Talk to me about Facebook

[Spiderman]

@control-z

Wow things have gotten worse if FB is requiring phone numbers or utility bills. I guess I am grandfathered in.

This is what they have on their site if you try to signup. (Only spoilered for length.)

[quote=]
Use a phone to verify your account
The phone number you use can only verify one account. Once you enter your number, you’ll receive a code that you can enter on Facebook to verify your account.
Your phone number will be added to your Timeline. You’ll be able to choose who you share it with. To learn more about how information on your Timeline is used, visit our privacy policy.
[/quote]

[quote=]
Confirm Your Identity

Having trouble?
If you’re unable to verify your account using a mobile phone number, you can submit a request to verify your account using your ID.

Why do I need to verify my identity by providing my phone number?
We want to make sure that this is really you and that you’re connecting to Facebook with just one account.

To verify your identity, you’ll need to log into Facebook and follow the on-site instructions to add your mobile number. Your phone number will be added to your profile, but you can choose who can see it there.

Note: Maintaining more than one account is a violation of the Facebook Terms.

Maintain an authentic personal account.
Do I have to use my name when I’m using my Facebook account to access games and apps?

If I use my phone number to verify my identity, will it appear on my profile?

Why can’t I use my phone number to verify multiple accounts?

I can’t use my phone number to verify my account.
If you’re unable to verify your account using a mobile phone number, you can submit a request to verify your account using your government-issued ID.
[/quote]

[quote=]
Confirm Your Identity
Please fill out the form below to help us verify your identity.
Please attach a copy of your ID(s). Learn more about why we require ID verification and what types of ID we’ll accept below.
What types of ID does Facebook accept?
You can confirm your identity in 1 of 3 ways. When submitting documentation, please cover up any personal information we don’t need to verify your identity (ex: credit card number, Social Security number). We encrypt people’s connections to Facebook by default, including IDs you send to us. We delete your ID information after verification is complete.

Option 1
We will accept any government-issued ID that contains your name and date of birth. Examples include:

Birth certificate
Driver’s license
Passport
Marriage certificate
Official name change paperwork
Personal or vehicle insurance card
Non-driver’s government ID (ex: disability, SNAP card, national ID card)
Green card, residence permit or immigration papers
Tribal identification or status card
Voter ID card

Option 2
You can provide two different forms of ID from the following list (ex: a bank statement and a library card, but not two bank statements). The names on your IDs must match each other, and one of the IDs must include a photo or date of birth that matches the information on your profile.

Below are some examples of IDs we’ll accept:

Bank statement
Bus card
Check
Credit card
Employment verification
Library card
Mail
Magazine subscription stub
Medical record
Membership ID (ex: pension card, union membership, work ID, professional ID)
Paycheck stub
Permit
School card
School record
Social Security card
Utility bill
Yearbook photo (actual scan or photograph of the page in your yearbook)

Option 3
If you don’t have an ID that shows your authentic name as well as your photo or date of birth, you can provide two forms of ID from Option 2 above, and then provide a government ID that includes a date of birth or photo that matches the information on your profile. We won’t add the name or other information from the government ID to your account.
How do I upload my ID to Facebook?

Why am I being asked to upload an ID?
We take your security very seriously, so before we can provide you with any information about this account or give you access to it, we need to make sure it belongs to you.
[/quote]

[MysticYoYo]

I don’t have a Facebook account, either. It just seems like too much work.

I overheard someone at work talk about someone they know who’s unfortunate enough to be named “Lucky”. As in his real name first name is Lucky, but Facebook won’t give him an account because the powers that be at the Facebook Mothership don’t believe it’s his real name.

[kayT]

Gee, Spiderman, thanks for posting that spoiler. I have never actually considered joining Facebook, but since reading that, now I have a “reason” to give to family members who want me to join so they don’t have to actually keep in touch with me.

[Spiderman]

Does anyone know if you can do Google Voice on a (wi-fi only) tablet, maybe with a downloaded texting app? I already have GV acct on my phone & am not sure I can do two on the phone.

[Simplicio]

People are being a little silly. I just made a dummy facebook account. It took one (dummy) email address and my DOB and less than 30 seconds. Its almost literally zero work.

[kayT]

So they don’t really need a phone number, Simplicio? What was all that stuff posted earlier about identifying yourself? Was it not true? I don’t get it.

[LavenderBlue]

I love Facebook. I’ve made new friends from around the world and renewed friendships in my own area. Come join some of our fun anti-woo groups.

You too could be hated by crazy people.

[Anaamika]

@Little_Nemo

This is the kind of thing I’m talking about. It’s not like Facebook is life threatening. It’s just annoying. And if you participate in it, you either have to accept all the annoyances or put some effort into reducing and/or avoiding them. So far, I’ve avoided all the annoyances with no effort by not joining.

