DISQUS

louisgray.com: louisgray.com: Facebook Still Banning Aliases to Avoid Becoming Fakebook

  • Avatar X · 1 year ago
    hah. that is why i have not used Facebook extensively. that would make me a target like him.
  • Vic Podcaster · 1 year ago
    I think it is a good wakeup call for me.
  • Avatar X · 1 year ago
    yeah, not to trust Facebook. i wonder if this will continue if Microsoft ends up buying them. if there is a place that embraces ID choice is microsoft. there are many many employees that roll it like us
  • idnan · 1 year ago
    Considering the dependence on advertising and so forth, I would say the decision to disallow the on screen alias is a mistake. Not only does that limit branding, but it also alienates people who prefer anonymity. Say, older generations of users who started using the internet when using one's real name was unusual, or ... Japan, as someone (Joi Ito) recently wrote (http://tinyurl.com/5z7o5f). These are not markets to be ignored, in my opinion.

    Disclaimer: I've never even used Facebook, and I'm so new to social networking that I'm probably wrong, anyway.
  • Erik · 1 year ago
    I see it as collateral damage. Mark is trying to maintain a social network with real people and real connections. In order to stop the spamming and aliases that take away from the "realness" that draws people to Facebook (and made it was it is today, aka, not My Space), there must be some collateral damage.

    He takes a more involved, democratic-like view, if you will, where as the leader of the Facebook world, he chooses to be involved in the process and control the environment for the greater good. He may not always be right (aka Beacon), but he isn't just stepping back and letting the masses do what they will to the network he has created.
  • justinleon · 1 year ago
    It irks me when people use really obvious fake names on Facebook.

    Once a user by the name of "My DamnChannel" gave me a friend request. I obviously denied it. It clearly shows me that you are just using the site to spam your sites and nothing more. I'm all for networking, but you can brand yourself in a different way.

    Now if you have a problem with people knowing your real name either:
    1. Don't use facebook
    2. Use a combo of your Middle name and your Pets name/Street name

    I'm glad facebook is kicking these people off. Its what makes it 1000x better than myspace.
  • Vic Podcaster · 1 year ago
    However in my case "Vic Podcaster" is the real name I use in real life. Google "Vic Podcaster" and see what you get.

    I have around 700 friends on Facebook who are alpha geeks, well known bloggers, tech geeks, Silicon Valley including many CEO's of prominent startups.

    I think the bigger issue is unceremoniously disabling the account after 8 months without sending a courteous email notification. I guess it is a good wakeup call for me to not trust Facebook with my social graph.

    You are welcome to visit me at my site and blog http://startupnewz.com and see how real I am.
  • justinleon · 1 year ago
    Is it REALLY your government name?

    If so you may have a vaild case.

    I have a lot of friends who happen to put in playful words in their names only to be told by facebook to change it. I think maybe facebook now is just starting to delete accounts en mass due to the problem.
  • Vic Podcaster · 1 year ago
    Erik,

    I am not sure I agree with you. Respectfully, if Mark would be so concerned about mainitaining the purity, probably these accounts http://tinyurl.com/6mz2zo wont exist. Now please don't tell me that Jesus himself opened these accounts.

    So it looks like that the discremation is selective and random.

    Further Vic Podcaster is the real I use in real life including on my business cards. Please take a moment to Google my name "Vic Podcaster"

    Thanks,
  • Avatar X · 1 year ago
    Jesus is everywhere. of course he opened those... ;)
  • Avatar X · 1 year ago
    I agree with Vic obviously. the aliases are OUR names in real live. they are our author names. i can think of 100 persons who are like us. and it is insane.. even LinkedIn has that clear. if diablo cody, jock, haze, violet blue or someone else opens a linkedin account. what name they should have in their biz profile then?

    that also brings up the point.. would facebook dare to do this to celebrities? no they would not. because so far they haven`t!!!!

    Facebook is telling vic and me that we don`t exist even if we do exist. i guess the only choice vic and me got is to become famous so we can be taken in count.

    but that is getting too meta i guess.
  • Rollin Joe Pollock · 1 year ago
    I was just disabled last night accused of having a fake name. Only trouble is, it is not a fake name. My unusual Scottish first name Rollin was subjectively determined to be fake. Because I go by my middle name, Joe, and the name Joe was written on my wall, some Facebook analyst just came to the conclusion, I guess, that Rollin was kind of like Rollin' as in Rollin' down the river. But it is not. Rollin rhymes with Colin. I was named after my grandfather I am very proud of my name.