Understanding Facebook’s Username Changes

Facebook users will soon be able to choose their own usernames. As of now, users do not have a clean link to their profile or fan pages, but starting June 13, 2009, they can choose a username:

What are the changes that are being made and how will it affect your account(s)? There are several questions on people’s minds:

Will I be able to change my username once I’ve chosen one, even if I misspell something?

No. According to Facebook, “Once you have claimed a username by clicking the “Confirm” button after checking for a username’s availability, it is not possible to edit it, or to transfer your username to a different account on Facebook. Additionally, when an account is removed from the site, its username will not be made available. Facebook does this for security reasons”.

Who is Eligible for a username?

Both users with profiles as well as fan pages are eligible for usernames. However, Facebook has some stipulations: “Eligibility is limited to anyone who joined Facebook before usernames were publicly announced at 3 p.m. (EDT) on June 9, 2009. These users will have the chance to claim usernames at 12:01 a.m. (EDT) on Saturday, June 13, 2009. This limitation is temporary. All users who joined Facebook after the cut-off will be eligible to claim usernames on Sunday, June 28, 2009”.

What are the requirements for a Fan page?

Many companies are taking advantage of social media, and might have concerns over their usernames being taken immediately. Fan pages have two specific requirements for being able to claim a name. “[I]t must have been live on Facebook prior to the May 31, 2009 cut-off date and have had a minimum 1,000 fans at that time. Much like the eligibility requirements of profile pages, these limitations are only temporary. “All Pages created after May 31, 2009 or that had less than 1,000 fans on that day will be eligible to claim usernames on Sunday, June 28, 2009”.

Facebook also has different preventative measures to protect a business from others taking their company name. Company representatives can submit a form which will enable Facebook to block anyone registering under that name.

How will usernames affect Facebook? Only time will tell, but it is certain that users will not shy away from giving their feedback.