War on Facebook

[Digital Dolphin]

As those of you who follow my twitter already know, I have declared war on Facebook.

This is not a petty DDoS sort of war, or a name calling war, or anything so jeuvenile. It is simply a means to an end.

About a week ago Facebook deleted my account without warning. on the grounds that they believe the name 'Digital Dolphin' to be fake. When I confronted them about my account deletion, they described their username requirements in limited detail, but enough that I was able to tell that not only will I never agree to their reported terms of use, but that most people I know on Facebook have violated them also.

For your viewing pleasure, I now bring you the un-edited content (minus my e-mail address) of my discussion with Facebook thus far:

From: Digital Dolphin (digitaldolphin@*****.com)
To: [email protected] ([email protected])
Subject: disabled account

Hi There,

I am writing because my account on Facebook has been listed as Disabled. I do not understand why this would happen, as I have never had a single
warning or complaint brought to my attention, nor have I done anything that I feel would justify an immediate removal without warning (in fact, I'm not aware of any action I could have taken that would even justify a warning).

My account is the one attached to this e-mail address.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration on this issue.

-Digital Dolphin

Their response:

Hi,

Fake names are a violation of our Terms of Use. Facebook requires users to provide their full first and last names (I.e. no initials). Nicknames can be used in the form of FirstName 'NickName' LastName, but only if they are a variation on your real first or last name, such as 'Bob' instead of 'Robert'. Additionally, please note that impersonating anyone or anything is prohibited.

If you would like to use this profile again, just get back to us with your real name, and we will reactivate the account for you.

Thanks for your understanding,

Tatsuya
User Operations
Facebook

For your reference, I invite you to the read the Facebook Terms of Use:
http://www.facebook.com/terms.php?ref=pf

You will find nothing in there regarding profile names, with the exception of this portion:

Registration Data; Account Security
In consideration of your use of the Site, you agree to (a) provide accurate, current and complete information about you as may be prompted by any registration forms on the Site ("Registration Data"); (b) maintain the security of your password and identification; (c) maintain and promptly update the Registration Data, and any other information you provide to Company, to keep it accurate, current and complete; and (d) be fully responsible for all use of your account and for any actions that take place using your account.

So to clarify, if you go by what Tatsuya claims, using Bob instead of Robert, or Matt instead of Matthew, or Mike instead of Michael, will be a violation of their terms (Matthew Smith = ok, Matthew Matt Smith = ok, Matt Smith = not ok). However, that does not seem to be an actual part in their official listed terms of use. Furthermore, they do not properly define what a "real" name is. Is it the name that you go by in real life? Is it your birth name? Your legal name? Would Marilyn Manson or Jamie Foxx have their accounts deleted? (both not "real" names). Would Moon Unit Zappa get in trouble because it's a weird name (although it was given at birth)?

So to make a long story short... if you're looking for me on Facebook and want to know why I'm not there anymore... it's because a name that I have used for about 9 years (more than 1/3rd of my life) is not "real" enough for Facebook.

This is how I responded to Facebook's previous e-mail:

Hi Tatsuya,

I thank you for your response, however I am still very confused about the issue here. First of all, I do not see the definition for "real name" anywhere in your terms of service. Could you please clarify? Some people define real names strictly as those written on legal documents, a "legal name" if you will, such as Moon Unit Zappa. Other's would argue that the name you are known by on a day to day basis by friends, co-workers and family, that you receive mail under, and operate with, is your real name... such as Jamie Foxx or Marilyn Manson (both of which are not real "legal names").

Secondly, I will admit that I was not born with the name Digital Dolphin, however it has been my name for over 9 years now. I have written professional reviews on computer hardware under it, I have used it for all other forms of social networking, from personal sites, to twitter and youtube, and even receive mail under the name. More people know me as Dolphin than by any other name I've ever been called. So again I would like to ask you to please define your meaning of the word "real", so that I can best detail how Digital Dolphin is more my real name than any other alternative.

Furthermore, I am afraid I have to challenge your claim that I am in violation of the Terms of Use for Facebook. I have read over your Terms of Use, as listed here:
http://www.facebook.com/terms.php

The closest to the mentioning of a name requirement that is listed there is the following excerpt:

Registration Data; Account Security
In consideration of your use of the Site, you agree to (a) provide accurate, current and complete information about you as may be prompted by any registration forms on the Site ("Registration Data"); (b) maintain the security of your password and identification; (c) maintain and promptly update the Registration Data, and any other information you provide to Company, to keep it accurate, current and complete; and (d) be fully responsible for all use of your account and for any actions that take place using your account.

