4 ms·

Real names are the difference between Facebook and MySpace. I'm not friends on FB with anybody I haven't met in real life.

Tharkun 10y ago
How does their display name affect that relationship? You can meet people in meatspace, and even know their name, without FB knowing their name.
- eriknstr 10y ago
  Because the opposite case of adding a random stranger might be different when everyone is using real names and you feel that you should know them irl to add them.
vidarh 10y ago
Most of the people I would consider friends are people I haven't met in real life. And for many years a majority of my friend circle were people I probably never even knew the "real" name of - people in the demo/cracking scene where it was often common for people to introduce you by handle and group (e.g. say Strider of Fairlight, to take a "well known" example from the scene that I spoke to on the phone but back in the day but never met, who I can't for the life of me remember the real name of). Some of these people I'd meet in person regularly and still not use the real name of because their real name was not what people around us would know them by in that context. My ex goes by three different names: Her "real" name from her passport. An Anglicized name that her immediate family and childhoold school friends uses, and a different Anglicized name that most of her work colleagues and newer friends uses. Many of them don't know the other names. A lot of people have different names that are used in different contexts that are just as real as the others, just not legally recognised.
- Inconel 10y ago
  I just wanted to say that as someone who never really had much access to computers during my teens and early 20's due to financial reasons, and subsequently missed out on the kind of online friendships you're describing, they have always seemed extraordinarily cool to me.
- adevine 10y ago
  > Most of the people I would consider friends are people I haven't met in real life. You are likely in a small minority. This is the difference between a social network meant for the general populace and one specific for tech folk.
  - optimuspaul 10y ago
    > You are likely in a small minority. Agreed. I'm a fairly introverted person and participate in a lot of online communities, but I rarely consider people I haven't met to be my friends. That just seems strange to me. I'd even venture to say that in the tech folk world that is a minority position. Most of the people I know need some sort of tangible validation to form a real friendship.
  - vidarh 10y ago
    I am sure I am. But that is not the point. I gave other examples too, and the point is that requiring "real" names breaks down in all kinds of different cases, most of which by themselves are probably not that common, but that adds up to affecting millions of people. E.g. which name for my ex is most "real"? Her legal name? Using that would prevent most of her friends from finding her - it's not the name she uses. This is common for vast numbers of immigrants with names that are hard to pronounce. > This is the difference between a social network meant for the general populace and one specific for tech folk. Facebook is trying to be the one to decide how we should interact with our friends, and fails to understand even how names are used in real life, not just for "tech folk".

Tharkun 10y ago

How does their display name affect that relationship? You can meet people in meatspace, and even know their name, without FB knowing their name.

eriknstr 10y ago
Because the opposite case of adding a random stranger might be different when everyone is using real names and you feel that you should know them irl to add them.

vidarh 10y ago

Most of the people I would consider friends are people I haven't met in real life. And for many years a majority of my friend circle were people I probably never even knew the "real" name of - people in the demo/cracking scene where it was often common for people to introduce you by handle and group (e.g. say Strider of Fairlight, to take a "well known" example from the scene that I spoke to on the phone but back in the day but never met, who I can't for the life of me remember the real name of). Some of these people I'd meet in person regularly and still not use the real name of because their real name was not what people around us would know them by in that context. My ex goes by three different names: Her "real" name from her passport. An Anglicized name that her immediate family and childhoold school friends uses, and a different Anglicized name that most of her work colleagues and newer friends uses. Many of them don't know the other names. A lot of people have different names that are used in different contexts that are just as real as the others, just not legally recognised.

Inconel 10y ago
I just wanted to say that as someone who never really had much access to computers during my teens and early 20's due to financial reasons, and subsequently missed out on the kind of online friendships you're describing, they have always seemed extraordinarily cool to me.
adevine 10y ago
> Most of the people I would consider friends are people I haven't met in real life. You are likely in a small minority. This is the difference between a social network meant for the general populace and one specific for tech folk.
- optimuspaul 10y ago
  > You are likely in a small minority. Agreed. I'm a fairly introverted person and participate in a lot of online communities, but I rarely consider people I haven't met to be my friends. That just seems strange to me. I'd even venture to say that in the tech folk world that is a minority position. Most of the people I know need some sort of tangible validation to form a real friendship.
- vidarh 10y ago
  I am sure I am. But that is not the point. I gave other examples too, and the point is that requiring "real" names breaks down in all kinds of different cases, most of which by themselves are probably not that common, but that adds up to affecting millions of people. E.g. which name for my ex is most "real"? Her legal name? Using that would prevent most of her friends from finding her - it's not the name she uses. This is common for vast numbers of immigrants with names that are hard to pronounce. > This is the difference between a social network meant for the general populace and one specific for tech folk. Facebook is trying to be the one to decide how we should interact with our friends, and fails to understand even how names are used in real life, not just for "tech folk".