Google+ VP: Real Names Required to Set Positive Tone; Report

Google says users of its new social network Google+ are being required to use real names to set a site-wide positive tone -- similar to when "a restaurant doesn't allow people who aren't wearing shirts to enter," according to a report.

Google vice president Vic Gundotra reportedly had a conversation with tech blogger Robert Scoble Sunday night in which Gundotra, Google's senior vice president in charge of social media, said the requirement of Google+ users to use only real names on the social network is there for good reason.

Still in the early stages of a field test roll out, Google+ has been changing since its launch one month ago. Recently, Google+ stirred controversy among some of its 15 to 20 million users by suspending accounts that did not have user's real name attached.

Competitive social media site Facebook allows users to go online with fake names, or pseudonyms. Even Google founder Sergey Brin uses a fake name on Facebook.

Gundotra says Google+ has made mistakes in its first attempt with Google+, according to a report in CNET, but that the requirement to use real names is merely an effort to set a positive, professional tone with Google's new social network site.

Gundotra reportedly explained to Scoble that the Google+ requirement isn't about real names or legal names. Instead, "it is about having common names and removing people who spell their names in weird ways, like using upside-down characters, or who are using obviously fake names, like "'god' or worse."

Gundotra reportedly said Google+ is working on a way to allow pseudonyms, but said it may take some time to implement the feature.