As you can see, the terms state that the information must be accurate. I believe that the information I provided was correct and accurate when I wrote it, and it continues to be accurate to this day. Were I to go through the process of changing my name, I would be happy to update the information on my account with the corrections.

Thirdly although not anywhere listed in the terms of use, if your description of the naming requirements for accounts on Facebook were to become official, nearly every account that I am aware of would be considered in violation. People named William listed as Bill, people named Matthew listed as Matt, people named Robert listed as Robbie, Bobby or Bob... you get the idea.

And finally, you offered that if I would provide my real name, you would reactivate my account for me. Again, I argue that Digital Dolphin is my real name, and I would like to see what proof you have to the contrary.

Your Sincerely,
Digital Dolphin

For the record, I am not expecting my fight with Facebook to result in the re-enabling of my account. I *AM* however hoping to force their hand to properly clarify their terms of use, and hopefully to ease up on some of their nickname ass-hattery.

[Jillers]

I'm not sure if registration has changed since I signed up (back in my junior year of college so... that was... 5 years ago... ish? Maybe less), but it seems to me that:

...(a) provide accurate, current and complete information about you as may be prompted by any registration forms on the Site ("Registration Data")

(emphasis mine)
...would imply that you should use your real name...

[Matt]

I think that if people address him by name as "digital dolphin" then he would be accurate in stating that to be his name.

also, my facebook account is "Matt Wiggins" not Matthew.


it's not my legal name, but it is what I would consider to be my "name"

when people ask for my name, I say "Matt".

Is my registration of an account under that name "inaccurate"?

-m

[Digital Dolphin]

I'm not sure if registration has changed since I signed up (back in my junior year of college so... that was... 5 years ago... ish? Maybe less), but it seems to me that:

...(a) provide accurate, current and complete information about you as may be prompted by any registration forms on the Site ("Registration Data")

(emphasis mine)
...would imply that you should use your real name...

I realize that the message was a bit prone to TL:DR, but if you take some time to read it through (or even just the bit at the end maybe), you'll see that I'm trying to get them to clarify their Terms of Use.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the point is that they throw the word "real" around a lot, but it's a fairly subject term in this case. We're not talking about counterfeit nike shoes, or non-counterfeit nike shoes here.

What is a real name to them? Is it what's printed on your birth certificate? Is it the name you use and are known by day in and day out. What if you have a Chinese name and an English name?

Also, my name could legally be Digital Dolphin. Maybe it is already They never stopped to ask me, or gave me a warning or anything. Plenty of people have weird names (as mentioned previously, Moon Unit Zappa). Plenty of people have names that seem normal, but violate their terms of use (Bob Smith... his full name is Robert Smith, and nicknames cannot replace first names according to the e-mail I received).

This is a LOT bigger than just me. That's my point here.

[Alterran]

I think that if people address him by name as "digital dolphin" then he would be accurate in stating that to be his name.

also, my facebook account is "Matt Wiggins" not Matthew.


it's not my legal name, but it is what I would consider to be my "name"

when people ask for my name, I say "Matt".

Is my registration of an account under that name "inaccurate"?

-m

Indeed I am Similar with 'Will' instead of 'William'. I've encountered something similar to this previously, when I first signed up to Facebook, I did it jokingly with my name as 'Dingo T. Starr' (with an aptly placed picture of Ringo Star). I didn't get any kind of complaint despite the account obviously being a joke, when I came to change my name to my real name, my first submission was rejected for a reason that now escapes me, only on my second try did it actually go through fine.

To be brutally honest I like facebook because as a social networking site, it's a helluva lot purer than MySpace, where weird names and tags are rife. I don't see the issue with signing up with your real 'legal' (or similar) name, this is of course my opinion so if you do have a genuine reason then best of luck fighting Facebook for it.

[King Kool]

My name is also the shortened version of my name on Facebook. Though I'm not quite crazy enough to call myself King Kool on Facebook yet.

I say good luck with this.

[Master Gunner]

I go by many names with about equal frequency (which I list under the "info" section on facebook), and use on Facebook and other social networking sites. For instance, I have a "Richard Blair" throw-away account that I mainly use for pranking people (particularly those I know in real-life that are far to prone to accepting any friend request); and until recently my main account was known as "William Wishart", which while not my birth name, until recently I too used it far more often than what's on my birth certificate (I recently changed it to my "real" name as I've noticed I've shifted back to using it more often, and to make it easier to add people from school before I leave).

