I am the person that took the Facebook vanity name ProBlogger. For those that are not aware, ProBlogger is a term used by the highly popular blogger Darren Rowse.
The big question on Twitter and Facebook seems to be why did I take that vanity name? The consensus is that Darren deserves this address because of his popularity in using it and his website address, which happens to be ProBlogger.net.
Well, about five minutes before the username launch I wrote out seven or eight names I would be interested in using. When the launch began I quickly started entering my choices. After going through four with no luck I was starting to seriously get discouraged thinking all the decent names had been taken already. Now entering my fifth choice, ProBlogger, it was available which took me by complete surprise. I knew that Darren Rowse was online entering for his names like everyone else because he was Twittering about it. I honestly figured this would be the first name Darren would shoot for if not already acquired during any trademark launches. Having already went through four choices with no luck I knew that I had a split second to decide, I took the name.
Facebook’s vanity registration was a frenzy! Within 15 minutes of the vanity launch over 500,000 names were taken.
Now, before I am called a vanity name “Squatter” let me clear a few things up.
- I only own ONE Facebook account which I am active with.
- I signed up for a Facebook account long before vanity names were an option.
- Facebook owns the vanity name, not me. I’m not able to forward or monetize the url in any way.
- I took a generic non-trademarkable term.
- I consider myself to be a professional blogger. In fact, I make money from this very blog you are reading, which is why I even left that as an option for myself to pick as a name.
- Within minutes of Darren’s displeasure of someone taking ProBlogger I quickly emailed him attempting to transfer the name over if possible. I asked for nothing in return as Darren can confirm.
Why would I give Darren the name?
Simple, I respect what Darren has done for the blogging industry and have learned a lot from him. I did not register the name with ANY bad intentions.
One suggestion that was made over the weekend was to give Darren my username and password to simply hand over my account. For me this is not an option. As stated I have already been using Facebook for some time and developed relationships with it. Creating a new account would be like starting all over again.
Here we are a few days later, I have had plenty of time to think things over and am still willing to give Darren the ProBlogger vanity name. We’ll see how this plays out since Facebook says they have a strict “no transfer” policy when it comes to vanity names. Here is a link to their username help page.
By the way, if you have a Facebook account I would be honored if you sent me a friend request.
I will approve any and all comments pertaining to this topic as I’m sure it will grab the attention of many. The only thing I will not approve is comments with curse words. Sorry, I keep my blog PG.
“Sorry, I keep my blog PG.”
Except for the weekly video blogs with the hot chicks.
Thats where the parental guidance comes into play in the “PG” part. If you are a parent and you don’t want your child watching Chefs weekly videos, guide them otherwise :-p
So what did Darren say??
mp/m
Not much really. Seems appreciative that I’m will to give him the vanity name. Other than that he’ll have to say for himself.
I remember catching this during the live back and forth on Twitter. I am sympathetic with Darren but honestly, it’s a first come first serve world and this was a contest to see who could snag what. I am sure there are many a skier, biker or painter that wanted pro(whatever) for their vanity url as well. I don’t think any special treatment should be shown here for one person no matter what that persons popularity may be. Fair is fair and that’s all there is to it.
I think there’s a lot of validity to that point.
However.
There is little benefit for Patrick to be gained by securing this particular vanity url other than the attention gained from the action.
Out of professional respect, I feel there are certain things that don’t need to be done, simply because you can. That’s ridiculous.
Hi Patrick
I’ve been waiting for this post all day
I had a question though. The FB blog made it perfectly clear about the inability to transfer the vanity url once it is chosen. You will be very unlikely to rank for problogger with Darren’s prominence and branded use of that name (so essentially it does you no good). Why would you not use your own brand? Why would you essentially cheat Darren out of the use of his own name with absolutely no benefit to yourself outside of increased traffic to your blog for this controversial move, which is temporary?
Honestly I’m not an SEO or Facebook expert and would have no idea where my Facebook page would rank. This was never something calculated when selecting the name. It was simply a vanity selection, a name that I thought would be cool to have.
