The plan is designed to make the site safer.
I’m confident in saying that quite a lot of you have friends on Facebook that spell their name differently for some particular reason.
Maybe your mate Alan likes the anonymity of having his name spelled backwards on the site or perhaps your friend Fiona genuinely wants people to call her ‘Princess Consuela Banana Hammock’. Each to their own.
Regardless of the reason why people refrain from using their actual name on Facebook, it seems that the site is looking to restrict this option.
Facebook’s line of thinking is that by having your actual name on your profile, you’re less likely to troll people because there’s more transparency.
Facebook conducted research which showed that people who use fake names, as opposed to their ‘real’ names, are “eight times more likely” to engage in bullying, harassment and other online abuse.
I know what you’re thinking. What’s the situation if you genuinely want to remain anonymous or if your name is slightly unique, maybe it’s a Gaelic name?
First up, the complaints system will be changed in the hope that only those queries that are genuine and meaningful will be forwarded. The hope is that by having more steps to navigate, those people who might be tempted to make a frivolous complaint will be deterred.
Secondly, if you’re asked by the administrators to defend your choice of a username, the process will now be more open and communicative. Basically, Facebook will provide much more feedback thus helping you make a stronger defence for your online alias.
Silicon Republic have quotes from the VP of Growth at Facebook, Alex Schultz and he says “We’re making changes now and in the future, and will continue to engage with you and all who are committed to looking after the most vulnerable people using our product”.
“It’s a balance to get this right — we want to find a line that minimises bullying but maximises the potential for people to be their authentic selves on Facebook.”
Essentially this means that the days of having a crazy alias or misspelled name look like they’re coming to an end. Thoughts?
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