Facebook's name game

Facebook is currently the largest networking site on the net. With over 350 million members worldwide, Facebook has the largest networking pool in the world. I'm sure all of you have received those unsolicited messages saying "John Smith has invited you to log into Facebook." All in all, Facebook is the most important pieces of internet technology today. It has helped industries move forward, nobodies become celebrities, struggling writers become literary giants, and governments to reach the masses. Now, Facebook has a policy that people cannot sign on with "fake names" or "religious titles".

Rev. Sinthyia Darkness didn't try to sign on with her title. Having attempted to reach Mr. Joseph Swedroe, the manager of the Villa Paula Restoration Group LLC, she has signed up to Facebook only to find that she is not allowed to use her name. If Sinthyia had created a false name, such as Mary Sue, she probably wouldn't have had a problem. She decided to email Facebook and to find out why her name, her own, legitimate name from her Native American heritage, was rejected. She received this in response:
 

"On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 9:47 AM, The Facebook Team <**************@support.facebook.com> wrote:

Facebook requires that everybody sign up using their full first and last names. We do not process any requests for name changes unless the full first and last name is included. Also, please note that professional and religious titles are not permitted within personal profile names.

If you are concerned about your privacy, you can always restrict who can find you in searches from the Privacy Settings page, which can be accessed by selecting the "Account" link at the top of every Facebook page.

I apologize for any inconvenience. If you have any further questions, please visit our Help Center at the following address:

http://www.facebook.com/help.php

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Oliver

User Operations

Facebook"

Since this didn't make any sense and did not answer the question, Sinthyia tried again, only to receive this:
 

"On Tue, Jun 29, 2010 at 9:47 AM, The Facebook Team <**********@support.facebook.com> wrote:
Hi,

Thanks for providing this information. At this time, we cannot verify the ownership of the account. Please reply to this email with a scanned or digital image of a government-issued ID (e.g., driver's license). Please make sure the following information is clear:

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Photo

Please black out any personal information that is not needed to verify your identity (e.g., social security number). Rest assured that we will permanently delete your ID from our servers once we have used it to verify the authenticity of your account.

Additionally, please include all of our previous correspondence so that we can refer to your original email. Once we have received this information, we will reevaluate the status of the account. Please note that we will not be able to process your request unless you send in proper identification. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

Oliver
User Operations
Facebook"

First of all, what account needed to be verified? Everyone reading this is all too familiar with the problem of customer support team members who aren't concerned enough to really identify the problem they are being asked to deal with. Facebook did not respond to my attempts to contact them. This seems awfully strict for a woman who used her name to for Mayor of Miami, was ordained as a minister, and incorporated a business within the State of Florida. She is a national columnist with the second largest media group in the United States, who ran her name through a criminal background check as a requirement of employment.  She has trademarks and copyrights in her name. She was also married under this name. I have viewed her birth certificate, her social security card, and her government issued state ID. Facebook's last message seemed to actually understand the problem and reads as follows:

"On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 3:35 PM, The Facebook Team <*************@support.facebook.com> wrote:
Hi,
Facebook does not allow people to sign up with certain names that may be fake or associated with fake accounts. While we realize this verification method may prevent some people with legitimate names from initially registering, we feel this policy is currently the best method to prevent against malicious and fake accounts on the site.
We can help you sign up for an account, but we will need additional information. Please reply to this email with a scanned image or digital picture of a government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license) in order to confirm the accuracy of your name. Also, make sure you black out any personal information that is not needed to verify your identity (e.g., social security number). Keep in mind that we will permanently delete your ID from our servers once your name has been verified.
We apologize for the inconvenience, but you will be unable to sign up until you provide us with a scanned image of a government-issued ID. Please include all of our previous correspondence in your response so that we can refer to your original inquiry.
Thanks in advance for understanding this security policy,

Oliver
User Operations
Facebook"

Well, I wondered just how strict they were. I signed up with the name Monarius Dorkly to find that I was only too welcome. I logged out and went one step further. With a bogus email address using the full name of a fictional woman, I created the Facebook profile for Dame Moronica Darkly. They accepted Dark. I tried Whiteness. Once again, I was happily accepted. They accepted Witless. They accepted Troll. They accept Lord and Dame but will not accept Lady. I confess, I got a bit slap happy with the names. So why is Darkness not allowed?

In addition to demonstrating that Facebook is not policing this policy quite as stringently as they say they are, this also shows that they will happily accept a false name if it does not fall under their guidelines. "Why should I inconvenience myself and violate my privacy when they let all these other bogus people sign up?" says Sinthyia. "It isn't my problem they have an issue with my name. That isn't my fault."

Miranda Batman needed to have her lawyer contact Facebook before they would accept her name. According to one user at forums.whirlpool.net.au, Facebook flat out refused to accept his or her real name for two and a half years. He or she finally just decided to use a fake name and they accepted it.