Why did I select it over my own brand. Personally I love my brand but am getting a little tired of answering the question, do I cook, lol.
As far as increased traffic from this. I hate to repeat myself but this was not a calculated move in selecting the name. I expect zero extra web traffic from this. Looking at my bit.ly link for this post it has received the same amount of traffic as any one of my posts. Because this is a very niche blog the extra traffic if any would do me no good. I only blogged about this because I wanted to have a central location to answer all questions.
PS…sorry for leaving out pictures of ponies
While I am severely disappointed at the lack of ponies in your response, I’ll live.
So, let’s just say, that working online for as long as you have, you really had no idea what the potential impacts to seo and traffic this move could potentially have. Given that assumption, I still don’t understand how it makes sense to attempt using someone else’s branded identity as your own. Personal branding takes a great deal of time and energy. You are undoubtedly aware of that. Even though you may be growing tired of the ‘Chef Patrick’ persona you are undoubtedly aware of the equity tied to it. Moreover, the work that goes in to re-branding one self is incredibly difficult, especially if you are going to try and utilize someone else’s very powerful brand.
So, your intentions may not have been openly malicious, and I appreciate that, I still don’t quite ‘get it’. But I do think it’s gracious of you to work with FB to try and transfer over the vanity url. Hopefully you all can find a way to make it work.
I agree and understand the importance of branding. It is something I am very good at.
I’m partially playing when I say that I’m tired of answering the question if I cook. It’s part of my blog and am ok with it.
I am in the process of creating and launching other blogs. It is just nice to have a GENERIC term for my Facebook name. No worries, if FB allows the switch I’ll just use my name.
Too much is made out of the Facebook vanity names. I mean really, how did we survive without them, lol.
So you won’t be pissed if someone registers facebook.com/chefpatrick and puts up some amateur hour stuff?
I also agree about the hype on the vanity urls. They won’t do much to help ranking. It’s just about identity I suppose. I’d argue one’s Twitter name is WAAAAY more important anyway, along with personal sites, linkedin profiles, etc.
I think the excitement of the vanity URL’s is more centred around real world promotion.
If I’m at a party chatting with someone I haven’t seen for years I can just tell them to go to facebook.com/andywarburton – something that was all but impossible until vanity URL’s came along.
I agree with Thomas but have the same question as Kristy. If I were you I would choose yor brand or name. One of them had to be available I assume.
As silly as it sounds picking a vanity Facebook name was not easy. I was chatting with several people during the launch and we were all stretching to find something good.
Re-branding is even harder.
Why didn’t you try and get chefpatrick/chef.patrick/chef-patrick, which is your brand image? Weren’t those names the most obvious ones to try first?
Tired of being asked if I cook.
Hahaha.. lol…
What’s done is done. Being fair and genuine is an important part of branding today. Facebook needs to get over themselves and allow the transfer. Their intent is noble. They don’t want a marketplace in vanity FB IDs to develop, and they’re right, it would; but they ought to allow valid transfer requests on a case by case basis even if it means hiring staff to handle it.
I had to choose between my name, my blogging screen name (that I’m not using here) and a domain name that I’ve trademarked (registered). I should be able to protect the other two names while registering my real name. FB is right to try to avoid a gold rush of username squatting for profit, but they should allow some flexibility, for the sake of their own reputation as much as anything else. I have to think that if enough people ask for it publicly for long enough, they’ll pay attention (see: Terms of Service).
I would think that for you to keep facebook.com/problogger would do you more harm than good.
It will take some time but I’m sure they will allow the change.
I don’t think it will do more harm than good. If anything it will be indifferent and have an interesting back story.
Chef I also had about 5 names I was going to get.Chocolates was available but when I went to the next step it had been taken I got Financial Aid.Hey it was a split second decision and if you really wanted to you could give it to him there is a non descrip way to transfer it just give him your password and he could change everything on it.This will all be old news in a few days.Just my opinion.
