On Privacy and Requiring Real Names in Social Networking

[crossfire]

Why Facebook and Google's Concept of 'Real Names' Is Revolutionary
Should you have to use your real name online? It's an issue that's long simmered among social media critics and supporters alike. On one end of the spectrum, there's 4chan, where everything is anonymous. On the other, there are Facebook and Google Plus. Both have drawn fire from for

Comments

[yooperchild]

Facebook doesn't make you go by your real name though.....I have friends who put stuff like "Cooldizzle" as their last name and they still have a profile.

[namey]

They're not as strict as they used to be -- "The Facebook" was about as on that as G+ is currently, with a fine toothed comb. I'm guessing scale got the better of them more than anything.

[yooperchild]

I was part of the original The Facebook and I remember having to use my real name. I've been there forever and was surprised when people started showing up with stupid stuff.

[piratesswoop]

Yeah, same, I remember when you could only join with a college .edu email address or with a business email and you were sort of required to put your real name because of that. I'm pretty sure under-17s weren't even allowed on Facebook until about six months after I got mine.

[shorofsky]

Those were the days, amirite??

[sustainablefuel]

I remember those days. I got my fb account in first year and the word was it was strictly a university thing. I didn't use it very much though. The next thing I know my eight year old cousins had accounts.