Absolute minimum Facebook exposure? [Telecom]

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- AES
  
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posted
12 years ago

Wed, Jul 27, 2011 7:27 PM

I guess Facebook is a valid "Telecom" topic, since it seems to be (maybe along with Google) one of the major users of telecom resources and telecom activity by individuals at the present time.

If so, could any knowledgeable Facebook user tell me offhand: What is the _absolute minimum_ amount of personal information that a prospective Facebook joiner has to give to Facebook to join up and register? And what is the absolute minimum amount of information that can then be conveyed to anyone else as a result of my acquiring a Facebook page?

[I'm hoping that I can supply nothing but a name and an email address to Facebook; display nothing but a name and a link to my university web page on my Facebook page; and have Facebook itself not transmit any of these bits of information -- particular the email address -- to anyone further. Is this a realistic possibility?]

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- John Mayson
  
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posted
12 years ago

Thu, Jul 28, 2011 3:08 AM

Stranger things. :-)

At a minimum you have to provide a name and an email address. I believe you also have to provide a location and a birthday (to confirm your age). It's been a long while since I've tried this.

You could create a throw-away email address and start to register a dummy account and see what little you can provide. If it's too much, just quit.

John

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- Dave Garland
  
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posted
12 years ago

Thu, Jul 28, 2011 3:19 PM

Absolute minimum information? Zero. Register under a false name using a throwaway email address. And set all the privacy settings to "don't show anything to anyone else". Not that you should necessarily trust Facebook to honor the privacy settings.

Yes.

Though it's more amusing to fill in all the blanks with bogus information.

Dave