What is wrong with this message?

Nobody said microcopy was easy…

While catching up with my Twitter feed I follow a link to Google+ — appears to show signs of life within the tech community — and I’m greeted with this wonderful message:

“Your profile has been suspended because it impersonates someone.”

A straight up accusation of potentially illegal acts. There’s no ambiguity, I’m guilty until proven innocent. I don’t pretend to be an expert in the field of user experience but I do know a thing or two about common sense. This is an appalling notification to throw in your user’s face. It raises the question, just who wrote this message? a designer? an engineer? the legal department? — if it was a copy writer I’ve lost all hope.

I tried to reach out to Google+ with my obvious concerns (and disgust) but I require an active Google+ account to post to the user group. Oh well.

It should go without saying that website users are humans. Design and build with empathy. Especially if it’s a website you’re trying to force down our throats.