I don’t think this group is innocuous at all. I have recently gotten several similar requests — I think it’s a way to get people’s names and contact information. Why does the group creator, the so-called student doing the project, need you to add him/her as a friend on top of becoming a group member?
Also, go look at the group now. When you wrote this, it said Gjoni was from Phoenix? It currently says Kansas City.
Seems to be a big scam.

Indeed, I heard from him shortly after I posted this. He said he was a student in Phoenix but his home was in KC, so you’re right about that. Don’t know about the other stuff. Good question? I didn’t feel like I needed to friend him after joining, though I got a friend request from him. I’m playing a game of chess with him now. And I’m sure he’s going to kick my butt.

Thanks for the post.

I think you guys are a bit paranoid. I was invited to this group and I joined and I didnt have to add anybody as a friend. As for location diffrent from where the guy is studying, I have written down as hometown a small city in romania and I study in Montreal Canada. He might have a story like that of his own, dont be so judgemental, what could this guy possiby do with just my facebook name? Calm down and help the kid, what could possibly go wrong by joining a group?

I hate scams like this. Got invited to another one with the same wording today, only this time for a “psychology marketing project”:

I’m doing a paper in my Human Behaviors - The Psychology of Marketing class. The paper is about the marketing world and the changes that have taken place in the last 5 years. One of the main points that I’m trying to make is how influential viral marketing can be. One individual with an average facebook account can reach (screw it) 500,000+ people in less than 12 days just by making a group and inviting people. There have been other experiments where this worked, my paper talks about the likelihood that it can be duplicated.

What you need to do to help me is:

1. Join this group.

2. Click on “Invite People to Join” from the menu on the right.

3. Select all your friends (for this to work you must do this).

4. Click on “Send invitation”

5. Add me as a friend! (only if you want!!:))

Dug up this on it:
http://coolrulespronto.wordpress.com/2008/03/23/monica-rockle/

Great link! Thanks, Marie. Fascinating.

I think that people are paranoid about this group. The person in question that started it has NEVER contacted me in person. I have NEVER had to add anyone as a friend. Those two factors lead me to believe that it is exactly what it is, an experiment. As to why where the person is from should be inconsequential. I NEVER put down where I am from, and sometimes change it as well to prevent people from finding me. If someone wants your information off of facebook they will get it any way just like it was hacked into last week I think it was.

Ok, have you guys ever been to school, teachers tend to use the same types of assignments. If it is a scam, or you do not agree with it, then dont join. Why spend you day complaining about this stupid stuff, get on with your life!

This topic poses quite a few questions. It’s a creative way to approach a homework assignment likely for a type of humanities or marketing course to see how one can reach out to others in society the quickest. I doubt that anyone can do much damage knowing your facebook name really, it doesn’t even have to be your real name. I read the article posted by Marie, as well as the link that leads to a blog written by Fredy J. Nager. While I found it informative, and having strong supporting evidence, it was written a bit harshly, and it should also be taken into consideration that Monica Rockle, if real, has a large chance of not being a member of that blog, so might not see it at all, thus not allowing her to make contact with Nager to counter his argument. The blog did make me question the motives of whoever is behind it, since the Gjoni and Rockle groups have more than a few curious similarities in how they are written. If it is a new tactic for spammers though, there is really very little they can do to anyone, as long as everyone makes sure that they use the right amount of security for their pages. As far as I have seen, there has been no further contact between myself and Gjoni, so it cold simply be a student. Take whichever perspective you wish, but keep an open mind, and take security precautions on your page just in case.

hi. i just joined today with the goal of going to a million! just a FYI