Cheers
Don’t sweat it, Bro… people who think Darren “deserves” it are insane. His blog isn’t exactly a unique and brilliant phrase no one else uses — it’s very generic. It’s like saying John Chow should have a claim on “make money online” or something… silly.
Darren has spent a lot of energy branding ‘problogger’. Deserves….not sure. This isn’t the playground in 5th grade. Not sure ‘deserving’ something is enough in a professional realm. This is business after all. And I recognize the value of first come first serve. What I do think is that out of professional respect it wasn’t the right thing to do. It adds no value to Patrick, in fact, now he can’t use the vanity url /chefpatrick (or whatever variation he would have chosen) thereby cracking his brand structure and strategy. Doing it, just because he could, seems like a mean spirited reason. *Not calling you mean Patrick:)*
Kristy, if I had a do over I would just pick my legal name.
No worries, I know I’m not a mean guy
Who knows, maybe this could be a good thing. If I didn’t get the name it’s possible someone else would have. They may not have been so willing to work with Darren as I am.
Very good point actually.
I was thinking of that same thing as I was typing up one of my other comments….if it wasn’t you, surely it would have been someone else and may or may not have been him.
Completely agree with Shaun. It’s about as generic as possible and let’s face it, I’m sure he knew about the vanity urls just like you did and you beat him to it. His whole argument sounds like some of those whiny webmasters who think they deserve all the domains on the Internet because undeveloped domains shouldn’t be allowed. There’s no shortage of other people calling themselves “pro bloggers”: http://www.google.ca/search?q=inurl%3Apro+blogger+-problogger.net&hl=en&sa=2
know what they say – you snooze you lose. Nice name Patrick
It may be a fairly generic term. You’re right. But given that, the fact that he is represented in several of the results on the first page just strengthens my argument. In the space he works in, he is known as ProBlogger. Kleenex is a generic term, but we all know what it means. ProBlogger may be ‘generic’ as you say, but it’s the brand he’s operating under. And, in the space – he’s managed to build a strong association taking some of the generality out of it.
On the other hand – you snooze you lose is right. I lost the one I wanted
and I very loudly cursed her name when I realized it too! lol
Wish I had the time to type a long comment on this but time is short right now.
At the end of the day, I don’t care how much someone branded it, ProBlogger is a generic term. Patrick makes money from his blog, that makes him a pro, shouldn’t he have the same right.
Patrick, keep it.
I took it easy, I simply got brucemarler
Darren who??
Believe it or not many people probably don’t know who he is, and ‘ProBlogger’ seems pretty generic, as in anyone who runs a blog that makes money.
I’ve never heard of him before reading your post.
At least no one called you a cybersquatter yet
Enjoy the name.
Paul
Chef:
I’m in your court on this. You have every right to have the name since this is what you do for a living. Stay strong. I did get BrianFreed tonight.
Brian
AKA: CallerBrian
yeah, i think it’s pretty ridiculous to be this upset about a facebook url. it’s nothing to get this upset over at all. anyone who makes money from a blog could be a problogger and you had waited a few minutes for him to try to get his name, if he didn’t have it already then he missed out on it. absolutely no reason to get this upset about at all! sorry he missed out on his brand, but maybe he should have been quicker! i wouldn’t jump through too many hoops to get it switched over, it’s just facebook! does it really give him that much more benefit to have it?
If “the” problogger was so interested in the vanity name, AND was up to speed and online during the event, why didn’t he make that his first choice of names? You say this was the 5th name you entered, and 500,000 names in the first 15 mins? What was he doing?
I concur.
Thank you everyone for your support. I think a lot of the comments definitely show the side of DOMAINERS
In all fairness to Darren I’m sure he has more than one Facebook account and got to it as quick as possible. Don’t take anything away from Darren, he is an amazing blogger and would be considered the Rick Schwartz for his industry.
