feedback button
Sunday, 8th December 2024

Irish Born Chinese

Hong Kong G+ accounts suspended because they are not using their real names

Created Monday, 25th July 2011, 17:08 by Whykay
Just saw this in my G+ stream about Hong Kong people's frustration with Google and the reason why their accounts are suspended because they were not using their real names.

For those who are not aware, Chinese people (I can only speak about what I know about HK Chinese side) don't have English names, their Chinese names are picked out for them and are who they are, and mainly by literomancers. My Chinese name was changed when I was really young as I got very sick, my dad chose our names for us and he was pretty superstitious and always reading up on Chinese fortune telling. I was so sick, my dad chose another name for me, after a character change, I got better. It maybe superstitious, but it's part of the Chinese culture.

English names are secondary to Chinese people (especially in Hong Kong). Names are changed all the way through their school going years, normally changing to the popular music or movie artists, or whatever sounds the cutest/coolest. They do eventually settle down on a name when they are in secondary school. It sounds like a right of passage they way their English names are chosen. Hong Kong ID cards only have the person's Chinese name, not their English name. Maybe Google will listen to the folks in Hong Kong, I'm sure it's a similar issue in other countries where English names is not their actual name.