In the U.S. 60% of Internet users have Facebook accounts.  In Japan, only 2% of Internet users have Facebook accounts and services like Mixi, Gree and Mobage-town are 10 times as big.  According to a recent New York Times article, one of the primary reasons Facebook has failed to catch on in Japan is its insistence that people use real names when signing up for accounts.  Japanese Internet users fiercely guard their privacy, and, according to the article, even popular bloggers prefer to use nicknames or pseudonyms when socializing on the web.  It is interesting that even as technology makes the world a little smaller every day, there are still some very fundamental differences in how people choose to use the tools we now have access to.  The full article is worth a read

About the Author
Todd Zeigler
Todd Zeigler serves as the Brick Factory’s chief strategist and oversees the operations of the firm. In his sixteen year career in digital, he has planned and implemented campaigns for clients including the Pickens Plan, International Youth Foundation, Panthera, Edison Electric Institute, and the American Chemistry Council. Todd develops ambitious online advocacy programs, manages crises, implements online marketing strategies, and develops custom applications and software. He is bad at golf though.