the easiest thing to do as the YouTube community is forever experiences "awesome new changes" and have an active text box to voice outrage.
• They do NOT want you to ever contact them EVER!
• They don't read comments or feedback that is ALL OVER THE INTERNET!!!
• Well, it seems they just don't care then... *sad face*

The first three points are tied together, as this is what you'll experience and grow to understand as you are feverishly clicking through link after link of 'need help?', 'click here', 'easy solutions', etc. The funniest part of all the "help" links they extend to you is that they lead you to forums. These are filled with Google users who have no idea when their inquiries will be answered by other Google users, because fuck if any actual Google employees read the forums. Those are for plebs! Seriously, here is the link to the Google "help page." It does not give you an option to email anyone, because to Google, all of our problems are the same. No one has ever experienced unique problems, and so you are forced to ask strangers, who may know even less, and may give you wrong information, for help. Lastly, good luck finding an email address to contact someone at Google by 'googling' it. That sentence was completely ridiculous...

The last two points are one in the same. Hit any of those links and you'll see just how filled with hatred people like me are over this. You would think that Google would take our feelings into consideration, you know, the people who made Google what it is today, you know, a fucking VERB? Once again big businesses ignore the pleas of the little guys, and this time they've gone to far. Do they really think that Google+ will stand the test of time? Remember Myspace? Facebook is fading fast in lieu of Twitter and Instagram/Tumblr.

So what exactly is their end game here? To silently tether all Google accounts and hold a stead grip on users from behind the scenes? Whether we like it or not we are considered Google+ users if we have Gmail, Blogger, etc. That effects their bottom line, and makes it appear that Google+ is successful and ever flourishing. The worst part, for me is that I have no power over this. I could, of course, delete my gmail account and find another free email service, but the alternatives are archaic at best. I could switch my blog to Wordpress *vomits* but ... *vomits*.

So I have to take it, and that's the saddest part of all. Google could save their loyal users all sorts of trouble by making one simple change, and they won't because it's easier to be devious. Disgusting. This is why I have no Twitter, Facebook, or any social media profile because it is so easy to get trapped due to vanity (and it is vanity, don't get me started, or do, this blog needs more posts :[ ). Do with this what you will, I'm tired, it's late, and I need a lay down. Have a song to ease the pain. Guess what? It's from YouTube *vomits*