I’m going to go out on something of a limb here. Just why are people getting so worked up about having their “SL Accounts” on Facebook deleted?
Over the last 24 hours, FB have been mass deleting accounts linked to SL avatars (and no doubt other accounts that are “not linked” to “real information”), and people have been shouting about it across blogs, Twitter and Plurk as if it is so kind of outrage.
Well, sorry, it isn’t. I’m not Facebook fan; I wouldn’t even use it – but the Facebook Terms and Conditions of use are clear: only “real life” account information should be used on Facebook accounts. Quote:
“Registration and Account Security
Facebook users provide their real names and information, and we need your help to keep it that way. Here are some commitments you make to us relating to registering and maintaining the security of your account:
- You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
- You will not create more than one personal profile.
However fond we are of our Avatars, the fact remains that they don’t fall under the classification of “real names and information”; ergo, however much it hurts, creating a Facebook account using avatar information has always been a recipe for disaster. Given this, it’s hard to see how anyone can be outraged when Facebook seek to enforce their rules; it is their playground, after all.
I appreciate this may come across as a cold reaction, especially to those who have invested many hours in developing their Facebook presence, but it is honestly hard to be anything else. Had it been a case of FB suddenly changing their policy and wiping out accounts as a result, it would be a very different matter, one that would call for more sympathy for those affected by the move.
But it is not. As quoted above, the rules are clear. Foolish is the person who gambles against the house odds in matter like this.
However, there is another side to this situation. Leave us not forget that for well over a year now Linden Lab have been actively encouraging people to flip over to Facebook and join things over there. For example, we’ve had:
- The 2010 Valentine scavenger hunt, the top prize for which could only be won by those registering with Facebook
- The 2010 advertising campaign that (at the least) required SL users to connect their Avatars with their RL identity on Facebook
- Wallace Linden’s heavy-handed FB push that marked his one (and only?) attempt to “start a conversation”
- Amanda’s Linden’s own clumsy juxtaposition of announcing a forthcoming new “community platform” for “better communications” while at the same time telling people that “the” place to find out about SL is….Facebook…
While it might be argued that few / none of these initiatives have required people to sign-up to Facebook using their Avatar details, such arguments entirely miss the point. Facebook and Second Life are – for the vast majority of SL users – simply a bad fit, precisely because of FB’s “no ‘fake’ information policy.
Of course, there are those who don’t mind linking RL and SL identities: those operating a RL business with SL ties; those working in education in RL and SL, those operating non-profits, etc., may have few qualms in linking one to the other – and are excellently placed to use the likes of FB and services such as LindedIn to help promote themselves and their activities.
But for the vast majority of SL users, making FB a bedfellow has not been in our interests. Some at Linden Lab (/me waves to Amanda) have been using a form marketing kung-fu that can only be described as kicking oneself in the head, in that they seem to be of the opinion that pushing SL users to FB will be reciprocated in a flow of FB users to SL. This clearly is flawed in so many ways, it’s not worth rehashing all the reasons why, especially given they’ve been pointed out time and again by so many SL bloggers.
Hopefully, this latest move from Facebook will convince TPTB at the Lab that it really isn’t in their best interests to be so cosy with FB. In the meantime, for those who want an SL-related social network, why not give 2ndhub a try?
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
Even for those who don’t mind linking virtual and real identities, the fact is they most likely are different names. I find it confusing enough in separate forums web sites when I don’t recognize the author of a post by someone I know because their forum name is slightly different. Now if you replace it with a completely different RL name, the situation is worse.
While it is a problem, I feel the root cause of the trouble here is not really an unwillingness to link virtual and real life identities, but rather that they are two (or more) separate individual identities to begin with, requiring an artificial linkage rather than natural association.
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Very true, Jim – and welcome to my corner of the web.
Yours is a very valid point as to why, for the majority involved in SL, Facebook is far from an ideal environment. If I’m honest, “Inara Pey” is very much an identity – persona might be a better term – I’ve adopted. She’s by no means real, and hence unsuited to Facebook, but she *does* represent various facets of the “real” me; I simply prefer to determine where I draw the line between what I reveal of myself through her and what I wish to remain private and personal, rather than having that choice determined by a faceless corporation (or any other entity) on my “behalf”.
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I rather like to keep my RL and VW identities separate. I’ve never created an avatar account on Facebook, not least because it’s against the Ts & Cs.
The evident antipathy of Facebook to avatar accounts means that I can’t think of a worse idea in this area than Linden Lab encouraging us to do stuff on Facebook. For anyone maintaining separate identities, this is a completely ridiculous suggestion and most people simply won’t do it, and haven’t done it. If there was a social network where we could register using avatar names, that might be interesting… oh, right, we had one of those once and it was closed down.
Most of us do different things in and with our RL and VW identities, even if we don’t keep them entirely separate. This needs to be recognised.
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Absolutely
Rodvik gets this. It’s about time others at LL got it as well.
In the meantime, if you want an SL-related social networking site, take a look at 2ndhub (link in the article). I’m still paddling around in it and will likely review it in a couple of days…but looks good.
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Err when you told me to stop mirroring your posts I didn’t realise how close the mirror was! Ok I had a rant about evil Facebook but I agree that Facebook aren’t at fault for deleting the accounts and that SL and FB are not happy bed fellows!
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Indeedy. On all counts :).
As to mirroring.. great minds think alike; and I’m pretty guilty of it where Tateru is concerned, although she has the advantage of being further around the world than me, so the ideas reach her first! 😉
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I am happy, being pushed to FB despite my very-grounded-in-reality distrust of FB by people in SL badgering me, “you’ve got to have a FB account!” I know too much about the policies and practices of FB, which anyone can know given a night of web research, and it does not meet my standards for security, privacy, safety or control.
That said, I think it’s hilarious that FB is doing this now when info-polls released last week indicate that more than 1/3 of FB users are under 13 (which is against TOS and ‘fasle personal information’) and over half of FB profiles have self-stated “not exactly true” info. Will FB toss these accounts too? Luckily, I do not care because FB is a NSA datafarm, Zuckerberg is the lying Devil and Farmville is Thorazine 😀
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I created a FB account about 100 years ago and in complete ignorance of any rules about “fake info” and whatnot. I’ll keep my Ambergris Baphomet FB account around until they see fit to kick me to the curb. I wont wail and I won’t cry – for the exact reasons you stated on this post.
Also, I’d never actually open a FB account with the RL “me” as its track record regarding privacy – its always opt out not in – is notso good. Which again leads back to the SL and FB not being happy campers together. I completely agree.
However, I’ve met some cool people from around the world, other SLers and been able to leverage FB as best I can to promote myself and my SL biz. If I get tossed out tomorrow I’ll consider it a good run and I had lots of fun 🙂
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FB can have its uses :). I’ve made a case or two for where it can work for SL users myself. Like you, I steer clear of it because of the attitude the company holds towards privacy and the idea that unless you disclose your personal information in full to everyone with a web browser (through Facebook, no doubt), you are somehow a less “honest” individual than those who do.
Right now, I’m seeing how 2ndHub develops; still a small following, but all of it SL-focused, and very friendly.
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