Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Google
Google Plus

Google Plus addresses gender and grammar worries

Users will now be able to hide their gender identity from other Google Plus members, while statistics reveal that three quarters of users are male.

GOOGLE HAS ANNOUNCED that it will soon offer users the chance to keep their gender hidden from others. The new privacy setting is in response to feedback from users.

Frances Haughen, a Google Plus product manager, said that “gender can be a sensitive topic, especially on the internet”, reports the Los Angeles Times.  Users will be able to make their gender setting universally visible, visible to only people within certain circles, or hidden completely.

However, anyone signing up to the social networking site will still have to indicate which gender they are. It’s thought that this information will used for targeted advertising.

There are also grammar concerns when it comes to identifying somebody by gender. According to the Washington Post anyone who chooses to hide their gender on Google Plus will now be referred to as ‘they’ when updates are posted; for example ‘Fran updated their profile’.

Google has been quick to address any grammatical concerns, with Haughen joking:

Yes, I know this is grammatically questionable. You don’t need to message me about it.

Meanwhile Mashable reports that three quarters of Google Plus users are male, and 95 per cent of the users who say they are ‘looking for love’ are also male. However the majority of people who were sampled don’t indicate a preference. Sixty per cent of users say they are web developers or software engineers.

More: Google Plus now minus Zuckerberg?>

Everything you need to know about Google Plus>

Your Voice
Readers Comments
3
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.