So I suppose I've being blatantly violating their terms up until a few weeks ago, and that's ridiculous. We should be allowed to go by what we're known by, and what we want people to know us by, weather it be our birth name, an assumed name, or an online moniker. We're allowed to do that everywhere else, why not Facebook? I know some people that would be impossible to find on Facebook using their "legal name", because few people know that what they go by isn't their real name, since they're even registered in the school system by what they go by.

[Lyinginbedmon]

I avoid using facebook anyways, I don't have an account.

Seriously, it's a book of faces. How does that not sound like something out of Evil Dead?

[Jillers]

Wait wait... besides on the internet, do people call you Digital Dolphin?
I don't think it's too much for the facebook people to figure that, by "actual information", people will realize they mean your real name, since signing up asks for your Full Name. It doesn't ask for a user name or alias.

I get that you think it needs to be clarified, but I disagree is all.

ac⋅tu⋅al
–adjective
1. existing in act or fact; real: an actual case of heroism; actual expenses.
2. existing now; present; current: The ship's actual position is 22 miles due east of Miami.
3. Obsolete. pertaining to or involving acts or action.

Related forms:
ac⋅tu⋅al⋅ness, noun

Synonyms:
1. genuine, authentic, veritable. See real 1 .

Antonyms:
1. unreal, fictional.

Main Entry:
ac·tu·al

1 obsolete : active
2 a: existing in act and not merely potentially b: existing in fact or reality <actual and imagined conditions> c: not false or apparent <actual costs>
3: existing or occurring at the time : current <caught in the actual commission of a crime>

While you could argue that since, currently, people call you Digital Dolphin (at least on the internet, I don't know about your life) you could say that that is your actual name, referring to it existing currently; however your real name also exists currently as well (unless, of course, Digital Dolphin is your real name, and you're nine years old), and any nickname or username you make on the internet is certainly not your real name.

I've been going by Jillers for 8-ish years now... on the internet... while Jillers is, obviously, not a far stretch from my actual name people I know in life don't call me that, and I never presumed to put "Jillers" in for anything asking for my actual name.

[Tank_girl]

I have some friends on FB that change their name so often to something stange that i have troubles keeping up with them at times. My friend Sean changed his name to Pee Shambles months ago and has had no issues with FB.

Another Example. My good friend Fraggle Rawk. I have know her for years. Dont know what her real name is. No one does. So what would happen if facebook decided to have her change it? FB has become something so so easy to hate.

Why cant I quit you FB?

[The Jester]

It's an interesting question: what is a "real" name?
I won't discuss it myself because, to be honnest, most of the ideas related to it have already been presented by others.

I also want to say that although I currently know nothing about this person, your girl Fraggle Rawk is already awesome.

[Digital Dolphin]

Wait wait... besides on the internet, do people call you Digital Dolphin?
I don't think it's too much for the facebook people to figure that, by "actual information", people will realize they mean your real name, since signing up asks for your Full Name. It doesn't ask for a user name or alias.

In real life most people call me DD or just Dolphin, but yes people do call me Digital Dolphin in real life. A few people, mostly family or people who knew me pre-grade 12 still call me by my birth name.

While you could argue that since, currently, people call you Digital Dolphin (at least on the internet, I don't know about your life) you could say that that is your actual name, referring to it existing currently; however your real name also exists currently as well (unless, of course, Digital Dolphin is your real name, and you're nine years old), and any nickname or username you make on the internet is certainly not your real name.

It's true that as a child I played with a few different names, mostly they were borrowed names of characters I thought were cool, but these names were also strictly online, and not ones I adopted as my own.

For the record, it drives me crazy when people change their name (internet or not) frequently. It's not something I do, or like to see in others.

I've been going by Jillers for 8-ish years now... on the internet... while Jillers is, obviously, not a far stretch from my actual name people I know in life don't call me that, and I never presumed to put "Jillers" in for anything asking for my actual name.

Really you're missing the point here though... As I said in my first post, this is bigger than just me. Based on the response I received from facebook (included in my first post), anyone with a shortend name is violating their terms and could be randomly removed without warning. I don't think Matt would be too happy if that happend to him, nor would anyone.

