On Monday, world-famous author Salman Rushdie, who won the "Booker of Booker" prize for his novel Midnight's Children, revealed that Facebook had deleted his account at the weekend -- and then, when he sent the company a copy of his passport to prove who he said he was, denied him the right to use "Salman" as his first name. (The author's full given name, which he never uses, is Ahmed Salman Rushdie.)
Facebook compounded the error by failing to respond to Rushdie's requests -- until the author took to Twitter to share his tale of frustration. He encouraged his followers to make light of the situation, thereby attracting the social network's attention.
It worked. Facebook reinstated Rushdie's profile in a matter of two hours, and in another hour the company had issued an official apology. Still, the incident throws light on an important and odd Facebook regulation: you can tell the service you are called whatever you like, but if it ever sees your ID, you'll be forced to go with your given name.
Here, in Joseph Campbell-style storybook form, is how Rushdie's tweets unfolded.