Facebook is Getting Vanity URLs: Get Yours on Saturday at 12:01am EDT
We heard rumors about this for at least the last couple of weeks, but today, Facebook finally announced that it will allow users to pick and choose their own vanity URLs. Instead of http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=432123451, you will now be able to pick something like http://www.facebook.com/ihazvanityurl as your URL. Facebook will open this new feature up at 12:01am EDT on Saturday (that's 9:01pm PDT on Friday). At that time, Facebook users will see a notice on their homepages with instructions for how to obtain their new URLs.
Rules and Regulations
Here are the rules for the new URLs, which will also apply to the usernames of all newly registered accounts:
- at least five characters
- alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9) only (plus a period or full stop)
- users can only choose a single new username/URL for their profiles and each of the Pages they administer (a separate FAQ for Page administrators is available here)
Facebook reserves the rights to "remove and/or reclaim any username at any time for any reason," and will work with intellectual property rights holders to prevent users from claiming trademarked terms as their usernames. This will also give brands a chance to differentiate their 'real' Facebook profiles and pages from potential impostures (even though many of them would probably just be fans).
Obviously, there will be quite a landrush on Saturday, and given how popular Facebook has become, we expect that a lot of users will line up for their vanity URL on Friday night. So if you have a relatively common name, you might want to put this time and date in your calendar.
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That should create a small frenzy for them!
It will be available for Pages only if it has more than 1000 fans before 31st May. So bad. :(
This is not really about vanity URLs - it's about addressable identity:
http://chrissaad.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/facebook-vanity-urls-are-not-what-you-think/
this is what im wait'n for! xD
Who cares? mynameonfacebook.com is a better way to brand and be identifiable anyway. Doesn't matter what Facebook does if I own a domain that's memorable, brandable and pointed at my facebook page/profile.
The world of social marketing just got a little more bright and more authentic today! Bravo Facebook.
So stupid and not worth the million dollars Facebook is going to have to spend on the lawyers need to resolve disputes in court, one by one.
like facebook.com/mcdonalds and all the hundreds of variants for example, not to mention product names under that single brand.
We all remember what the movie "Super-size me", right?
A Land Rush at midnight. It's a good move for Facebook, and an even better move for Facebook users.
I already have a profile.to URL for my Facebook profile but I agree having a vanity URL would help. I'll be there with the masses, hoping that Facebook doesn't crash before I get to register my vanity URL.
As more people sign up for this Facebook vanity URL service, they want to have a unique identity. we will help them to verify their profiles for creating unique Facebook identity.Crederity, is a Inc., a web-based trust-building company that offers online identity and credential verification to people-powered companies. Visit Crederity.com
to sign up for a free beta account or contact Crederity by e-mail at info@crederity.com for more information.
The rules and regulations you have given are excellent. Keep rocking.The Blue Pill
Not necessary but its cool to have so I'm not complaining!
Awesome. I'm there! This is going to be a HUGE rush - can you imagine catering for 200million hits all at once... (ok, i know it won't be EVERYONE but still!)
YAY!.. nahh, I don't use facebook anyways...
It's about time they followed the footsteps of MySpace. Now let's see who snags the names of brands and gets rich!
http://kaiwright.typepad.com
I think it's a great idea, and I'm sure there will be a land rush as soon as it opens. This is similar to when a new domain name extension becomes available. Everyone wants to get the best name.
If Facebook was smart, they would have set up an auction system and the highest bidder for each name gets it. They could have made millions. That is what the domain registrars do when a new domain name extension comes out.
My mate just failed with his Facebook username: http://tinypic.com/r/ddp8qc/5
If you missed out getting your FB vanity name, get a .TEL instead @ http://www.mytel.me with your name at a cool domain.
I think it's a great idea, and I'm sure there will be a land rush as soon as it opens. This is similar to when a new domain name extension becomes available. Everyone wants to get the best name
I just made a whole bunch of FB accounts so I can try and stake a claim to the bigger names and possible sell them off. Its a long shot but worth one.
Thats great. There was already a rush to grab it. Now its difficult to find good names on facebook. But still worth trying.
great article, very usefull for us...thank you
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I am trying to use facebook to promote my client's products. And I was fortunate to grab one for them.
I will remember your blog place. Because I love you more ideas.
After this I will read all your posts thankful.
thank you for your share
Thank you for the second chance.
Thank you. Thank you.
No one receives all the "Thank yous" they are entitled to. I want you to have all the thank yous you need, should have gotten but didn't. Here is your permanent universal "thank you" good any time or place for any act that required one:
THANK YOU
Facebook, thank you for allowing those of us who got bad advise or were afraid to use our real names, thank you for letting us change the name seen on our Facebook page.
Thank you for your attention.
Best regards.