YouTube Thinks You’ll All Be Nicer To Each Other If You Use Your Real Name To Comment

Since the dawn of the Internet, some users have hid behind screen names to post needlessly vitriolic comments on blog posts, news stories, bulletin boards, forums, photos and videos. Now the folks at Google YouTube are now pushing users to post comments using their real names; will it do anything to curb the nastiness?

Mashable reports that when some users with Google+ accounts go to comment on a YouTube video, they are encouraged to use that account — as opposed to their old “haterade1238a8” YouTube user ID.

YouTube, which has made it known in recent months that it intends on implementing changes aimed at cutting down on cyber-bullying, has begun giving users the option — NOTE: We attempted to leave comments on some videos and were not prompted — to use their full name when leaving a comment.

If you say no, Mashable says you have to provide a reason for deciding to remain anonymous.

YouTube is also providing users with a way to review all previous comments to decide whether or not you want those old comments you posted on some adorable kitten video — He loves that tin foil! — are worth being attributed to your full name.

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