A funny thing happened on the way to a birthday greeting

Happy New Year, everyone.

And according to some very unexpected messages I got today, it seems it's also my birthday.

Which is strange, because unless my parents were lying to me, I believe I was born in November. Yet, when I finally woke up today and checked in with the Internets, I found eight messages waiting for me, wishing me a happy birthday.

The first actually came yesterday afternoon before 6 p.m. my time, and it was from a former CNET News colleague. I was confused, but thought that perhaps it was a birthday message that got lost in a wormhole back in November and finally figured out how to find its way through the Tubes to my inbox. These things happen.

But the sign that something odd was truly happening came today when, in my e-mail in-box there was a message posted from a friend to a list I'm on, also wishing me a happy birthday.

This got me wondering. The first message, from the former co-worker, had actually been delivered via Facebook. And then, when I checked my e-mail again just now, there were notes informing me that six friends on Facebook had written on my wall, all wishing me, well, you know.

The topper, finally, was the note I found when I logged into Facebook, from the Facebook "team."

This birthday greeting was waiting for me on Facebook today. The only thing is, it's not my birthday.

(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News)

By now, I knew what was going on. When I signed up for Facebook, I entered my birthday, as I often do on Web sites that ask for it, as January 1. I do that because it's easy for me to remember, because it's sort of close to my real birthday, and most importantly, because there's no way I'm giving a Web site my real birthday.

Hello! Identity theft, anyone?

In the past, this has never come back to me in any way. To be sure, I know that by submitting a false birthday, I'm probably violating sites' terms of service, and now maybe I'll be kicked off Facebook. But still, I value my privacy and have no intention of revealing a piece of information that is very useful to anyone wishing to do harm with it.

Then again, there's all these wonderful friends -- not to mention the Facebook team -- who were nice enough to notice it is my "birthday" today. What to do about them?

Well, I guess the answer is to out myself, and say that this is a totally unexpected artifact of my attempt to maintain some privacy while also using Web sites that want to leverage the use of my personal data. And yours, of course.

I've always wondered why sites like Facebook need to know my birthday, and my uninformed answer was a combination of security and micro-targeting.

And in most cases, it's never come up. But with a site like Facebook, where the social factor in things like this come to the fore, it obviously does come up, and it makes me wonder. Do most people put in their real birthday? Don't they worry about the consequences? Or maybe there aren't really any consequences. It's not, after all, as though giving out your birthday is the same as revealing your Social Security number or your mother's maiden name.

But with so many of these birthday messages today, I guess I'm seeing that that little piece of information does have a social purpose. Will that get me to change it (assuming Facebook doesn't kick me off for lying)? Not a chance.

I mean, hey, how else can you get people to celebrate your birthday twice a year? I'll take my presents now please.

[webmastercorey]

Ah... so your birthday is in november... lol
I had a friend that changed his brithday to mine as a practical joke and he ended up getting more messages wishing him a happy birthday than I did.

[socrtaz10]

Yeah I went through this phase back in High School where I changed my Facebook birthday every day so it was always "Today" on Facebook.
Also, you're trying to tell me that Daniel Terdiman has had a Facebook account for less than a year? Get with the program, old man!

[dbelluk]

Surely it would have made more sense to put the correct day and month in the birthday field but change the year.

[discern]

Same here. Jan 1 1970, the birth of the unix epoch.

[Angsuman-Chakraborty]

I too use January 1st as my birthday. I used to get lots of birthday greetings from Friendster in its heydays. I don't see any good reason for revealing my actual birthday on any web-site considering the risk of id theft.

[Zamoreta]

you identity can't really be stolen with only your birthday. Assuming you're smart with the rest of your info, there's really no threat in giving out your real birthday to facebook.

if you're that worried, maybe put in the correct day and just the wrong year. That way you'll get the birthday greetings on the right day of the year =]

[MCOjerry]

Jeez, talk about lunacy. You need just a bit more than a birth date to steal an identity. See a doctor and get some pills to take care of your condition.

If, even with medicine; you are that paranoid, set your profile to be seen by friends only.

Perhaps we should start medicating the water supply.

[nicmart]

MCOjerry's comment is degrading and offensive. But it does illustrate Thomas Szasz's point that the main purpose of psychiatry is to label and scapegoat. It is so easy that anyone can do it.

[MCOjerry]

Your comment is degrading and offensive, though mostly towards yourself.

[ikramerica--2008]

You're crazy!

But I also put in January 1 for my B-Day, and also the year I was born +1. Why? Because for many financial websites, part of their security check is to ask your birthday. Anyone who thinks a mere name and birthday can't lead to a financial rip-off, you are only asking for trouble. Then of course there's the records search that gets a lot easier if they have your b-day as well as name?

Protect your birthday from anyone who doesn't need it, and you help protect yourself.