[korri]

I have seen a few people who have had these problems with facebook. I know someone whose name is Matt and his middle name also starts with a T so he always writes his name Mattt. I know facebook tried to make him change it, but he somehow got to keep it that way. I think because he might have already legally changed his name to that.

I also know someone who had fake account for someone named "Chomp Chompson" which got deleted when they started doing this.

[Matt]

Makes me wonder if "Baron Von Strauss" "Klaus VonNomnomBitterson" and "Roscoe P. Jangles III" are still around.

-m

[Digital Dolphin]

Makes me wonder if "Baron Von Strauss" "Klaus VonNomnomBitterson" and "Roscoe P. Jangles III" are still around.

-m

My guess is probably. It took about 3 years before Facebook came after me. Although from what I'm hearing from a few people is that Facebook is now going after more and more questionable accounts.

I actually wonder what is in it in all of this trouble, for them? It must be a LOT of work to go through all the accounts disabling them.

[Bob The Magic Camel]

I had a long post prepared for this, but FF lost the tab, so a brief summery. Digital Dolphin is not your name, it is not even an approximation to your name. Facebook requested your name, at which point you lied to it, thus breaking their TOS, and opening your account to deletion without warning. Upon signing up you agreed to this eventuality. The only question is why they took so long to delete it. So yes, you could have legally changed your name, but you haven't. I suspect that this is because deep down, no matter how much you cling to this handle, you realise that using it legally would be a stupid thing to do, and potentially career suicide (face it, who are you going to take more seriously: John Smith, or Englebert Humperdink?).

At this point you have a choice: accept the ban, use your real name, or get your name changed and send them a copy of the deed poll.

[Master Gunner]

Why though, should Facebook demand his "real" name, one that is only used by very few people in "real life", and by all accounts, he goes by this other name under essentially all circumstances (whether it is "Digitial Dolphin"/"Englebert Humperdink" or "William Wishart"/"John Smith" is irrelevant, since, as he pointed out, people have far stranger names on their birth certificates)? Facebook is a social networking site, not a business or government site, so why can't people be social on it and act as if they were in a social environment, ostensibly the entire point of the site? If he goes by "Digital Dolphin" in essentially all other social situations, why can't he do the same thing on a site that claims to extend social contact?

[Digital Dolphin]

I had a long post prepared for this, but FF lost the tab, so a brief summery. Digital Dolphin is not your name, it is not even an approximation to your name. Facebook requested your name, at which point you lied to it, thus breaking their TOS, and opening your account to deletion without warning. Upon signing up you agreed to this eventuality. The only question is why they took so long to delete it. So yes, you could have legally changed your name, but you haven't. I suspect that this is because deep down, no matter how much you cling to this handle, you realise that using it legally would be a stupid thing to do, and potentially career suicide (face it, who are you going to take more seriously: John Smith, or Englebert Humperdink?).

At this point you have a choice: accept the ban, use your real name, or get your name changed and send them a copy of the deed poll.

If you read my first post, you will note that they do not anywhere focus on the real name portion in the posted terms of use. It was only in the e-mail that I received from the facebook staff where these claims were made. If you try to register for an account it asks you simply for your full name. I filled it out much the same way as I do when registering software, I give my name "Digital Dolphin", which matches the name on my computer, and the name on most of my stuff.

Again, if you read my posts, you will see that I do not expect or do this with the intent of getting my account reactivated. Frankly, it's not worth it just for that, I don't care THAT much about Facebook personally. What I am objecting to is the overall issue. That people like Matt are technically in violation of the terms of use (as laid out by the e-mail sent to me, not the actual terms of use), and that so many verbal issues excist, where they need to be properly clarified. Legally speaking their terms are a mess if this is what they're trying to accomplish.

Also, I have to say between John Smith and Englebert Humperdink, Englebert Humperdink is a much cooler name and automatically gets my attention, and I honestly don't see anything wrong with it.

Maybe it's easy for me to take these stances because I live in a very progressive city? The concepts of racism and sexism never made any sense to me either while growing up. People are who they are, and being biased based on such things is remarkably dumb to me.

[Bob The Magic Camel]

I'm assuming the initial ban simply noted a breach of terms of use, the real name question came up when information was requested about the ban. And yes, Facebook requested your real name, when asking for your full name the implication was that it is real. Furthermore you the proceeded to tick a box, that confirmed this was your real name. Your only defense when challenged over this lie is that you used the lie elsewhere, and on that site for a while without being caught.

