Official News page 6

REAL LIFE NEWS: FACEBOOK PARTY INVITE HORROR

by Hazed

A 14-year old girl from Hertfordshire in the UK decided to have a birthday party and invite 15 of her friends to the celebrations for turning 15. So she posted the party invite on Facebook.

Unfortunately she didn't get the privacy settings right, and as well as her 15 best buddies, 21,000 other people replied saying they would come to the party!

As a result, the party has been cancelled, and the local police will patrol the area on the day of the planned party, to deter would-be attendees from showing up. Sgt Lewis Ducket said, "I would urge people who may be planning to come to Harpenden for the party to make other plans. We will have officers on patrol on 7 October to provide a reassuring presence and who will be able to deal with any issues, should they arise."

Facebook's privacy settings allow anyone who creates an event to tick a box saying "anyone can view and RSVP (public event)" but clearly there is something a bit off about their interface if people can make this kind of mistake. If your users can be 14 years old then it has to be made simple enough for 14-year-olds - and younger - to handle!

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