vanity URLs

Don’t groan!! I was also not going to do this, but Silkie told me that there are some people who don’t know what these are. I forget that we are a very technologically sophisticated family. I’m not sure I like the name, the “vanity” bit. I know I  am often called this, perhaps that explains why I’m sensitive to the word. What people don’t realise is that a rooster is compelled to maintain the highest standards of personal hygiene, it’s tradition.

I digress… If you are still wondering what I’m talking about, let me explain. This past Saturday from 2:01 a.m. local SA time, Facebook begin what I’ve heard described as ‘the biggest cyber land-grab since Gmail usernames’. By visiting  www.facebook.com/username/, you could go from being a number in the crowd to your very own person- all assuming of course that some other person with your name didn’t get there first.

Having such a unique name, I did not really worry about securing my name, so I sauntered over to that link the evening after. I put in my name, “Pula” and was refused!! What!? How?! I was tearing my feathers out in despair when I discovered the reason. Only 5 letter names are allowed. Can you imagine the ignominy of having to choose a simulacrum of the puffed out chest that is Pula? How could I begin to contemplate being called Pula123? Especially as Facebook so clearly states that there is no going back on this name. It’s like naming your baby, only the baby is yourself. To some all this anguish over a name is laughable, but NO, this is serious stuff. In a social media world, consistency of identity is very important. We have all become brands now.

I finally did settle on a name – Pula.Rooster. It’s not as powerful as Pula alone, but I’m getting used to it. I’ve been saying it to myself so that I can get used to the sound. I typed it on a piece of paper which I have stuck above the screen of my laptop so that I can get used to the way it looks.  It’s like when you go into the room of your newborn and sit there smelling their new baby smell, listening to their burbling sounds and drowning in their serenity. As if this blog wasn’t enough to occupy my time.

The Facebook guys are hoping that this innate love of our own names will propel us to flaunt our identities. This means that if you are like me and restrict your profile from search engine tools, you may just be tempted to change your mind. Although this is a feature that already exists on other social media sites like Twitter, it could be argued that the information on Twitter is simply dialogue whereas Facebook accumulates more about you -and therein lies the danger.

Of course it has always been my view that absolute privacy in cyberspace is delusional. If your social experience is about selling yourself then wonderful for you. For the rest of us, preening our wings will remain a private affair between friends.