[rmrm]

most normal people that use a google account already have a single account they use for gmail, google maps, google search, youtube, etc.

They have long had account integration across properties.

What they have never had was very much of a functional integration across properties.

[eliasmacpherson]

I disagree, I'd wager most people that use a google account already use it only for gmail, as there's little interest in logging in to their other services.

[rmrm]

my point is that most people dont create a different google account for each google service they use. They use one account, for however many google services they do use.

my sister uses her account for gmail and picasa and for uploading to youtube.

my dad uses his account for gmail, picasa, and android market.

my mom uses just gmail

as, or if, people add Google services, they use their one account. The only normal person use case for creating more accounts is for having two accounts with one service, i.e. 2 gmails, 2 picasas, 2 youtubes, etc.

[jamesbritt]

my point is that most people dont create a different google account for each google service they use. They use one account, for however many google services they do use.

Not me. (Anecdata, selection bias and all that.)

I used to be able to bounce between youtube and gmail with different accounts, in the same browser session. Then one day I was greeted with the Universal Google Session. Now I need to use different browsers.

However, given Google's direction, I'm looking to replace my Google services usage with non-Google alternatives, so this will be a short-lived problem for me.

[asto]

No point using separate IDs for different services. Google will still tie them together. Here's a little story (that might scare you).

A few months ago, my brother bought an android phone. He synced contacts with his gmail account. And when I looked at my info on his contact list, I saw that gmail had associated my name with a couple of accounts I had made as a kid and haven't used in half a decade. How they did that, I don't know.

In any case, that aside, I really don't mind that they are profiling me as long as the intent remains good. I like it that the ads are tailored for me. I like that youtube suggests videos that I might be interested in. I like it that I don't have to sign in over and over again to login to different services. These are all features to me and a majority of the internet using public.

If you don't want to be profiled you should consider pooling money and creating your own email service with like-minded people, use diaspora/anonymous boards for networking etc. Avoiding google is do-able. It just requires more resources.

I find that most people who are complaining are neither willing to give up a bit of privacy nor are they willing to pay more or work harder to protect their privacy. You can't eat your cake and have it too!

[jamesbritt]

If you don't want to be profiled you should consider pooling money and creating your own email service with like-minded people, use diaspora/anonymous boards for networking etc. Avoiding google is do-able. It just requires more resources.

Absolutely. I may go back to running my own mail server, or keep sing Google for apps while dropping YouTube in favor of Vimeo, and moving to Diaspora and skipping g+.

I find that most people who are complaining are neither willing to give up a bit of privacy nor are they willing to pay more or work harder to protect their privacy. You can't eat your cake and have it too!

Yes; for example I noticed that some Occupy<CityOrPlace> groups are on the one the hand complaining about companies violating privacy and using personal data for economic fodder while at the same time happily using Facebook to as their "homepage".

At some point principles have to trump convenience.

[salemh]

Will these be linked to say, a singular G+ account?

EG: I have multiple Gmail's for different youtubes, websites, etc. One singular G+ account. I don't want all of that information linked to my G+.

This is confusing and frustrating.

[salemh]

I have separate Gmail accounts for you tubes realted to various verticals (which are unrelated to each other).

Separate Gmail accounts for websites (perhaps I need Google Apps).

Most of these various Gmails are fwd'd to my main Gmail account for easy monitoring (which is also my +).

I post this, because it seems unclear on the future (or potential policies) of non-real-name accounts.

If some horrendous requirement for alt-gmail accounts must register for G+...

[eliasmacpherson]

My point is that 'most people' I refer to didn't create different google accounts, they created a singular gmail account. You seem to be focused on 'active user' accounts, the google account with gmail is now 'contagious' and is automatically signing you up for stuff that you never signed up for before: e.g. youtube.

[rmrm]

GMail users are the biggest users of "other" Google services around, because of the integrated login. Because of the "contagion" working over time.

Most normal people like that behavior. I had all these Google contacts on my computer, now they're on my phone when I bought it and signed in. Or I made Google checkout for my phone, now I can rent movies on Youtube. Or buy a book I saw in search results. And my phtos from my phone go right to Picasa. Where I can use the Google checkout to buy photo prints of them.

That your Android account is your gmail account is your youtube account is a selling point of Google services to a normal person.

I heard that Android thing is doing pretty well, and it is the single most heavily account integrated thing Google has ever done. The contagion seems to be working so far as "active user" accounts go.

[eliasmacpherson]

You are mistaken in thinking you have to be logged in to be a user. I'm still using youtube, just not logged in.

I don't have a problem with an integrated login which is what they've had up until now, and which your family have been using successfully. I do have a problem with an automatically integrated login - one of the reasons I avoided google+, and indeed the Android. It's the automatic behaviour that I labelled 'contagious'. All these convenience functions that you bring up sound fantastic if you can opt in and opt out at will, however it's the automatic nature of this 'contagion' that is annoying.

Don't try to speak for a 'normal person', it's a poor choice of words in any case. Privacy conscious people are not abnormal. I know plenty of people for whom having their photos go from their phone to picasa automatically would be an absolute nightmare, and they have very normal privacy concerns.

I'm sure you do not subscribe to "if you've done nothing wrong, you've got nothing to hide".