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I too will give Facebook a week or so to get this figured out. What they have done is basically aiding and abetting spammers. It's quite obvious that the guy who has my profile has no business having it.
For anyone thinking this isn't a big deal and suggesting we just move on, I think you are missing the point entirely. It's shouldn't be about first come first serve with a site as large as Facebook. It severely diminishes their legitimacy and ability to truly serve people in the proper fashion. The last thing Facebook users want to deal with is more spam. Unfortunately, Facebook has opened their own can of worms by allowing this.
There surely has to be a remedy to this brainless debacle.
I do hope you manage to secure your personalised username
on Facebook as well as Darren Rowse and John Reese.
You all make invaluable contributions to the Internet community
and it's not right when individuals seek to capitalise on your
expert status.
Seriously tho, maybe you can gather support and get everyone to spam his/her blog/facebook page etc. There's more than one way to skin a cat!
It started with fake accounts on Twitter and now it went on on facebook. Will be interesting to see the reaction of facebook this time.
Good luck on this one Ed!
You can also Google "Jessica Yuwell" and find her original Facebook page that now has the name Ed Dale. www.facebook.com/people/Jessica-Yuwell/1482490320 , I guess she doesn't have the power to get rid of the Google indexed page. LOL!
Earlier I saw where Darren did get his real name for his profile but, ChefPatrick took the ProBlogger name and Darren could not get it for his business (or fan) page.
I'm sure this will all get straightened out.
That sucks. Thought people might have some more respect.
If youre name is Trademarked you can visit:
http://www.facebook.com/copyright.php?noncopyri...
and they will investigate.
Here's what happened to me this morning:
Being the eager beaver that I am,I set the alarm for 05:00AM to get a page registered which I only created a few days ago.
Stumbling block 1
-----------------------
Unfortunately Facebook said I was in-eligible due to having less than 1000 fans.
I have a bit of a problem with this. But fair enough, I should have created the page long a go so it is my own fault.
So I thought I'd create an account...
Stumbling Block 2
------------------------
The Facebook said Only accounts created before 9 June 2009 were eligible at this time...
I actually support this restriction, and I wonder if they only enforced it after getting some complaints (in their first few minutes of allowing usernames?)
Next Action:
----------------
It seems that Facebook will lift the restriction for user-accounts in the near future but it's unlikely that that the 1000 fan requirement will be lifted.
If anyone got some nice niche fanpages registered, why not list them so we can all be jealous.
Good luck getting your username Ed!
It's unfortunate these people didn't THINK CLEARLY about what they were doing before they did it.
When someone is searching for Facebook.com/EdDale and they find a wimpy profile that belongs to a female, it's unlikely they will be endeared to that individual. In fact, it's possible that most people would have a negative reaction to being deceived like that.
Their choice will be to either click away, or befriend the Name Thief. The only reasons I can think of that they'd request to be added as a friend would be because they found something that attracted them and they want to "pal around" and connect with the poor misguided soul, OR because they want to give them a piece of their mind for stealing and deceptively using a well-known marketer's name (or the name of an actor/celebrity/doctor/preacher/teacher/rocket scientist/etc.).
And of what benefit would it be for them to let others know what their URL is, when the name is OBVIOUSLY NOT theirs (unless they have a name-change and possible sex-change operation, like Jessica Yuwell).
The fact that the URL or profile cannot be transferred to anyone else, and apparently cannot be changed, makes what these people did seem even more senseless... and yes, downright stupid!
Unless, of course, their aim was solely to HARM the person who actually does own the name that they were fortunate enough--or unfortunate enough-- to claim. In which case...
"Karma is a bitch!"
Too bad they don't think enough of themselves to use their OWN NAME.
Hope Facebook makes these wrongs right.
Will be routing for you, Ed!
:-)
Kat
'Congratulations "Jessica Yuwell" enjoy www.facebook.com/eddale - well until facebook closes your account on Monday :-)'
Nice one Ed, go for the jugular, No Mercy Man!
When it comes down to it people are not going to try to guess vanity names the are still going to search to find people on Facebook. Plus I would hope your fan page is easy enough to find without a vanity name.
You are giving too much attention to someone that doesn't deserve it by making a big deal over nothing.
It's a principle and it exposes a weekness in the facebook system that
needs to be fixed.