[MCOjerry]

No, I'm not. I'm just not afraid of the world as it seems everyone else it nowadays. If you live your life in fear of everything, you're not living your life.

[D3vildog699]

I don't like most of what MCOjerry says, but i do like his last comment. Live not Survive

[G|Net]

What i want to know is, how come Facebook doesn't send ME a birthday notice from the "Facebook team"? Is it because I'm not a member of the press, giving them free publicity on a regular basis?

[Riquez-001]

Simple fix Dan - just use a fake email address too & you wont get any false birthday messages!

[Walloon]

Mr. Terdiman, it took me all of three minutes to obtain your full name and date of birth on the Internet, and I'm not a hacker. There are a lot easier ways to obtain your actual date of birth online than by somehow getting it from Facebook.

[play7]

Who gives a phillip Lindens`s butt............really NOBODY DOES!

[Travis Ernst]

Birth records are public record. Some states you can even pull up drivers licenses and there is the magic date. Applications, forms any dealing with the government, you have to provide it. Any court records that are not sealed there it is (marriage license).

As long as you don't tell the web you were born on Mars Colony #6 you are fine. It's the details OTHER then the date that you want to keep hidden.

[MCOjerry]

Finally, some people with some common sense.

[reststop]

A side comment to public records. I believe that you mother's maiden name is typically on your birth certificate, so THAT bit of information that the financial institutions use for verification is not so secret. Also, if you belong to LDS most of your genealogy info can be looked up, making maiden names public.

Another note. Your Social Security number is NOT unique. Look it up if you don't believe me. In fact, I recall a story that many many people have the same social security number as the lady who once worked as the secretary or administrative assistant at F.W.Woolworth and Co., as her SSN was printed on a form distributed with wallets and purses sold there. Many people who didn't apply for their own SSN, thought that that was their own to use once they filled out the card.

And one last item, your birthdate, your name, and your SSN together are supposed to be a unique identifier. It's not clear how many of those Woolworth's customers might have broken that formula.

So, disclosing your birthday (and year, which sites ask for to determine how old you are for purposes of determining if you are under age), can make it easier for someone to steal your identity.

However, I agree, that with a little searching, if not a paid account on a people-search site, would allow anyone to lookup all the info needed to steal anyone's identity.

Happy new Year!

[ejtbatchelor]

What it all comes down to is time and effort. If someone takes the time and effort to steal your identity they will succeed. Also if you take the time and effort to safe guard your personal information it will be much harder for someone to steal it. Anytime a person gives their personal information regardless of what it is for there is risk that it could be used illegally. Its up to the individual on whether or not to accept that risk. Google social engineering. P.S. facebook, myspace, linkedin, etc. are all great places to collect information and to use it for the wrong reasons.

[GardenLobster]

I highly doubt if you set your Facebook profile to the highest profile setting that you'll get your identity stolen. Personally, I see nothing wrong with people knowing my age.

I will say, though, the most annoying thing about your real age being known are those annoying ads on MySpace advertising that a 28-year-old can lose 45 pounds in only 2 weeks if I click on their bright pink ad right now!!! -.-

I thought the real kicker for a good ID theft was the SSN.

[potpoi]

I believe you can keep your birthday private by clicking on Settings -> Privacy Settings, then click on Applications, then the Settings tab. Uncheck "Basic Info" to keep Facebook from releasing your birthday to applications that notify others of your birthday (like the birthday calendar).

Facebook's interface just doesn't seem intuitive to me, especially for things like this. Things seem buried and hard to find in their menu system.

[Penguinisto]

Meh - I set mine to February 29th - that way they only bug me once every four years ;)

[Benigna-Marko]

Bug you, come on buddy, it is a celebration of your special day. Think about it this way, you get to tell your mother thank you for going through all that for me. I love my Birthday and I tell my mother congratulations and happy day of thank you for my special day. I think she appreciates that. Benigna Marko

[stigmattaman]

Umm, what? This is news?

The holidays need to be over so CNET's real writers get back to work.

[chadkopca]

Hiding your birth date seems futile. After all, it's mighty easy to find out someones birth date.

from birthdatabase.com: DANIEL W TERDIMAN 1969-11-03 San Francisco CA 94133

[jture]

Lying about your birthdate on Facebook is just so lame, not to mention pointless - and as you've just discovered, it's more trouble than it's worth.

[kabukiknight]

actually, what this REALLY mean is that your "friends" are really not your friends. those that are close to you should already know that birthday was fake. happy new year!

[nrlz]

I started using Jan 1st on all my sites after one one time I forgot my e-mail password and went to "I forgot my password.". Apparently the only verification info they needed is my birthday and my mother's maiden name. And if anyone of my friends want to play a practical joke on me, they could change my password easily just by knowing my birthday and mother's maiden name. So now I use a secret birthday as a "second password".