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I know several people online by pseudonyms only. If I wanted to add them on facebook I'd add their pseudonym. I also know people who don't go by their real name

I know several people online by pseudonyms only. If I wanted to add them on facebook I'd add their pseudonym. I also know people who don't go by their real name in real life. I know John's that go by Sean. I know Richard's that go by Dick. I know another Richard that goes by Greg. I suspect that 95% of his friends don't know his "real" name is Richard. I also know 2 Cyrils that go by Rocky and I suspect only their very closest friends and family know their real names are Cyril the 3rd and Cyril the 4th. I honestly don't understand why this matters to facebook. In the best case people make multiple accounts. One for friends and family, one for business, one for their sexy side, one for their hacker side, whatever. Now facebook gets to claim 4x the people and advertisers can better target ads to each account for each situation.

morgante 11y ago
> I know several people online by pseudonyms only. Facebook is explicitly designed to primarily be a platform for "real world" relationships, not digital connections with strangers. There are plenty of other places on the web to talk to strangers. > I know another Richard that goes by Greg. Then that's the name he can and should use on Facebook. Facebook's policy is not that you have to use your legal name. It's that you should use the name you go by in everyday life, not a pseudonym you invented for online publishing.
- JoshTriplett 11y ago
  > Then that's the name he can and should use on Facebook. Facebook's policy is not that you have to use your legal name. It's that you should use the name you go by in everyday life, not a pseudonym you invented for online publishing. Your statement contradicts Facebook's actual policies in practice, which in many cases attempt to mandate the use of a name backed by government-issued ID.
  - morgante 11y ago
    If you read some of the linked documents, they admit that their process isn't currently perfect and are working on finding better ways of verifying identity without depending on government IDs.
    - 30183839 11y ago
      ...and in the mean time their current process continues to shut down the accounts of people who are using their "authentic" names but don't have proper documentation. It's disingenuous for them to be calling this an "authentic name" policy when they have no intention of enforcing it as such.
    - rmc 11y ago
      People have been complaining about this for years and FB has yet to actually change their policy. This is a company that has "Move fast and break things" as a motto, and you expect us to believe that they cannot move fast with updating a company policy doc?
- detaro 11y ago
  What's the measure for a "real world" relationship? Many people seem to use "I've met this person" as a criteria for adding someone one Facebook. But meeting someone doesn't necessarily mean you know their full name (neither does it mean that they want you to know it) Also, how do you prove to Facebook that this is "the name you go by" if they challenge it?
  - morgante 11y ago
    > Many people seem to use "I've met this person" as a criteria for adding someone one Facebook. That seems like a pretty solid filter for me. > But meeting someone doesn't necessarily mean you know their full name Which is why Facebook's policies and technology is so great: I can easily find and add a new friend who I just met even if I don't have their last name yet. > neither does it mean that they want you to know it I can't plausibly imagine any real world scenario where I would willingly share my first name but not my last, but maybe that's just because my name is pretty identifiable. > Also, how do you prove to Facebook that this is "the name you go by" if they challenge it? That's the difficult part, and what Facebook is trying to find a good answer to.
- bradjohnson 11y ago
  >Facebook is explicitly designed to primarily be a platform for "real world" relationships Good thing the developer can't control how people decide to use their software. I don't understand this obsession with wanting to force people to not use a pseudonym and only add friends who they know in real life. How does it affect you negatively to know that others use the service in a different way than you?
walshemj 11y ago
Yes I know quiet few people from the pre internet days and I remember their handles but not their real names.

morgante 11y ago

> I know several people online by pseudonyms only. Facebook is explicitly designed to primarily be a platform for "real world" relationships, not digital connections with strangers. There are plenty of other places on the web to talk to strangers. > I know another Richard that goes by Greg. Then that's the name he can and should use on Facebook. Facebook's policy is not that you have to use your legal name. It's that you should use the name you go by in everyday life, not a pseudonym you invented for online publishing.

JoshTriplett 11y ago
> Then that's the name he can and should use on Facebook. Facebook's policy is not that you have to use your legal name. It's that you should use the name you go by in everyday life, not a pseudonym you invented for online publishing. Your statement contradicts Facebook's actual policies in practice, which in many cases attempt to mandate the use of a name backed by government-issued ID.
- morgante 11y ago
  If you read some of the linked documents, they admit that their process isn't currently perfect and are working on finding better ways of verifying identity without depending on government IDs.
  - 30183839 11y ago
    ...and in the mean time their current process continues to shut down the accounts of people who are using their "authentic" names but don't have proper documentation. It's disingenuous for them to be calling this an "authentic name" policy when they have no intention of enforcing it as such.
  - rmc 11y ago
    People have been complaining about this for years and FB has yet to actually change their policy. This is a company that has "Move fast and break things" as a motto, and you expect us to believe that they cannot move fast with updating a company policy doc?
detaro 11y ago
What's the measure for a "real world" relationship? Many people seem to use "I've met this person" as a criteria for adding someone one Facebook. But meeting someone doesn't necessarily mean you know their full name (neither does it mean that they want you to know it) Also, how do you prove to Facebook that this is "the name you go by" if they challenge it?
- morgante 11y ago
  > Many people seem to use "I've met this person" as a criteria for adding someone one Facebook. That seems like a pretty solid filter for me. > But meeting someone doesn't necessarily mean you know their full name Which is why Facebook's policies and technology is so great: I can easily find and add a new friend who I just met even if I don't have their last name yet. > neither does it mean that they want you to know it I can't plausibly imagine any real world scenario where I would willingly share my first name but not my last, but maybe that's just because my name is pretty identifiable. > Also, how do you prove to Facebook that this is "the name you go by" if they challenge it? That's the difficult part, and what Facebook is trying to find a good answer to.
bradjohnson 11y ago
>Facebook is explicitly designed to primarily be a platform for "real world" relationships Good thing the developer can't control how people decide to use their software. I don't understand this obsession with wanting to force people to not use a pseudonym and only add friends who they know in real life. How does it affect you negatively to know that others use the service in a different way than you?

walshemj 11y ago

Yes I know quiet few people from the pre internet days and I remember their handles but not their real names.