Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

boingboing.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 89 posts

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#41

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

DanBC wrote: post #30
aianus wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not discriminating against GLBT+ people, they're discriminating against people using pseudonyms. I can't show up to a job interview, use a fake name, and claim I'm being discriminated against...

You know what indirect discrimination is, right? > I can't show up to a job interview, use a fake name, and claim I'm being discriminated against... You could if you're in the process of transitioning. (UK; the US needs to catch up). And it's not a fake name. It's their name. You seem to think that people have this single thing which is their name - that might be true in the US (I dunno) but it's not true in many oth…

> You seem to think that people have this single thing which is their name - that might be true in the US (I dunno) but it's not true in many other places.

Even people with one "real name" may have slight variations on it that they use. Many people use their nickname and don't show their middle name. If your name isn't written in Latin script, you might have the original script version and a romanised version, possibly even more than one romanised version. If you're Chinese, you might have a Western name alias which you're known by professionally.

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#43

Post by TazeTSchnitzel »

Jare wrote: post #42

Imagine the uproar if Facebook forced you to have a profile pic that clearly shows your face, the sort that photo ids require.

Oh yeah. Just looking at my chat contact sidebar (is that what it's called? the thing on the right of the Facebook homepage), 3/15 friends aren't using their face in their profile pic.

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#44

Post by pmlnr »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #37
pmlnr wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get this. This is a company, a product, which no one is forced to use.* If you disagree, walk away and don't touch Facebook; there are trillions of other options out there to build community sites, some much, much better than FB. That is how you make a change, not by enforcing ideas on a company. *ED. For some situations I understand that it's inevitable - even schools use it as a generic broadcasting media n…

> This is a company, a product, which no one is forced to use. In practice, not using Facebook means cutting off social contact with some people.

True. I've asked myself the question that if I do want to leave Facebook, but my 'friends' doesn't care and not willing to do any other form of communication, are they really my friends?

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#45

Post by pmlnr »

mikeash wrote: post #31
pmlnr wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get this. This is a company, a product, which no one is forced to use.* If you disagree, walk away and don't touch Facebook; there are trillions of other options out there to build community sites, some much, much better than FB. That is how you make a change, not by enforcing ideas on a company. *ED. For some situations I understand that it's inevitable - even schools use it as a generic broadcasting media n…

I don't get why you think the only options should be to agree entirely or walk away. If a company has a product which you mostly enjoy but which you think could be improved, is it not reasonable to complain to try to get them to improve it?

Not really; the only way to force companies is by spending your money somewhere else. They just simply won't care while you're still making the same money for them.

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#46

Post by pmlnr »

DanBC wrote: post #30
aianus wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They're not discriminating against GLBT+ people, they're discriminating against people using pseudonyms. I can't show up to a job interview, use a fake name, and claim I'm being discriminated against...

You know what indirect discrimination is, right? > I can't show up to a job interview, use a fake name, and claim I'm being discriminated against... You could if you're in the process of transitioning. (UK; the US needs to catch up). And it's not a fake name. It's their name. You seem to think that people have this single thing which is their name - that might be true in the US (I dunno) but it's not true in many oth…

> And it's not a fake name. It's their name. You seem to think that people have this single thing which is their name - that might be true in the US (I dunno) but it's not true in many other places.

Not according to the current laws. You may want to change the laws as well. ( No, I'm not cynical. )

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#47

Post by pmlnr »

viraptor wrote: post #24
pmlnr wrote: post #2

Why? Anyone who disagrees with this had either already left Facebook or use something else for the communication, which, in my opinion, is good.

You're projecting a bit, I think. I disagree with their policy even though it doesn't affect me personally. For many communities there's simply no alternative to FB right now. Why should I just expect affected people to leave instead of expecting the problem to be fixed?

> For many communities there's simply no alternative to FB right now.

Make one. Work on it. Why would someone else make it for them/you for 'free'?

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#48

Post by merijnv »

pmlnr wrote: post #45
mikeash wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why you think the only options should be to agree entirely or walk away. If a company has a product which you mostly enjoy but which you think could be improved, is it not reasonable to complain to try to get them to improve it?

Not really; the only way to force companies is by spending your money somewhere else. They just simply won't care while you're still making the same money for them.

> the only way to force companies is by spending your money somewhere else

Or, you know, enforcing new legislation that forces the company to do what you want...

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#49

Post by viraptor »

pmlnr wrote: post #47
viraptor wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're projecting a bit, I think. I disagree with their policy even though it doesn't affect me personally. For many communities there's simply no alternative to FB right now. Why should I just expect affected people to leave instead of expecting the problem to be fixed?

> For many communities there's simply no alternative to FB right now. Make one. Work on it. Why would someone else make it for them/you for 'free'?

Why should I? That alternative is FB, without bad rules.

Facebook already won with features and has approximately all the people already registered. From the communities I know, nobody would consider switching to a different service. It would just be a worse FB with fewer people on it.

Re: Global coalition tells Facebook to kill its Real Names policy

#50

Post by mikeash »

pmlnr wrote: post #45
mikeash wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't get why you think the only options should be to agree entirely or walk away. If a company has a product which you mostly enjoy but which you think could be improved, is it not reasonable to complain to try to get them to improve it?

Not really; the only way to force companies is by spending your money somewhere else. They just simply won't care while you're still making the same money for them.

Complaining is a signal that you're considering moving. Smart companies absolutely will care. It's usually far easier to keep an existing customer than to win them back after they leave.
Post reply on HN