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When I edit my user profile, there is a field for "Real Name." Why does this field not appear on the user profile page?

The field is optional, so it's not like it's a privacy issue (if someone doesn't want to share his real name, he doesn't have to provide it).

[One could argue that this might be a duplicate of this question, but (a) that question is over a year old and has no answer and (b) this isn't really a feature request: I don't really care whether it gets added, I just want to know what the purpose of the field is if the data is never used]

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Maybe it's there in the hope of making people acting more conscious. However, since none of the information entered is validated in any way, the field is absolutely useless.

Maybe there was an intention of adding a social component like "only my friends can see my real name". But I don't think so, any requests smelling like social networking were [status-declined] by default.

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    Like if too many of your posts get downvoted your name and e-mail are displayed publicly on your account? I like where this is going :)
    – Michael Mrozek
    Oct 13, 2010 at 0:01
  • @Michael: +1, and too often spam flagged users will also be geolocated and enlisted to several spamming "services"
    – Tobias Kienzler
    Oct 13, 2010 at 7:00
  • How about "geolocated and the coordinates passed to the orbital crowbar launcher"?</bloodthirst>
    – Piskvor left the building
    Nov 11, 2010 at 10:54
  • But it's not like most of us don't use our full names anyways...
    – Ryan Amos
    Feb 17, 2012 at 19:13

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