Recent events and one of the posts here have concentrated Facebook’s struggles in dealing with identity issues on the network. After weeks of protest, Facebook said last week that it would allow members of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities to use names which they use to identify themselves on social network.
However Facebook will introduce a mobile app which will allow you to post anonymously. You will be allowed to interact, discuss and post under pseudonym.
By doing this Facebook is trying to keep up with its competitors which have already introduced this feature. New social network which is all based on this feature is Ello. Facebook has recently tested a feature which allowed to show your post for limited time frame and it was their attempt to copy Snapchat feature.
Second attempt which Facebook is trying to cover is kind of “Back to the roots of internet” when anonymous online conversations and anonymous identity has been a norm on the internet.
The details of this app are not clear yet since Facebook has not introduced this app neither to a test group of users as they usually do. As well it is very unclear how Facebook is planning to deal with spam and abuse of this application.
Do you think users of Facebook should be allowed to post anonymously or you prefer the more strict rules about identity? Would you use this feature? Let me know 🙂
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I think this is a very complicated subject because it greatly depends on the Facebook User. Many people complain that they are unable to use a pseudonym on Facebook, but I don’t always understand that. You are the one who chooses your first and last name so who’s stopping you from putting something different? I personally have many Facebook friends who change their first or last name or even their whole name. So I don’t think Facebook makes it that difficult to have a fake name.
Whether or not Facebook should allow anonymous posting is a very touchy subject. We’ve all heard about the numerous bullying scandals that happen, and those are people who post things using their personal name. So I cannot imagine what would happen if they could post without their name. I feel that allowing anonymous posting would just make Facebook even more dangerous, and I probably wouldn’t want to use it anymore then.
I personally like the strict rules on identity and I feel they could make it even more stricter. It’s important to know who is following, messaging, or wanting to befriend you. Fake names or anonymity would just make it harder for the user to protect him/herself from people he/she does not want on their profile.