Ed
That's certainly annoying and frustrating. The rules are on your side. http://www.facebook.com/terms.php
4. 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:
1. You will not provide any false personal information on Facebook, or create an account for anyone other than yourself without permission.
2. You will not use Facebook if you are under 13.
3. You will not use Facebook if you are located in a country embargoed by the U.S., or are on the U.S. Treasury Department's list of Specially Designated Nationals.
4. You will not use Facebook if you are a convicted sex offender.
5. You will keep your contact information accurate and up-to-date.
6. You will not share your password, let anyone else access your account, or do anything else that might jeopardize the security of your account.
7. You will not transfer your account to anyone without first getting our written permission.
-----
I love to be far under everybody's radar.
Yours
John
stop bitching, you are not at school
law has various remedies to protect that.
would not have heard a peep out of me - but this account was clearly
set up to capitalize off my name and that means to use your expression
they are S.O.L
It's pretty obvious that the profile is a fake, as the profile picture is not even human (and sort of looks like something that would be stolen stock photography), and the gender is female, with a name that's very commonly male.
See http://www.census.gov/genealogy/names/names_fil... -- According to the US Census Bureau, "Ed" isn't even on the list of female first names, meaning it occurs in less than 0.001% of the US female population.
Lastly, if the Facebook staff have any discretionary power (i.e., they're allowed to use their brain!), it should be pretty obvious that someone may be trying to capitalize on your measurable popularity... so it can't hurt to (gently) play that card as well.
Good luck!
and I imagine that they have a few of these to sort through.
The profile is fake and was designed to capitilse of my name.
I'll give facebook a few days to sort it out.
Am not sure if you had submitting a request to reserve your trademark name before the deadline expired which was a few hours before the registration opened.
Facebook indicated that you could still still protect your rights on their site using their existing infringement reporting process. If you wish to report that someone’s username infringes your intellectual property rights, you may report them to Facebook through their copyright page at http://bit.ly/mkCBH
But knowing you, you already have it under control.
The fake person now has at least 2 Ed Dale accounts, since it's clearly the same person who has eddale & ed.dale (same silly avatar & both in Seattle), so they can also be caught via the "only one account" rule. To those people who are saying effectively "get over it": people who want to follow our Ed need to know that they are following the correct person, particularly with the new preseason & the 30dc coming up.
Ed, hope this gets put right v soon.
I feel for you man. What she did was just plain wrong! I can't imagine anyone looking for the real Ed Dale landing on her page and being happy about it. If you ever want to leverage the power of your followers just say the word.
It's Facebook for God's sake. Get over it.
@ Mike Steves Its not the fact he missed out, hes clear in saying that if another person of the same name claimed it first then "ho hum, to bad, 2nd best option." Its the way someone has blatantly registered an established name and twisted it with the intention of benefiting from someone elses hard work or identity. Leaves a bad taste and is totally despicable and underhanded.
@eddale: Why should Facebook give the url to you. Why not to another real eddale? What if there's 20 eddale's all complaining about how they didn't get their vanity name. Dude - as much as you may want the name, you're not going to get it. It sets too much of a precedant for facebook to be taking vanity urls away from members and giving them to specific people just because "it's my real name". It ain't gonna happen.
Glaring mistake:
there were links to paid products
should be
there weren't links to paid products
I would completely understand except for the fact that the profile was
named "Jessica Yuwell" until I highlighted the fact that they did this
- "she" then changed the name to Ed Dale after the event - check the
profile - it still says Ed Dale is a she!!!!!
It's at best stupid and at worst an attempt to decieve -
let me repeat if it was a real ed dale - I would have said total fair
play - but it wasn't and is not
Ed
I like they way you handled yourself. Some other marketers such as Jason Moffatt didn't do as well.
It's a big debate and it's one that's not going to go away anytime soon.
If I was you I would personally register ed_dale on facebook as it matches your twitter profile, I know from my experience if your username is the same accross all social media platforms people will find you easier.
Regards
Myles Agnew
http://www.mylesagnew.com/blog
if facebook opened it for pages first before profiles then they wouldnt have this issue, brands and companies with over 1000 fans could register their names and secure it so profiles couldnt take them.
profiles dont need usernames anyways, pages do.
It was something that was always going to happen, in a way it is complement to you and your name/brand. If people are sitting waiting for something like the vanity URL's on facebook to get your name you should be pleased that you have had such a big impact on the IM world.
Matt