Posts
2/7/2015 4:01:40 PM Unknown Unknown Is Real Really Real My issues with the supposed use of "Real Names" are the following: They are seldom *verified* in any way to represent a real person or the person you think they are. The website may ask your name and date of birth. You may add an image of the person you claim to be. None of these in anyway truly verify that the user profile is who it may claim to be. The false sense of security is perhaps more damaging because of the trust is brings. It's just too easy to be an impersonator. Anyone can go online, open an account with any persons name they chose. Provide a "verification" email address. Any address, emails are easy to get!! Enter a birthday which may or may not match the birthdate of the individual named. Add an image of the person(easily obtained from other real accounts or online). Start posting or making friend invites as the person they now claim to be. If you receive a friend request from someone with the name of a known school friend and matching picture, that may be the end of your verification. You may or may not even notice if they are already a friend under a real profile and accept again. Harrassment on the web appears to have become an increasing problem with the use of real name profiles. This happens with screen name and real names, but the harrassment appears to have more impact when a user is online with their real name. Troll accounts claiming to be "real" make the online harrassment more damaging. Being insulted by "bigbrain123" is different from online abuse from someone claiming to be an ex-friend or associate. Even well known sites do a lousy job of monitoring online harrassment, which must impact both their exiting users and user retention/attainment rates. It's a serious issue which needs processes and controls. Freedom can easily be misused to become abuse. Although we all dislike over eager moderators, there needs to be better processes to report, monitor and deal with online harrassment. It is nice to be able to go online and know who you are interacting with, but there needs to be a higher level of verification on these social sites. The current situation is no more than "I am who I say I am...", which may work for the majority of users, but opens the door to wide for those who chose to abuse the trust. 2 0 0 Comments

Posts

2/7/2015 4:01:40 PM User Image

Unknown Unknown

Is Real Really Real

My issues with the supposed use of "Real Names" are the following:

They are seldom verified in any way to represent a real person or the person you think they are. The website may ask your name and date of birth. You may add an image of the person you claim to be. None of these in anyway truly verify that the user profile is who it may claim to be. The false sense of security is perhaps more damaging because of the trust is brings. It's just too easy to be an impersonator.

Anyone can go online, open an account with any persons name they chose.
Provide a "verification" email address. Any address, emails are easy to get!!
Enter a birthday which may or may not match the birthdate of the individual named.
Add an image of the person(easily obtained from other real accounts or online).
Start posting or making friend invites as the person they now claim to be.

If you receive a friend request from someone with the name of a known school friend and matching picture, that may be the end of your verification. You may or may not even notice if they are already a friend under a real profile and accept again.

Harrassment on the web appears to have become an increasing problem with the use of real name profiles. This happens with screen name and real names, but the harrassment appears to have more impact when a user is online with their real name.
Troll accounts claiming to be "real" make the online harrassment more damaging. Being insulted by "bigbrain123" is different from online abuse from someone claiming to be an ex-friend or associate.
Even well known sites do a lousy job of monitoring online harrassment, which must impact both their exiting users and user retention/attainment rates. It's a serious issue which needs processes and controls. Freedom can easily be misused to become abuse. Although we all dislike over eager moderators, there needs to be better processes to report, monitor and deal with online harrassment.

It is nice to be able to go online and know who you are interacting with, but there needs to be a higher level of verification on these social sites. The current situation is no more than "I am who I say I am...", which may work for the majority of users, but opens the door to wide for those who chose to abuse the trust.

2 0

0 Comments