Photo cred: free pixelsWhen I opened a Facebook account three years ago, I was listed as "Cashlyn T." I, like many users, chose to shorten my last name to an initial for better online security.
Current Facebook users no longer have this option.
Facebook’s rules now dictate that full first and last names are required, and there's no tricking their system. Periods, asterisks, and spaces will not stop Facebook from telling you that "you must provide your full name" if you try to use an initial. Nicknames are allowed, but only when accompanied by a user’s full name.
Current Facebook users no longer have this option.
Facebook’s rules now dictate that full first and last names are required, and there's no tricking their system. Periods, asterisks, and spaces will not stop Facebook from telling you that "you must provide your full name" if you try to use an initial. Nicknames are allowed, but only when accompanied by a user’s full name.
Therefore, the only way to avoid displaying your true name on Facebook is to alter it completely.
Facebook’s mission is to "give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected." But how open and connected can a website really be, when so many users must use fake names to increase personal security online?
The website also reviews every name change request before it is approved, further limiting personal choice and privacy.
If you had an initialed name before Facebook’s rules changed, then it will remain the same. Otherwise, you will have to divulge your personal information, or prepare a pseudonym that Facebook deems appropriate.
