A few days ago I saw it for the first time. A G + icon in the title bar of the post. When I hovered over it, my own picture and my own name popped up.

It wasn't there before. I don't like that at all. Granted, I do have a Google+ profile. But that doesn't mean I want it to see it pop-up everywhere. And in the least of all in Linuxquestions which I considered an absolutely clean site. Which would not link the user to anything or anyone.

How in the world does Google know that jlinkels is Johannes Linkels? I never tied my personality here to my Google personality.

Google behaves very much like a spreading virus. Or more properly expressed, as a giant world-wide underground mushroom fungus. I want to stay clean of that on this site.

jlinkels

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I look forward to reading the answer for this.
I deliberately stay away from google+ because of google's pervasiveness. I think, this is only my opinion, that Google has it's fingers in way to many things.

I just tested this and it appears that it happens only when you are logged in at Google. When I was not logged in at Google (my normal state), I got "Publicly recommend on Google."

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Same. I'm surprised that Jeremy didn't predict that there would be an immediate and highly negative response to this.

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Define "logged in".
I am browsing this forum with Opera. I am logged in into Google (not Google+ btw) with Chrome.
Just tested it. Closed Chrome. That hopefully logged me out of Google. In a different tab LQ the G+ still pops up.

jlinkels

Is Jeremy supposed to protect people from Google when those people have Google memberships and log into various sites using said Google account? Perhaps the blame is being thrown in the wrong direction?

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There is no difference in logging into Google and Google+ (or GMail or any other Google service), both use the same account.
Just to recapitulate:
- You are using Google Chrome, aka Google Spyware.
- You are logged into Google (which you have to be anyway when using Chrome, for using bookmark syncs and so on).
- You wonder why the G+ applet knows your identity?

1 members found this post helpful.

Well, I know that if I watch a youtube video, I get bugged by Google because I logged in with my Google account. I see the connection.

Yes, I am surprised that the Google+ applet knows me. Apparently when I logged in into Google with this browser, Google placed a cookie which is being picked up by the G+ applet on while browsing the LQ site?

However, where does the G+ applet come from? Is it injected into the code of this LQ page? Or has it been placed/allowed by LQ itself?

jlinkels

Google recently changed their conditions - you should have been notified in the last couple of weeks. You can opt out, but you are opted in by default. Quick search should find plenty of references.

Something like that. I am not quite sure if it is a cookie or a function of Chrome itself, but a cookie would make more sense, so that it also works with Firefox.

AFAIK, this was placed by LQ, I would be very surprised if Google injects code into the forum software without consent of the forum owner.

This is indeed code that will be placed by LQ. Google is increasingly using the experiences and recommendations from G+ users to rate the "legitimacy" of sites / posts etc. This also influences where posts appear in search results. Google hasn't "infiltrated" LQ. The code to work the button / popup will make use of your G+ account if you are logged in to it, it doesn't require any linking of your LQ and G+ accounts. I'm due to implement this code on my own large forum shortly.

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Yes, it is clear that the G+ app was placed intentionally on the forum. However, the term "logged in" still puzzles me. Currently I am working on a single computer, have a single web browser active (Opera), and on none of the pages I am logged in into Google*. My mail client does not connect to Google. So I am still not sure that it is necessary to be logged in.

Anyway, I am not sure I like this policy of LQ to add this button. What's next? "Like" button for Facebook? Automatic registration with Facebook when you post on LQ? (God forbid!) Twitter button?

jlinkels

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The Google+ cookie will still be set if you have any of the "remember me" boxes ticked.

Ensure you have fully logged out of G+ or make use of any "anonymous" browsing facilities offered by your browser.

All these are available for the forum software in use here. I've experimented with Facebook integration but to be honest I wasn't happy with the results as a lot of workplaces block Facebook so prevent the APIs from working correctly.

Total non-sequitur. You are not forced to use the G+ button (in fact, before I saw this thread I didn't even notice that button), there is no force at all from LQ to register at Google. So even if there would be a Facebook button, how do you come to the conclusion that there would be a force to register at Facebook?

Social networks are part of the modern life, you will have to deal with it and I see nothing wrong with that, as long as there is no force to actually use them.

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That button has been there for quite some time. Your identity here and your Google identity are not tied in *any* way and *no* data is being shared. Since the widget is not served by us but by Google, if you are logged in at Google the button will know your Google identity.

--jeremy

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