Personally, I disagree with this one point.<p>> Cynics will tell you that using your “real name” is so they can sell your details to advertisers. That’s not the case.<p>Facebook is selling <i>access</i> to their profile of a person for targeted ads and tracking across the web - which includes a real name. No, I haven't worked at FB, but I get the business side from a Product Management perspective.<p>Yes, ad impressions can factor into it, but one could argue that there would be more engagement using a name that a person is currently using or known by, resulting in increased time on the newsfeed, not less.<p>It's all about a story to sell advertisers though. Facebook is an advertising platform. We use "real names" is just a marketing bullet FB can hold up to advertisers in glossy material and sales pitches.<p>Real name policies are indeed a made up solution mistakenly used by some to address trolling issues as well. The thing is, that argument has been proven false, time and time again.<p>Ello, that underdog social community, is proving right now that pseudonymity can work.<p>I guess the real question is, "Are we willing to walk the talk and support the companies that are standing up for users on this issue as well as privacy?"<p>Of course we might have to sacrifice some features we are used to, but ultimately it's the only way to send a message that will be heard.<p>Google, afterall didn't change it's stand on real names just out of some epiphany or random act of kindness. That story is a little more complex for sure, yet our eyes and where they spend time is the ultimate metric in today's ad model.<p>My eyes choose Ello these days.