At 9PM tonight you will be able to choose a username for your Facebook acount.
I'll be waiting by my computer with my list of names I want use. The list is because there are at least 5 other people that I know of who have the same first and last name as I do.
There's going to be a mad dash for names like facebook.com/dave, so having a list of names you will be happy using will make typing them in a lot easier.
Tosh.O has put together some pointers to help choose your username.
- Make sure you're logged on right at 12:01. In the past, being social meant that you would probably be out on a Friday night. Not anymore! In modern times, the best way to network socially is to make sure you are hunched over your computer all evening on a summer weekend.
- If your name sucks, grab a better one. You can always legally change your real name in court, but once you choose your Facebook username "you won't be able to change or transfer it." Ever! In fact, it may save time if you prepare the necessary legal forms to change your name to whatever handle you get in advance.
- Try to grab a celebrity name or important handle first. Remember when Madonna got into that fight over the website Madonna.com. You know why that happened? Because the guy who owned Madonna.com was a genius! You know how many free copies of Dianetics you can negotiate if you're the first to grab the username "TomCruise"! You'll thank me later in your deposition.
- Have a backup plan. Alright, Steve. I know you have your heart set on www.facebook.com/steve, but you may want to get your steno pad out and start jotting down some alternatives. Oh, your friends call you "Steve-o"? Great! Keep thinking.
- Be consistent. They've yet to diagnose it, but "web-schizophrenia" may eventually be a serious psychological problem. If your Gmail account, doesn't match your Twitter, doesn't match your Facebook, you might as well add your name to a terrorist watch list, 'cause you've got identity issues.
- Don't take Facebook's suggestion. What is this? 2001? No. It's 2009. We don't let some HAL-wannabe boss us around. I'm sure Facebook is gonna suggest I take "mike.pomranz". Ha. I'd rather take "screw.you.facebook.pomranz" than take orders from a machine!
- Be happy with what you get. Remember how proud you were back in high school when you picked up the AOL screenname "BluntSmoka420420"? It's estimated that Facebook has 15 trillion users and growing. Just be happy they were willing to give you a handle at all! You never complained when your username was "635712833".
I can't say my list won't look something like this.
-facebook.com/cameraguy
-facebook.com/superawesomecameraguy
-facebook.com/ishotthat
-facebook.com/matthackneyisthebest
-facebook.com/imnotclever
-facebook.com/facebookdotcom
-facebook.com/superstud
-facebook.com/newsstud
It's a work in progress, but at least I'll be ready.
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Ok, so I messed up and completely missed that the switch was at 12:01AM EST, which is 9PM PST......
so like 3 minutes from now....so I better get on it.
