NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] Google reportedly eliminates Android app review anonymity
Google reportedly eliminates Android app review anonymity
http://j.mp/WWhHRp (ars technica)
"In an apparent attempt to eliminate anonymous trolling in Android app
reviews, Google is now requiring users to sign up for Google+ before
posting reviews of Android apps on the Google Play store. The change
apparently went live overnight."
- - -
While Google's desire to reduce the number of trolling, low quality,
and purposefully disruptive reviews of Android apps is admirable, and
Google understandably wishes to encourage the use of Google+,
completely eliminating the ability to post an anonymous review seems
likely to significantly decrease the number of quality reviews over
time. Many people will hold back on honest assessments when
identified -- not wanting to seem too critical in public -- and it
also seems likely that many persons will refrain from posting useful
reviews since they view their app interest/purchase patterns (which
could include serious and recreational apps) as being private to their
firms and/or personal information. I believe a combination of better
crowdsourced ratings and the ability to post an anonymous review from
a Google+ account would have been a better compromise approach.
Obviously not being able to post anonymous reviews is not an
end-of-the-world situation, and motivated reviewers could create dummy
G+ accounts for such purposes. Still, the reportedly complete
elimination of anonymity in this sphere seems problematic.
--Lauren--
Lauren Weinstein (lauren@vortex.com): http://www.vortex.com/lauren
Co-Founder: People For Internet Responsibility: http://www.pfir.org/pfir-info
Founder:
- Network Neutrality Squad: http://www.nnsquad.org
- PRIVACY Forum: http://www.vortex.com/privacy-info
- Data Wisdom Explorers League: http://www.dwel.org
- Global Coalition for Transparent Internet Performance: http://www.gctip.org
Member: ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy
Lauren's Blog: http://lauren.vortex.com
Google+: http://vortex.com/g+lauren / Twitter: http://vortex.com/t-lauren
Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800 / Skype: vortex.com
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