This Is Effy Wild Speaking

This week, Facebook forced me to change my name . They stated that I was not using my 'real' name and insisted I change it or forfeit my account. What they mean by 'real' is 'legal', despite comments from top Facebook employees stating that they never intended to force people to use their legal names.

They are allowing some folks (drag queens, some pagans) to use their preferred names, but despite appealing their decision with a PDF full of links to writings, interviews, and my web presence, they denied my request. I don't know why some folks can have their name back and others can't. I think it sucks sweaty mooseballs.

This is a gross invasion of my privacy. I should not have to use my legal name on a social media website. Especially when I have plenty of proof that I am known far and wide (by THOUSANDS of people) by the name Effy Wild. I've been interviewed under that name. I've been published under that name. I teach under that name.

My meatspace friends call me Effy.

My therapist calls me Effy.

Because Effy is my *real name*.

This has been an incredibly gut wrenching week for me. I've been down with some kind of plague, trying to work, dealing with seasonal affective (which is walloping me hard despite the lovely view out the patio doors), and blammo.

Change your name or lose your account.

Thanks a lot, Facebook. I'd really like to know what makes me so special that my request to have it changed back is denied, but people I know personally (MEN, mind you) were able to successfully appeal.

I printed off the paperwork for a legal name change today, because fuck this.

Fuck the cognitive dissonance I feel every time I go to Facebook and see a name that I no longer use, no longer feel any connection to, up there in bold type. But that's going to take months. It's a bit expensive, and I'm bad with paperwork, and it's a government thing. I'll have to apply for a new birth certificate, health card, Social Insurance Card, etc. etc. once the name change goes through, too, so I'm looking at sometime next year before I can have my name back on Facebook.

I am tempted to dump Facebook from my life altogether.

I have a great social network of my own over here. I have Google , a site that respects the privacy of their users and doesn't require the use of a legal name. I have a smokin' hot newsletter. I have Twitter. I have Instagram. I have one more class that's using a Facebook group as a point of contact, and that class ends in a few weeks.

So, I'm pondering.

Meanwhile, I've ressurected my fan page, which you can find here. If you add it to your interests lists what I post there will actually show up in your newsfeed.

I'm sorry for the confusion. I've always been clear that I'm using a psuedonym. My about page states it outright. And I have good reason to do so. I have an extremely mean-spirited and abusive family of origin. There are people out there who sexually abused me as a child and beat me as an adult who I would rather not have to think about stalking my on line life. Even though I am transparent on line, and even though I have no problem sharing my pictures, I took some real comfort in knowing that if someone searched my legal name, nothing would come up.

Anyway...

Chances are, I'm going to stay on Facebook because YOU'RE there, but I don't think I'll be using Facebook for class groups anymore. It's just too confusing, running a class as Effy Wild but commenting on class work as Feithline Stuart. Bah. It makes my head hurt just thinking about it.

I have a lot more to share, but the awful lurgy and the frustration of dealing with this name thing have me feeling pretty wiped out. I'll be back soon with happier news.