On the other hand, there are an increasing number of businesses or organizations or individuals that simply refer me to their Facebook page for information I want. It’s annoying that I often can’t access these pages.

So I have to decide if the inconvenience of not being in Facebook is greater or lesser than the inconvenience of being in Facebook.

It’s really just once.

I signed up with my real name and my e-mail address. I wanted people to find me. I left it for a week, so people would have time, getting emails in my inbox.

Then I went into facebook and shut off all my notifications. Now I never get notified for anything until I go into FB.

And since then I haven’t been bugged once. Oh, if I go into facebook I can read friends’ posts, and see updates and notifications, but if I go however long without it, it doesn’t bug me or anything. I could forget about it.

So it’s just one instance of setting it up, one instance of correcting all your settings, and then you just leave it be to do whatever, and use it for your convenience.

[Eyebrows_0f_Doom]

@MysticYoYo

I don’t have a Facebook account, either. It just seems like too much work.

I overheard someone at work talk about someone they know who’s unfortunate enough to be named “Lucky”. As in his real name first name is Lucky, but Facebook won’t give him an account because the powers that be at the Facebook Mothership don’t believe it’s his real name.

Oh please. That’s complete crap, do a search, there are many people on Facebook named “Lucky.” I have three in my Friends feed alone.

@kayT

So they don’t really need a phone number, Simplicio? What was all that stuff posted earlier about identifying yourself? Was it not true? I don’t get it.

You have to remember, this is the Straight Dope. Where ignorance is bad, but ignorance of technology is good.

[Anaamika]

@Spiderman

No, when you go to sign up, they send you an email with a link & a code that you then need to confirm with a text message. This means that you need to give them a cell #. The only way around this is to send them a gov’t id, or a slew of other stuff, utility bill + library card, etc.

Do you know of anyway around this? It’s getting to the point I want to sign up only because some groups only use FB. I don’t want a ‘real’ account; will never post anything there, nor friend any person.

? I didn’t give them my phone number. I just checked. I confirmed through email, I think.

Also I just searched. I only found two things named “Lucky” - Lucky Tattoo and Lucky Taco.

[MoonMoon]

@Eyebrows_0f_Doom

Oh please. That’s complete crap, do a search, there are many people on Facebook named “Lucky.” I have three in my Friends feed alone.

You have to remember, this is the Straight Dope. Where ignorance is bad, but ignorance of technology is good.

This image comes to mind so often as I browse these boards.

[jz78817]

I’ve pretty much taken “social media” as my old man “get off my lawn!” point. the only possible thing that would push me to have a FB account is if more and more sites switch to using FB as authentication, but other than that I have no need or want for FB.

[Drunky_Smurf]

You know all your friends and family that you thought you liked just fine? Get ready to know more about them. Their political crap, their stupid opinions, their stupid “humour”, their stupid muffin they had for breakfast are coming your way.

Luckily though you can block people so you don’t see their crap. But first you see their crap and go, “ugh, blocked”.

[Ranger_Jeff]

I’ve never given them my phone number.

You have to have a profile. You have to display your name, gender, and an email address on your profile. And FB gives you a FB email addy so you can display that one. All other information about you if you enter it, you can block other people from ever seeing it.

[Canadjun]

@Ranger_Jeff

I’ve never given them my phone number.

You have to have a profile. You have to display your name, gender, and an email address on your profile. And FB gives you a FB email addy so you can display that one. All other information about you if you enter it, you can block other people from ever seeing it.

Maybe it’s because I’ve had my account for many years, but I have never specified a gender in my FB profile. I just double-checked; there isn’t one anywhere in my profile.

[Spiderman]

@Ranger_Jeff

I’ve never given them my phone number.

How long have you had your account?

I’m thinking it’s a (relatively) new thing to require a mobile phone # to text to complete your acct setup. Also, it needs to be a unique phone #.

[Anaamika]

@Spiderman

How long have you had your account?

I’m thinking it’s a (relatively) new thing to require a mobile phone # to text to complete your acct setup. Also, it needs to be a unique phone #.

I set mine up on the 15th of June. No phone # required.

[control-z]

Maybe they do A-B testing to see how much people will give them. Or maybe certain things can trigger the phone number request.

[Doug_K]

I just now set up a new account for my daughter. Name, email, sex, password, done. No phone number needed.

[Eyebrows_0f_Doom]

@Anaamika

? I didn’t give them my phone number. I just checked. I confirmed through email, I think.

Also I just searched. I only found two things named “Lucky” - Lucky Tattoo and Lucky Taco.

Search People. I stopped counting after 100 hits of people with the first name of Lucky.