WordPress version: 3.5.1 Multisite subdirectory
WordPress SEO version: 1.4.4
I did this:
Part 1:
1) Added a "Google +" link under my profile.
2) Enabled Titles & Metas > Home > Author highlighting: > my username
Part 2:
1) Entered link to Titles & Metas > Home > Google Publisher Page:
Part 3:
1) Deleted all Google Authorship setting in the Titles & Metas > Home section (ie Author highlighting set to "Don't show" and Google Publisher Page left empty)
2) Left the "Google +" link under my profile intact
Part 4:
1) Deleted the "Google +" link under my profile
I expected the plugin to do this:
Part 1: It showed up correctly.
Part 2: Add a new meta rel="publisher" line
Part 3: Not show any meta rel="author" / meta rel="publisher" lines
Part 4: Correct
Instead it did this:
Part 1: It showed up correctly.
Part 2: But the plugin instead replaced the meta rel="author" line with the meta rel="publisher" line
Part 3: But the plugin is still showing meta rel="author" line
Part 4: Correct
* Additional comments:
For Part 3 and 4, it appears that as long as the "Google +" field under Profile is filled up, the meta rel="author" line shows up in the homepage (I haven't tested if it shows up in posts and pages), regardless if the setting "Author highlighting" is set to "Don't show".
For Part 2: I'm not sure if there are negative effects on having meta rel="author" and meta rel="publisher" together, but from my other sites, it works fine and Google recognizes it as well, as well as in RDFa. Works well in searches too.
That's all, thank you very much.