Google encouraging users to share more information

A large number of social elements are popping up across the various service offerings from Google. The Company is encouraging its users to open up more and share additional information amongst themselves. The Company is riding high on its incredible success with the launch of Google+ social network.

Google requires users to provide their names

The Company is making it necessary for its users to create Google profiles. This is the identity component of Google+ social network, which is the common name that one uses in his or her daily life. This is similar to the name policy adopted by Facebook. However, it is not very well accepted by users who prefer to remain anonymous while interacting through the World Wide Web. Although, Google recently added “other” as a category for gender description in the profiles, the Company encourages users to share more information.

Online badges for reading news

On Thursday, the Company announced a new system of awarding online badges to its users who regularly use the news articles on Google’s network. This activity is known as gamification, which is the adding the gaming mechanism to non-gaming activities. This is one of the most discussed topics in recently game-related discussions and is a trendy name that is catching on fast. According to Gartner, more than fifty percent of corporations managing innovation processes will utilize gamification for their processes.

More than 500 badges available

Presently, Google has more than 500 badges that the company has designed. These badges will be used to reward regular and ardent news readers. Although, the badges awarded are private, the Company encourages the awardees to make their badges public and share it with other users. Google describes the badges as shareable; nonetheless, the sensitive information like the read article for which the badge is awarded is kept confidential.

Google News readers will receive awards

A Google engineer Natasha Mohanty says that although the badges are awarded privately, the receivers have the option to share their badges with friends. The Company encourages users to share more information with other users. All the Google news readers from the United States of America will receive awards, such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Ultimate. Users have to enable their Web history to be able to use the badges. Although, the Company retains the Web history information of a user until the user decides to delete the information, Google says that the information is never shared.