Facebook Takes On Reddit With Launch Of Nicknames For Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups are getting much Reddit-like pinch recently added support for nicknames. The feature, which allows users to station nether a civilization username alternatively of their existent name, provides an replacement to posting anonymously. With anonymous posting, users tin stock without nan station being connected to their Facebook floor plan and real-life identity, but this attack besides doesn’t let different group members to get to cognize them aliases their personality, aliases to travel their updates complete time.

Image Credits:Facebook

Meta says that nicknames will let group to participate successful groups much personally while maintaining privacy, peculiarly successful groups wherever users want privateness but still want to build a recognizable presence. It besides could make Facebook Groups usability much for illustration different net forums and connection boards — for illustration Reddit aliases Discord, for lawsuit — wherever group station nether usernames. This marks a deviation from Facebook’s long-standing “real name” policy, which has insisted that group show up connected nan level pinch nan sanction they usage successful mundane life.

That argumentation worked erstwhile Facebook was mostly a societal web built connected apical of real-world relationships pinch family and friends, but nan summation of Facebook Groups expanded users’ circles of interactions to see online strangers, which necessitated much privateness protections.

Image Credits:Facebook

After users successful a group customize group their nickname, they tin past post, comment, and respond nether that nickname wrong groups that support nan feature. This allows users to hide their main floor plan and floor plan photograph from different members but not from group admins, moderators, aliases Facebook’s ain systems.

However, others successful nan group will beryllium capable to position a user’s complete station history nether their nickname successful that group, arsenic good arsenic nan comments and reactions made successful nan group complete nan past 7 days.

Facebook will propose nicknames to users, but users tin alteration this nickname to 1 of their choosing. The sanction has to comply pinch Facebook’s Community Standards and can’t already beryllium utilized by different group member. The institution will besides propose a floor plan image for nan nickname, though users tin prime their ain from those available, on pinch selecting a colored background.

To entree nan feature, users will find nan action adjacent to “Post anonymously” erstwhile creating a station and past take nan action to customize a nickname. The action to usage nan nickname tin beryllium turned disconnected astatine immoderate time, allowing users to station nether their existent sanction again.

While users tin alteration their nickname, they tin only do truthful erstwhile each 2 days. Additionally, changing a nickname doesn’t let users to region themselves from past posts and comments. Instead, erstwhile changed, their caller nickname will beryllium applied to their past posts, comments, and reactions, though this whitethorn return clip to look crossed devices and groups. If users person different nicknames successful different groups, nan sanction alteration will only effect nan posts, comments, and reactions successful nan group tied to that circumstantial nickname.

The institution says users pinch nicknames can’t usage immoderate features for illustration Live Video, contented sharing, aliases backstage messaging. Users tin artifact others by nickname, arsenic well.

The characteristic is disposable globally but requires group admin support to alteration successful each group.