To think it’s silly to not go by your name on Facebook?

[RosieGuacamosie]

Unless you’re a teacher/work with children for obvious reasons.

I have a locked down Facebook with photos of me as my profile pictures, but nothing offensive or anything that could be considered dodgy.

Equally only friends can see my timeline, but again I’d never post anything offensive.

Am I being really naive here? A lot of my “friends” seem to go by firstname middlename but surely you can just decline a friend request?

I get where you're coming from OP, although the first name middle name ones don't bother me too much. However I do find it a bit odd when people have weird made up names, with no resemblance to their actual name. Or use their name but with other stuff like 'Name Jaydensmummy', Name Nuttygal or Crazy chick, or blokes with their football team or favourite player as part of their name. Just a bit weird to me.

I work for the emergency services and my self and 90% of my colleagues use completely random names, middle names or initials as we deal with people you most definitely dont want to know anything about you. Especially if you live near where your based

@RosieGuacamosie YABVU.

I don't use my real name, because I don't want people from the past - who I have ghosted/binned/lost contact with, or who haven't been arsed with me for a decade or more, to make contact.

Also, I don't want real life stalkers/weirdos knowing my real name.

I used to have my real name on twitter AND facebook, and one time (some 5 years ago,) a follower of mine on twitter found me on facebook, and sent a friend request. I ignored it, and he started to get shirty and arsey. He said 'do you think you're too good to accept my friend request? Stuck up bitch.'

That was it. I blocked him and had an anonymous/ambiguous name after that. So if my name is Linda Harrison, I call myself Lynne Harris.

It's no-one's business WHAT I call myself!

I go by first name middle name purely because I don't like my surname🤷‍♀️getting married next year so will be changing my name legally so will change it on fb too.

I used to use my name in irish, as do a lot of Irish people. It's still my name but it makes me a lot harder to be found.

I work in medical field and we are actively encouraged to do so.

It’s to avoid patients, governing body and future employers tracking you down and finding out personal information.

I deal with my customers for MegaCorp(TM) in my own name, I don’t need them trying to friend me on fb.

A friend request from a client ignored is an awkward conversation I’d rather not have.

I go by middle name and surname. Again it's a profession where I don't want people finding me can never be too careful.

I often work with violent offenders- I’d be more worried about them finding me than the teenagers I used to work with
I don’t mind the changing names slightly like first name middle name or scrambling some letters but some of the weirder names do make it hard to tell who is adding me.

I have a really unusual surname-I was the only person on Facebook with my first name and surname combo and I got hounded by disgruntled University students (I work in HE but don’t teach).

I now use first name, middle name only which are very common so I don’t search easily. My profile is locked down as much as possible but you still appear on other people’s timelines etc. Since changing name I’ve not been targeted once.
I have friends in the police, a barrister, a GP and a magistrate that do similar for the same reason-they get a lot of hate.

I use my own name, post pics of my DC, but have everything locked down to friends only and am only friends with people I know and trust.

I know teachers, social workers and police officers who use different names. Completely understand that.

DP has a sensitive profession, but also a John Smith type name, so uses his own, but anyone trying to find him would have to search through hundreds. He also has an unrecognisable profile pic.

Maybe we should all use a fake name on fb.
I don't work with children but somebody I did my work for liked and then quickly unliked my new profile pic. I thought wow. I know that name. had been dealing with his case.n Strange things like that have happened before and I wrote them off. Friend suggestions for people I was not friends with but who i had done work for. I was told i was WRONG to think that they may have searched me.

@XYZXYZ

I go by middle name and surname. Again it's a profession where I don't want people finding me can never be too careful.

Yes, I do this too (other way round for me though as my Irish name is my professional name). And legally I'm just as much Sionnach Rua as I am Red Fox, so why not? If I was not Irish I might go by my mum's maiden name instead. A bit of privacy does no harm.

Oh I quoted the wrong person there, that was meant to be a response to romdowa. Strange, could've sworn I selected the right one!

I used first name, middle name on Facebook, where I interact with fewer than 20 people from my close community and family, but people in my field of work tracked me down. I picked a totally new name and changed my messenger id as well.

I closed my old FB years ago when my peodophoile father stole photos from mine and my sisters Facebooks and posted them on his page with “my grandchildren” it was like he was taunting us
So now I have a very closed fb and a total random name

All my friends that have changed their Facebook name as you've described have done so as a result of somebody else being a total pain up to and including abuse and harassment they don't do it lightly

And they don't need to tell you why

Professions vary, lots are teachers or police officers so it's for career/personal safety reasons

Others it's because they have dodgy exes or family or even because they've been victims of sexual harassment at work and colleagues tend to know our full names (forename and surname) but not middle names

I have a unique name but some fucking spambot registered my name in Facebook

I have 4 names I am known by.

Maiden name (this is my legal name)
Divorced husband's name (children have this name)
New husband's name (I don't use it but others seem to think I do )
Facebook nom de plume

I love having no work link and am not friends with my employees. Its important in my job that clients can't find me and I like a complete separation between work me and real me.

I don't use my full name, but use the first letters of name and surname. Also my profile picture is the cookie monster.
I also haven't post anything in my main time line over 7 years.
I use Facebook just for local community groups.
I just don't want people to see what I do but I use it for communication purposes

I don't have FaceBook, I prefer this site tbh 🌸

Sounds like you have had a nice sheltered life without stalkers or crazy family you need to hide from. Good for you.

@Labradooodle

Maybe we should all use a fake name on fb. I don't work with children but somebody I did my work for liked and then quickly unliked my new profile pic. I thought wow. I know that name. had been dealing with his case.n Strange things like that have happened before and I wrote them off. Friend suggestions for people I was not friends with but who i had done work for. I was told i was WRONG to think that they may have searched me.

It's possible that if you have location enabled on your phone and the other person also has location enabled then Facebook knows you have been in the same place at the same time.

It was something I was warned about for work reasons.

I changed my fb name after I discovered I share a name with a 'famous' porn star
I even look a little like her - at least in a tiny thumbnail profile pic.
I was getting loads of random friend requests from some pretty creepy men.
Then someone told me why.
Changed my name that day. Ugh

@Sweetpeasaremadeofcheese

Sounds like you have had a nice sheltered life without stalkers or crazy family you need to hide from. Good for you.

my Job prevents my using it lol .. but I've never felt the urge to join either 🤣