09-20-2010, 09:53 AM
A teenager from Hertfordshire who mistakenly posted her address and phone number on Facebook to publicise a birthday party ended up with 21,000 promised guests.
Rebecca Javeleau, 14, mistakenly made the details public when inviting friends to the event, creating an internet sensation that led to thousands of RSVPs from strangers.
Her mother, Tracey Livesey, 40, cancelled the October 7 event, but police have been forced to step up patrols in the girl's street in Harpenden amid fears some Facebook users will turn up, causing chaos.
The girl, a pupil at Sir John Lawes School, had meant to invite only 15 friends to her 15th birthday party, but within hours of appearing online the event escalated out of control as her mistake was subjected to online ridicule.
At one stage, 21,000 Facebook users had clicked the RSVP button signalling they would attend the party, including fake celebrity accounts in the name of Justin Bieber, Professor Stephen Hawking, Stevie Wonder, Susan Boyle and Rick Astley.
Miss Livesey said: "Her party is cancelled and she will be lucky to get a birthday card from me after this. I said she could have 15 friends along to the party but my sister-in-law said that 8,000 people had said on Facebook that they were coming.
"She did not realise that she was creating a public event and should have done. She is going to have to change her mobile phone SIM card because of the number of calls she has been getting about it.
"Rebecca did not understand the privacy settings and she has lost her internet as a result of that - I've taken away her computer so she won't make that mistake again."
Miss Livesey, who works for social services dealing with adults with learning difficulties, also has a younger daughter Kazia, aged 11 years. She is separated from her children's father, Duane Javeleau.
The blunder raises fresh concerns about Facebook amid criticism that its privacy settings are too complicated, although the website said its 'event' settings were separate and public postings were "clearly" indicated.
telegraph.co.uk
Rebecca Javeleau, 14, mistakenly made the details public when inviting friends to the event, creating an internet sensation that led to thousands of RSVPs from strangers.
Her mother, Tracey Livesey, 40, cancelled the October 7 event, but police have been forced to step up patrols in the girl's street in Harpenden amid fears some Facebook users will turn up, causing chaos.
The girl, a pupil at Sir John Lawes School, had meant to invite only 15 friends to her 15th birthday party, but within hours of appearing online the event escalated out of control as her mistake was subjected to online ridicule.
At one stage, 21,000 Facebook users had clicked the RSVP button signalling they would attend the party, including fake celebrity accounts in the name of Justin Bieber, Professor Stephen Hawking, Stevie Wonder, Susan Boyle and Rick Astley.
Miss Livesey said: "Her party is cancelled and she will be lucky to get a birthday card from me after this. I said she could have 15 friends along to the party but my sister-in-law said that 8,000 people had said on Facebook that they were coming.
"She did not realise that she was creating a public event and should have done. She is going to have to change her mobile phone SIM card because of the number of calls she has been getting about it.
"Rebecca did not understand the privacy settings and she has lost her internet as a result of that - I've taken away her computer so she won't make that mistake again."
Miss Livesey, who works for social services dealing with adults with learning difficulties, also has a younger daughter Kazia, aged 11 years. She is separated from her children's father, Duane Javeleau.
The blunder raises fresh concerns about Facebook amid criticism that its privacy settings are too complicated, although the website said its 'event' settings were separate and public postings were "clearly" indicated.
telegraph.co.uk