You say you are asking for clarity, yet I see no murkiness in this. You are required to use your real name. It demands accurate and up to date information. As a web developer, I know they have good grounding for this. Not only does the medium require it to operate, but there may be legal implications, especially in a case such as Facebook, where copyrightable content is involved. Facebook almost undoubtedly has a team of lawyers working for them, it is these lawyers who would have written the terms of service to a legal level of clarity. Not nessercerially understandable by the everyman, but certainly clear.

Finally, you have the claim of "But he did it too." Yes, it is possible other people have broken the terms of service, but they didn't flaunt it to the same degree as you. Digital Dolphin is quite clearly not a name, Matt on the other hand is some people's legal name. As for stage names, Actors have to change their name to their stage one (Union requirements, I don't know about other proffesions), meaning David Tennant is called David Tennant, and not what he used to be called before becoming an actor.

[spartanhelmet]

I actually wonder what is in it in all of this trouble, for them? It must be a LOT of work to go through all the accounts disabling them.

Hmm.. it's almost like the NSA wants the data to be more accurate for their data mining adventures.

The funny thing is, I wouldn't be surprised. You all have my written word here... another bit of FB tomfoolery, and I'm hosting up a nice customised blog to store my name, likeness and image for any purpose, including commercial or advertising, each of (a) and (b) on or in connection with the...

I have no excuse since I'm a CS student, but they'll force my hand easily to do that which I was planning to do as an extra avenue rather than my FB-replacement highway.

[empath]

I'm assuming the initial ban simply noted a breach of terms of use,

Why assume? He POSTED the relevant emails to and from FB on this issue; why do you refuse to read information already present in this thread?

Since you do insist on not doing so, I will recount the initial suspension:

DD: attempts to login to FB
FB login: this account is Disabled
DD: emails FB CSvc for clarification
CSvc: we don't allow 'fake' names

Dolphin specifically stated that NO WARNING OR NOTICE was given prior to the account suspension or 'disabling', nor was any forthcoming until he requested help from customer service.

the real name question came up when information was requested about the ban. And yes, Facebook requested your real name, when asking for your full name the implication was that it is real.

No, they did NOT, and that's the whole point of contention here; way to miss/ignore/disregard the entire argument provided by the OP.

(a) provide accurate, current and complete information about you as may be prompted by any registration forms on the Site ("Registration Data")

This does not specify "legal name" nor "real name" and we've already provided some very strong arguments that the term "real name" is very uncertain and up to interpretation (interpretation which has NOT been provided by FB, except in a customer-service email response, and not in actual TERMS OF SERVICE documentation).

Yes, it's splitting hairs, but guess what - that's what lawyers do; they get down to brass tacks. Suits are MADE on little loopholes of vague statements such as this.

You say you are asking for clarity, yet I see no murkiness in this.

You're not looking hard enough. For a legally-binding contract/license agreement/terms of service statement, what has been provided is DANGEROUSLY vague.

YOU interpret the ToS to require your legal name as appears in government registries, and you provide it.

DD interprets the ToS to require "the accurate name you would respond to and to which the majority of your professional business is done under, and to which most people would associate with the potential account holder", and he provides that.

Here's the fun part:

ACCORDING TO THE TERMS OF SERVICE, you're both right.

Ergo, the Terms are insufficiently specific since you both provide significantly different information, yet both can been seen as reasonable interpretations of the document's language.

You are required to use your real name.

No, the ToS does NOT request one's "real" name, nor "legal name". Do NOT jump to conclusions, EVEN IF THEY ARE THE ONES that FaceBook also make. One should NOT HAVE TO GUESS what the writer MEANT when reading registration requirements and terms of service.

It demands accurate and up to date information.

Yes, and "Digital Dolphin" is accurate and current information by which FaceBook can find and communicate with this person.

To draw an analogy: apples are not oranges, but both are fruit. And so is a tomato...so when one WANT oranges, one SHOULD NOT just ask (in a LEGAL DECLARATION) for 'fruit' or even 'citrus fruit'. Otherwise one might get something they didn't want...


...and the BLAME LANDS ON THE REQUESTER FOR NOT ASKING PROPERLY.

Facebook almost undoubtedly has a team of lawyers working for them, it is these lawyers who would have written the terms of service to a legal level of clarity. Not nessercerially understandable by the everyman, but certainly clear.

