YouTube gently prods users to go by their real names

A Google screenshot featuring Joey Samson, formerly known as joeysam87, showing how to change from an anonymous YouTube account to a Google+ account.

(Credit: YouTube)

YouTube thinks that maybe all those cutepuppies99 and origamiboys1981 might be ready to grow up. Google's online video platform is now giving users the option to start using their real names on its service, along with hooking up their Google Plus profile up with their YouTube channel.

"One Google-wide identity was something that proved popular with new YouTube users when we began offering it in March, so we are now extending it to existing users," YouTube software engineer John Fisher wrote in a recent blog post.

Here's more on how Fisher describes how it works:

This is your identity, so you're in the driver's seat. First off, your name. If you are currently YouTube user joeysam87, you can now appear as Joey Samson, the full name from your Google+ profile (with an actual space in the middle!), along with any photo you uploaded.

Next step, your past activity. Maybe you posted a few things way back (all those "I love you Biebs!!" comments?) that you'd rather not associate with publicly. By clicking "Review my content," you can see every video, comment or playlist you've ever posted, and decide whether you want ... [Read more]