Off to bed, if any more questions arise I’ll be sure to post and answer them here.
You got it and he doesn’t. You do not owe him anything. Keep it and use it.
Oh, the drama. It’s a fricking facebook username, congrats on getting it; if someone complaints over a non-tm, generic term they have deep issues. And check out my latest blog post about just that.
Don’t give the hermit nerds the name out of principle if nothing else. ProBlogger is a cool generic name, use it yourself.
I checked your FB profile a couple minutes after I got my slug, and was surprised you took ProBlogger. In protest, I’ll -always- be using the old FB bookmark to your profile… =P
Protest huh, lol.
That’s fine…the old Facebook id is http://www.facebook.com/people/Patrick-Ruddell/1562250658. Try to remember that one
Patrick, I think you’ve explained yourself very well on this, and if it wasn’t you that got it, it would be someone else. Wonder if everyone would’ve chased them down and ragged on them the way they are ragging on you? You’ve just been willing to pony up that it was you that regged it, told your side of why, and that you’re willing to try to work it out with him. (that’s thumbs up!) If he ‘really’ wants it, he should be helping working it out with FB ‘too’ to transfer it. It shouldn’t be just you making the transfer effort!! But it seems funny that the only ones ‘concerned’ about you taking that ‘first come first serve’ name, is everybody else but the party affected! (..always nice to hear from the cheap seats.) Bottom line – Everyone knew the rules of the FB landrush, and you got it first, fair-n-square, and ‘that’ is all that matters!
But what I really can’t figure out, and would like some clarity on, is do you or don’t you…cook???
Actually Darren is doing all the work to make the transfer happen. He is doing the work to contact them and see what can be done. If he’s able to get them to transfer it I’ll simply approve.
So be nice
Thanks for your support Kevin, appreciate it.
I don’t think you should give it back, even if Facebook is willing to make an exception. It is a generic term that isn’t trademarked, you’re a professional blogger, and it was first come first served. If he was too slow to register it, that is his fault.
Congrats Patrick,
The domaining community is proud of you.
Fast to acquire a name of value as any respected domainer will have done for a domain name.
Now that you give it, trade it or sell it is up to you.
You don’t have to feel sorry nor have shame.
There was a landrush and you have be better.
I will not say lucky as apparently it was not your first choice, but well according the buzz it generates it was a good generic that describes very well ChefPatrick activity.
And you know what? I never hear about this problogger you are talking about, so it probably does not deserve it more than you.
It’s a generic, you have it, enjoy it!
Chef! Look what you have gone and done! You took a name and ended up creating a online outrage, shame on you
All jokes aside, it’s just a name but it’s good that your working with him to transfer it.
Wholeheartedly agree. Sure Patrick doesn’t have to give it to Darren, but he chose to.
Let’s leave it at that, folks.
lol…what a joke. If he’s upset he’ll just have to build a bridge and get over it because life’s tough, so get a helmet.
Generic as dirt and was available. Good on you for taking it. I have a lot of respect for you and your knowledge, and the way you share it.
Don’t feel bad…you did nothing wrong in my opinion.
Who really cares? I remember when people were selling a gmail account invites on ebay. A facebook vanity URL Frenzy? Facebook, Twitter, MySpace All these social networks are “For a limited time only” The real URL, the .com et all, are the ones that count. In the words of the police outside an accident scene…”Move along now. Nothing to see here.”
You could have done better, you could have done worse. Why did you have that term in your head, probably because of Darren. But really, he was trying names & you were trying names. He didn’t try his professional name first because more than likely he wanted something else. Its not like an auction, and so many words were banned it was actually difficult to get a good name.
You would have been better off with Chefpatrick considering that it is your branded name, but best of luck with problogger – which is an ok but not amazing name imho.
I like mine the best
Wire
LOL who seriously cares?? I’m sure Darren hasn’t got many friedns on facebook that know his better than his real name. If you have taken up both names, then it’s a different argument”!
Fight, fight, fight lol