Evidently, they either do NOT have a team on retainer, or this team really isn't earning their fees if such vague, loophole-filled terms are provided as boilerplate. I (and it appears, DD) agree that FB should have a ToS declaration written to a legal level of clarity, but this is CLEARLY NOT THE CASE.

This vaunted 'legal level of clarity' you refer to would mean that 'there are no ambiguities or uncertainties that could result in a reasonable grounds for a suit against us' - essentially there should not be 'wiggle room'.

As such, that sort of documentation should be MORE CLEAR than normal everyday written text that this supposedly-contemptible 'everyman' encounters you've evoked, with no possibility for misunderstanding.

Finally, you have the claim of "But he did it too." Yes, it is possible other people have broken the terms of service, but they didn't flaunt it to the same degree as you.

Your honor, the plaintiff reminds defense counsel of exhibit A: "Dingo T. Starr". How can counsel in good faith argue that 'they didn't flaunt it to the same degree as {the plaintiff}'?

Digital Dolphin is quite clearly not a name,

In your opinion, it isn't, but the very discussion within this thread ALONE shows that the word 'clearly' CANNOT be used in this sentence with any veracity.

Matt on the other hand is some people's legal name.

Yet, it is NOT Mr. Wiggins' LEGAL NAME, according to statements of Mr. Wiggins himself. And yet, according to him, it IS what he provided to FaceBook as his name.



In closing, I believe that DD's argument is that the requirments of FB are not adequately specified; if FaceBook were to update their ToS to clarify SPECIFICALLY what sort of information they require from users, he would either a) comply or (more likely) b) quit FB for good. But in ANY event, I'm confident that he would cease his argument with them, n'est-ce pas?

[TorachiKatashi]

What I'd like to know is, how does FB think they can prove who is and isn't using their "real" name? Just picking out names they THEY decide aren't normal and picking on them? They can't prove that Digital Dolphin isn't their legal name anymore than they can prove that Matt Wiggins isn't Matt's legal name. Unless they're going to start requiring IDs on sign-up like some porn site or something, in which case they aren't going to last very long.

In fact, this might just me reaching, but seeings as a lot of their members are minors, there's probably something illegal about them requiring a full name from them.

((And yes, I'm yet another who is using their nickname as opposed to their full first name. I didn't even know it was an issue until right now. Good luck to them to try and prove it isn't my full name, though.))

[Digital Dolphin]

In closing, I believe that DD's argument is that the requirments of FB are not adequately specified; if FaceBook were to update their ToS to clarify SPECIFICALLY what sort of information they require from users, he would either a) comply or (more likely) b) quit FB for good. But in ANY event, I'm confident that he would cease his argument with them, n'est-ce pas?

Holy cow Empath.... that whole post was amazing. Thank you so much, I don't think I would have had the patience to sit and break it down like that so effectively. You certainly chose your forum name appropriately!

And yes, I don't really expect to return to Facebook as a user at this point. Not to say that I wouldn't, but I find it rather unlikely that their terms of use, if updated as expected, will be compatible with my way of doing things. I DO hope however, that I can raise enough awareness with people to convince Facebook that initials and shortend versions of first names, should be allowed

Bob The Magic Camel: If you're going to make responses like that, could you please read my first post? Please? *PLEASE?!*

[Dr Evil42]

I side with Dolphin on this one. According to Dolphin, he is called that more frequently than any other name. I personally won't ever use facebook after hearing this (especially since i like to use my middle name, Robert or Rob, instead of my first on the internet.) If I hypothetically created a facebook page under the name of Robert, would I then be banned because i am not using a first and last name? Even my friends have pages, and one of them is named William but he goes by Will. Is he then going to get banned for not typing it in First name, Nickname, Last name format? I for one think FB is being a complete ass and should make their TOS more accurate to what they want in a name.

Also Empath's post was spectacularly written. I would have you as a lawyer if you are on. That post was written very Lawyerishly. It was well written and very tight on evidence etc. Empath, I commend you on your great writing skills and lawyerish style of writing.

[Dr Evil42]

...I suspect that this is because deep down, no matter how much you cling to this handle, you realise that using it legally would be a stupid thing to do, and potentially career suicide (face it, who are you going to take more seriously: John Smith, or Englebert Humperdink?)...

At the risk of seeming like an ass, I would like to point out you spelled realize wrong. Plus i would take Englebert more seriously. Also, try reading the whole of the posts before making an argument one way or another.