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Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in 2006 Steve White/The Canadian Press/Press Association Images via AP

Trolls beware: YouTube want you to comment using your real name

Video site YouTube has started asking users to provide their real names when commenting. Some of the reasons they allow you to give for declining prove interesting.

IT’S YOUTUBE, JIM, but not as we know it (kinda).

If you’re an avid commenter on the global video sharing site, you may have noticed some changes in the last few days.

When attempting to comment on a video, having logged in, YouTube will now prompt you to start using your full name.

Good news for those who are sick of the weird and wonderful (but mostly weird) anonymous comments, but bad news for the trolls who have so far been footloose and fancy-free where commenting has been concerned.

For those who decline to link their existing YouTube account with their associated Google+ account (assuming you have one), a plethora of reasons for declining are presented.

(Screengrab/YouTube)

Best of the options is – cue YouTube video playing a drum roll – “My channel is for personal use, but I cannot use my real name.”

Coming a close second is the wildly ambiguous “My channel name is well-known for other reasons.”

Hmm, so there we have it.

Do you leave comments on YouTube and if so, are you going to reveal your true identity?

Watch: Weird Wide Web: the week in online oddities >

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37 Comments
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    Mute Damocles
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    Jul 25th 2012, 11:34 AM

    Can I not just set up a gmail account in a random name and use that?

    92
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    Mute Paul Hyland
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    Jul 25th 2012, 11:52 AM

    Yup. I’m pretty sure you can. YouTube have no plans to force you to reveal anything more… for now anyway.

    39
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    Mute Damocles
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:28 PM

    I shall pick the name, completely randomly you understand, Paul Hyland.

    That should do it.

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    Mute Paul Hyland
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:30 PM

    Well this is an unfortunate turn of events :)

    96
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    Mute Paddy Murphy
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:33 PM

    Hey!! woe woe woe, I’m actually paul hyland!

    26
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    Mute Mike Thomas
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:51 PM

    Listen here back off tiger im Paul Hyland.

    20
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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:58 PM

    I am Paul Hyland of the clan Hyland. Hylander, if you will.

    32
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    Mute Deborah Nolan Gregory
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:49 PM

    I’m Paul Holland and so is my wife…

    23
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    Mute Damocles
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:49 PM

    Thank you, Deborah, I was waiting for that one.

    9
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    Mute Deborah Nolan Gregory
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:50 PM

    *Hyland*

    stupid autocorrect and unwieldy thumbs*

    6
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    Mute johndrysdale
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    Jul 25th 2012, 5:16 PM

    Good man Paul, can we all use you so, TANKS.

    6
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    Mute Tommy
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    Jul 25th 2012, 8:08 PM

    Awkward….

    Could the real Paul Humans please stand up? Please stand up… Please stand up!
    #Eminemism

    1
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    Mute Kieran Ross
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    Jul 25th 2012, 11:51 AM

    I selected “Yes” and confirmed youtube to use my real name :(
    Only because I had a can of coke and a mars bar in my system and was trigger happy at my keyboard.

    59
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    Mute nubus
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:04 PM

    Watch out, we got a badass over here

    48
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    Mute True Blue
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    Jul 25th 2012, 11:52 AM

    Good idea. I’m sick of people not using their real names.

    41
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    Mute Philip Kennedy
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:06 PM

    Not sure if very stupid or trolling…

    17
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    Mute Damocles
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:09 PM

    “Philip Kennedy”, if that is your name, I suspect it was irony.

    40
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    Mute Shanti Om
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:16 PM

    I have issues with this enforced usage of personal identity on open public websites (besides the fact that without ID scans it is completely unenforceable)

    I should state that have nothing to hide, mind you neither did my friend who had a guy stalk her via Facebook and then in real life, who ended up trying to murder her. Facebook weren’t exactly helpful when she requested the guys info either – in fact they were very hard to make contact with at all. She had to delete her account, and create another – with a handle, for her *safety*. I guess no one is ever thinking of the negative consequences of sharing all your personal info with whomever happens to view it.

    I don’t know whether it’s that there are more unhinged people on this planet than before, or if the Internet just brings them out of the woodwork, but looking through non-moderated comments sections on public websites, would lead you to believe there’s quite a few more than you would be aware of when you walk down the street.

