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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask a really stupid question about the facebook button

23 replies

Olderyetwilder · 16/12/2011 10:09

I'm not on facebook, never been on it. If someone presses the button do I end up on facebook? told you it was a stupid question

OP posts:

NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas · 16/12/2011 10:12

the thread ends up on their facebook page, but nothing identifies you at all. This thread is already visible to anyone who wants to see it.

OldeChestnut · 16/12/2011 10:15

facebook come round to your house and quiz you about why you arent on it, and make you pay a fine

LineRunnerCrouchingReindeer · 16/12/2011 10:16

No, you maintain your normal levels of integrity.

crazycrackernanna · 16/12/2011 10:20

But how can the thread end up on your FB page if the FB is your real name and not your MN name? Is it just for the MN facebook page? I really don't understand how your NN can be linked to your RL FB name

NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas · 16/12/2011 10:25

you don't have to be on the thread to like it and have it on your page. No-one knows who you are on the thread if you have posted. its just a link on your page that leads you to the thread is all.

AvengingGerbil · 16/12/2011 11:02

Presumably FB must know both your RL identity and your MN identity? How good is their security?

OldeChestnut · 16/12/2011 11:04

you have to give permission for another application to write stuff to your fb page

redlac · 16/12/2011 11:07

FB doesn't know your MN identity!

Trills · 16/12/2011 11:08

YABU to start another thread about it.

If someone clicks the button, then the link to this thread will be posted on their Facebook. It will just say "Sarah likes this page" - it won't say that Sarah is TuftyLumps on MN and it won't say anything about you that can't be seen by anyone who reads this thread.

crazycrackernanna · 16/12/2011 11:08

So if FB doesn't know who you are on MN...why is it a problem?

Trills · 16/12/2011 11:08

And Sarah can only click on it if she is already logged into Facebook on her computer.

crazycrackernanna · 16/12/2011 11:10

But how does FB know that Sarah likes this page if she is not Sarah on MN?
Sorry...I am not very clued up about the interweb.

Winetimeisfinetime · 16/12/2011 11:13

I just asked this question on the other thread crazy, and apparently you have to be logged into your Facebook account for the link to be made. So if you are logged into MN and FB under whatever names that is the link. Probably got that all wrong but that was my understanding.

redlac · 16/12/2011 11:14

the Like Button creates a link on Sarah FB page - it doesn't send information about your MN nickname it just creates a weblink.

KittyFane · 16/12/2011 11:16

:o @ oldechestnut !!

crazycrackernanna · 16/12/2011 11:16

Oh so it's your computer that does it...not the fact that someone has linked you on the 2 sites?
God it's confusing! Think I'll stick to phonecalls and letters to socialise old bag

Winetimeisfinetime · 16/12/2011 11:20

Yes I think you are making the link by being logged onto both sites. Trying to understand this is making me feel even more old and out of touch than usual.

I think we should get Prof Brian Cox to do a talk on how it all works for us old gimmers as he almost made me understand some physics once.

crazycrackernanna · 16/12/2011 11:25

So would not the solution be just to not press the likey thingy then? Or does it mean that say if someone likes one of our posts,then it still links to your FB?

Paiviaso · 16/12/2011 11:26

I have Facebook, but am not currently logged in. I just clicked the link fLike link, and it asked me to log into Facebook.

It doesn't magically know who are on Facebook. You have to tell it first! If I had logged in, it would have then posted a link to this thread on my Facebook page, stating that I liked it.

That is all!

Winetimeisfinetime · 16/12/2011 13:22

Paiviaso, I have just now seen on another thread that apparently you don't actually need to be logged in to both accounts and that the link is made through your stored cookies.

NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas · 16/12/2011 13:38

Ok, its simple. You click like, and on your FB page (in your RL name) a link is posted to the thread...it says Real Name likes X thread on MN. With me?

Now, when someone clicks on that link, it brings them to MN and they can read the thread. But they have no idea what your NN is, so can't tell which post is yours on the thread. You might not even have posted on the thread.

There is NO LINK at all between your RL name and you MN name. None. No-one can work it out, unless you have posted things on the thread that would identify you to people who knew you from FB (like "I live in X and have 3 kids called X, Y and Z)

Is that clear?

crazycrackernanna · 16/12/2011 13:46

Oh right I get it now....thank you Neuro
I could see then how some people who are on forums and FB loads might feel a bit shifty about that....suppose the danger is always there and one of the attractions about MN is the anonimity.

But for me who is a lonely bastard has a small circle...I am not bothered either way....I think.

NeuromanticisedVisionsofXmas · 16/12/2011 13:52

You're welcome. Personally I think all the hoo-ha is a good reminder to people that MN isn't anonymous, at least not as much as people like to think. If someone particularly wanted to find your RL name, it wouldn't be very hard. And you have to remember that anyone can read MN, they don't need to register or be a member, anyone from anywhere in the world can read everything you write.

Mostly, that doesn't matter. But its good to keep in mind.

Flip