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You could even implement that with a metaphor that is used to address a similar problem in the real world.

People will say something "I'm wearing my Engineers hat now" to make it clear that they are communicating from a particular viewpoint.

Hats, and indeed Masks(where you see only the headgear and not the identity behind it), would be a great addition to Google+.

Indeed. By the way, I think this has a lot to say about the "real identity policy" of google+. Do people really have a single "real" identity ?

Most normal people don't really. You have your home life, your work life, your homearea community life, your online community life, clubs/groups etc

But if your young and perhaps living an unbalanced life (everything is just about work) you might not see that.

> Hats […] would be a great addition to Google+.

Are you working at Valve?

No. Why?

It's a Team Fortress2 reference.

Novel in-game aesthetic that turned into a huge money spinner.

There's some explanation in there somewhere: