It was an issue that Facebook had anticipated. Prior to the start of the open registration period, Facebook had offered the option for users to reserve certain usernames or trademark names. That option expired a few hours prior to the start of open registration to allow Facebook to exclude those usernames. I would assume that for some very well known brands such as CNN and Pepsi, that is was done automatically.

Yesterday, I happened to be on Ed Dale’s Twitter feed. The anticipation that “name squatters”, for luck of a better term, would be working overtime, had come into realisation. Ed Dale’s preferred username had been grabbed as well as those of John Reese and Darren Rowse. If you are a blogger or have been anywhere near internet marketing, then you would quickly realize where this is headed.

Ever since time immemorial, people have been known to impersonate others with the hopes of capitalizing on unsuspecting people. It is one reason why entities register every possible variation of their domain names such as bn.com and barnesandnoble.com including all the extensions thereafter.

As Michael Arrington of TechCrunch reports, Facebook had given high level journalists and Facebook employees the option to pre-register their preferred usernames. Arrington declined that option and elected to join the general public in the race to virtual real estate.

Granted, the Facebook usernames were being assigned on a first come first served basis. That absolutely does not give us the right to impersonate well documented public figures such as the individuals mentioned above. Are we honestly expected to believe that these impostors had absolutely no idea what they were doing? That intent/premeditation factor is what forms the legal basis in the event of a court trial.

Pure Genius = Registering a keyword domain that you might some day capitalize on. Plain Stupidity = Impersonating a public figure such as Ed Dale and thinking you are going to get away with it. I, mean what did this person think they were going to get out of this?  Did they not read Facebook’s No Transferability Policy? That right there is what goes to show you that common sense is not so common. These individuals have worked very hard to create a name for themselves and everyone else should. That someone isn’t proud of their own name and wish they were born Ed Dale is utterly pathetic. I could only think of one username I’d have wanted to claim….mine!

Facebook also has the option to report that someone’s username infringes on you intellectual property rights. Not saying that Ed Dale, John Reese and Darren Rowse have to have copyrighted their names, but it is certain that anyone attempting to pose as them is out to make some money out of it. Despite the fact that Facebook only allows you to have one username, I believe that these individuals should also have the option to reserve other usernames that are synonymous to them, such as Ed Dale with Thirty Day Challenge, John Reese with Opportunity.com and Darren Rowse with Problogger.

Hopefully, Facebook will be able to come through on this issue. I don’t think that these individuals should be reaching out and asking if anybody knows anyone at Facebook. I am sure each of them have a massive supporter base that can vouch for them. Perhaps Facebook should borrow a leaf from Twitter in establishing a verified account profiles such as those of Lance Armstrong.