Here is one (of the many) articles discussing this theory.

Well thats the last time I send you a message on facebook! (Thank God she says...)

I don't put anything up there that I'm not comfortable with people knowing, so I'm not too bothered! Besides, if the CIA gives a shit as to what I get up to, I'll eat my hat.

I don't really buy into the conspiracy theories (although that list of some of the people who've invested in facebook makes for interesting reading), but having said that I don't really trust the site either. There's something very dodgy about any site that is so keen on you using your real name that they'll ban you if they find you out that you're using a fake one (why are they so keen to know my real name?!)

Having said that I do have an account on Facebook, but under an alias. If they ban me then so be it. There's no way I'll use my real name on there just out of principle. Myspace and all the other social networking sites are perfectly happy to let you call yourself whatever you want to; I don't see why this one has to be any different. And apart from the issues over what the site wants your details for, it's not really sensible to use your real name online; once people know that, they can find out pretty much anything else about you easy enough.

The 'use your real name' thing is a calculated move (and a pretty clever one, actually) to differentiate facebook from other social networking sites.

The idea is that people who would write off myspace as silly and / or for kids, might give this one a go. To an extent it seems to have worked.

Good! this looks interesting. Can't read it now so I'll save it for when I have more time. I've not had a look at facebook. Is it popular in GB, I thought it was mainly an American thing? I'm not really up on all this -I just read/contribute to this forum. As for real names. Guess what my name's not Skye. It seems mad to me to use your real name on the internet. Why (when there are so many great names that your parent's never though to choose)? Anyway I heard that employers look people up on myspace etc prior to interview. And another thing... we are always hearing on telly how important it is to protect kids on the internet so I think it is immoral to force people into disclosing personal details. S.

It is quite popular here - its use has exploded in the last year and a half, it will probably overtake MySpace before long! I prefer it though, you can be (almost) completely invisible on Facebook if you wish it - so yeah, you have to use your real name, but you can ensure that a Facebook search won't find you, so it really isn't that big a deal. At worst, if you have a really unusual name, someone can see if you post on someone else's wall, but that's just the risk you take by choosing to be part of an internet-based social network!

As to kids - I'm sure you have to be 16 or over to sign up to Facebook, and if younger children access it and sign up, that is the fault of parents and schools...you can't really ask people to send in their birth certificates before signing up! Immoral seems a bit strong really - it's not as though people are forced to sign up to Facebook!

And let's admit it - in the end Facebook aren't doing anythign that radicaly different from Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Myspace, or your own ISP. They're just lack the tact of hiding it. At teh end of the day, there erally isn't any way in the modern age to keep your privacy while also being on the internet and as annoying as it is, we just have to either live with it or stop usign the internet...

quote:

Originally posted by Exodia:
so yeah, you have to use your real name, but you can ensure that a Facebook search won't find you, so it really isn't that big a deal.

Well that's assuming that no-one develops some kind of hack to let them see the information that Facebook shouldn't let them see, and that Facebook themselves don't suddenly to decide to move the goalposts and make public info that they've previously undertaken to keep private. The hack threat is the main concern though; there used to myspace hacks that that would let you see other users private pics and videos even if they hadn't added you as a friend. And if the same thing doesn't exist yet for Facebook then it's only a matter of time. It's a bad idea to put your privacy in the hands of someone else's software. Better in my opinion to assume that any personal info you enter online can potentially be read by absolutely anyone, and use that as the basis to decide what info you voluntarily put up online. If it's something you really wouldn't want a complete stranger to know, then it shouldn't be uploaded to someone else's server over which any supposed control you have is pretty much a willful illusion.

I'm under no illusions (and somewhat resent the implication that I am), but you have to put control in context - to have complete control, you just don't go on social networking sites. However, with Facebook being the application it is right now, I am satisfied with the control I have - more so than I was with MySpace. If Facebook change their approach to privacy, I will undoubtedly reconsider my options - but they haven't, not yet.

I agree that it is somewhat inevitable that it will be hacked someday, but if a hacker wants to know how often I play on the Brain Game application, or that I like Kula Shaker, live in Birmingham and enjoy toast, then good luck to them!

quote:

Originally posted by Exodia:
I'm under no illusions (and somewhat resent the implication that I am),

Well it was more of a generalised "you" than you specifically. Maybe I should've said "one" instead. But I didn't really want to sound like Prince Charles.

quote:

but you have to put control in context - to have complete control, you just don't go on social networking sites.

True, but at least with Myspace et al even if it is hacked, then there isn't the info to trace things back to you in real life. Someone might be able to find embarassing info about a person they know online, but they still won't be any closer to being able to know who you actually are. Unless that is, you've put your real name on your myspace page somewhere and very few do that.

That's another thing too - if there was no good reason not to use your real name, then plenty of people on myspace or whatever would use it as a user name anyway. On the basis that it's as good a name to use as any. The fact that (in my experience anyway) virtually none of them do, suggests that most people see it as somewhat unsafe. And only do it on Facebook because they have no other choice.

quote:

Originally posted by drykid:

That's another thing too - if there was no good reason not to use your real name, then plenty of people on myspace or whatever would use it as a user name anyway. On the basis that it's as good a name to use as any. The fact that (in my experience anyway) virtually none of them do, suggests that most people see it as somewhat unsafe. And only do it on Facebook because they have no other choice.

Not necessarily. A lot of people here, for example, know my real name and I don't try and hide it from those who don't... adn yt I still use an SN (and because it sort of sounds liek a name, end up being alled that way by peopel who know my real name too). It's not out of a need for privacy, ust.... a habit A lot of people on myspace seem to be using stuff that geenrally sound "cool" to them, nothign with hiding their identity and everything with somethign they look at as nice.

quote:

Originally posted by Pitry, Queen of Shrooms:
A lot of people on myspace seem to be using stuff that geenrally sound "cool" to them, nothign with hiding their identity and everything with somethign they look at as nice.

Well, even if they do that on Myspace just because they prefer a name that that sounds cooler, and don't have any great objection to using their real one, it's still a backward step that Facebook won't allow them to continue to do that. Though as 2-J says, no doubt the idea is to try and establish some kind of clear ground betweeen Facebook and the existing sites.

Maybe Facebook just isn't for me. I must admit I don't particularly like it anyway; it's way too cluttered and overloaded with pointless gimmicks. I guess if someone is the kind of person who thinks that sending a nudge to someone on MSN Messenger is the height of hilarity, then Facebook will seem like heaven on earth to them. But for me it's just a load of superfluous crap, mostly.

My favourite of the sites of this ilk that I've tried is LiveJournal, simply because it concentrates on providing a simple platform where you can communicate your thoughts to people you know.

quote:

Originally posted by drykid:
Maybe Facebook just isn't for me. I must admit I don't particularly like it anyway; it's way too cluttered and overloaded with pointless gimmicks. I guess if someone is the kind of person who thinks that sending a nudge to someone on MSN Messenger is the height of hilarity, then Facebook will seem like heaven on earth to them. But for me it's just a load of superfluous crap, mostly.

Hey, no arguements from me there, the majority of what I do on that site is play scrabbles

I like Puzzlebee. Is good and is puzzles!