    The Internet has become the telescreens of 1984. Only “Big Brother” doesn’t need to spy on us, the majority of people are happy to just hand over every minute detail of their lives including where they are and where they are planning on going – other people can even “check you in” to places (location services are “opt out”), what injuries / ailments / weaknesses / insecurities they may have, even what some of them eat. That’s just ammunition to a stalker. Yes, you can set your Facebook to totally private, but the majority of users don’t bother, and some are on such a mission to gain “friends” that they will add anybody.

    Privacy is one of the few rights we can still choose to exercise.. Most people just don’t realise how important it is. Until an employer or potential employer chooses to stalk your Facebook and sees those silly photos you put up on New Years, or your ex starts stalking you via places, or you say something on the Journal that some slightly unhinged person decides is worthy of going to your profile and checking you out (that happens a LOT on here – we can’t vet users, what if one is homicidal? You cannot be sure)

    The Internet started out with handles.. It’s only since it became popular that people started sharing all of these personal details about themselves, which sadly they will find out at some point was a terrible mistake..

    15
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    Mute Raymond Power
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:40 PM

    yesteryears ricky lake audience member…..today’s youtube commenter.

    14
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    Mute Pierce2020
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:12 PM

    Ricky Lake, that takes me back. She was pretty hot wasn’t she?

    2
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    Mute Brendan Harlowe
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:29 PM

    Go Ricki……

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    Mute Paddy Murphy
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:31 PM

    She was about as hot as an Irish summer!

    29
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    Mute Sam I Am
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    Jul 25th 2012, 1:46 PM

    Good, people should start using their real names. There is so much racism, homophobia & bigotry in the comments because people hide behind an alias.

    11
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    Mute Darren Delaney
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    Jul 25th 2012, 11:52 AM

    Damn!!! It was good while it lasted.

    11
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    Mute Killian C. O'Hara
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    Jul 25th 2012, 3:30 PM

    This is very upsetting, I only began trolling youtube yesterday and it’s forced me to use my Circles account :(

    7
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    Mute Killian C. O'Hara
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    Jul 25th 2012, 3:37 PM

    Though in retrospect it presented me with the option, I was so elated with excitement I just went with it.

    2
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    Mute Deborah Nolan Gregory
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:53 PM

    You want my real name?!

    Ok, yes, no problem, my real name is, um, Slartibartfast….

    5
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    Mute Aranthos Faroth
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    Jul 25th 2012, 4:39 PM

    To be honest: Trolls will be Trolls.

    Sure, you Might (doubtful though) be using their real name but that wouldn’t have any effect on the our troggs.

    4
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    Mute Seanbeag
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    Jul 25th 2012, 12:18 PM

    There’s currently a bug with google plus linked accounts that prevents you from replying to comments on Youtube. Many people have unlinked their accounts in the past while because of this. They might want to fix this bug if they are gonna force people to link them again.

    3
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    Mute Seany Mc Donagh
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    Jul 25th 2012, 4:42 PM

    Yeah that’s annoying :(

    1
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    Mute Cat Egan
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:41 PM

    Brilliant – I do not like faker comments – show ya face :D

    3
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    Mute Marko Burns
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:23 PM

    Now I presume they realise many people have the same name, right ;)

    People thought twitter would be cleaner than most anonymous forums but it probably won’t be long before it’s just as bad.

    youtube has been let run riot for a bit too long though I agree. I actually think it is affecting kids in everyday life as well – look at that bus video of kids abusing a woman in youtube like fashion. And anyone who plays online games knows how strong the abuse can be.

    3
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    Mute Eoin O Raghallaigh
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    Jul 25th 2012, 2:56 PM

    I think this is a great idea. As things stand YouTube comments are mostly drivel. People who really don’t want to use their real name will find a way to do that, but hopefully this will clean the comments section up and bit and make it worth reading.

    1
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    Mute CyrusHall
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    1
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    Mute CyrusHall
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    Feb 3rd 2016, 9:00 AM

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    1
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    Mute Tatjana Catharina Smart
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    Jul 25th 2012, 11:52 PM

    no problem with that

    1
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    Mute CyrusHall
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    Feb 3rd 2016, 8:59 AM

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    1
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