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Facebook: Booting Users
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Is Mark Zuckerberg getting into the business of steel-toe boot manufacturing?
I am not sure how roomy the offices in Palo Alto, California are but surely there isn't enough room to create a manufacturing plant for these boots.
The reason I bring up such a topic, is that apparently Facebook is dishing out a zero-tolerance policy (of "sudden-deathing" one's account) guilty of things amongst:
Ixnay on the not using one's real name, joining too many groups, posting on too many walls, friending too many people (when there's already a built in cap of 5,000 max friends), your org. affiliation is doubtful, poking too much (tisk tisk), advertising your apps on walls, using duplicate text in multiple messages, and you can't be a flowerpot (or a cow or dog), etc.
The full list of reasons being here.
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You will get a sudden death on your account w/o option of, say changing your false (dream) org affiliation of Facebook back to the real one of McDonalds.
So, you get the sudden death on your account (I think it applies to all of these situations), and if you're lucky like in the case of John Swift (Facebook Boots Pseudonymous Blogger, Then Caves to Blogosphere Pressure), there might be a chance of getting that copper penny taste off the end of those "FB" boots.
It's understood that a lot of those offenses are there to serve the community and I think it's a good thing that they have a policy in place. 4 out of the 5 things, I would agree with.
But overall, Facebook is some b.s.
I fell victim to this aforementioned "sudden death" axing of an account, when browsing what was essentially a Facebook 'fan' group & adding people that are a part a FAN group of a group I am a part of, (it's a musical collective, but that's beside the point, as it's a "clique" I rep).
However, soon after adding these folks I checked my email to only see a warning+disabled account notice.
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I kind of like the PR enriched terminology of "disabling" an account, which is as good as deleting one's account. You're locked out and there no trace of you on the site.
These sent within minutes to my email, not even to my fb inbox:
Hi,
Our systems indicate that you've been misusing certain features on the site. This email serves as a warning. Misuse of Facebook's features or violating Facebook's terms of use may result in your account being disabled . Thanks in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
If you have any questions, please contact warning@facebook.com from your login email address.
The Facebook Team Hi,
Your account has been disabled for persistent misuse of the site. Please contact disabled@facebook.com for more information.
The Facebook Team
(Automated Reply)
Hi, Facebook Customer Support has received your inquiry. Stand by as we should be back with you soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to review our 'Help' page (http://www.facebook.com/help.php). You'll find lots of information about Facebook as well as many answers to your questions. Check out the FAQs on the Support page too.
Thanks for contacting Facebook and enjoy the site!
-Facebook Customer Support
Hi xxxxxx, Facebook has limits in place to prevent behavior that other users may find annoying or abusive. These limits restrict the rate at which you can use certain features on the site. Unfortunately, we cannot provide you with the specific rates that have been deemed abusive.
Your account has been disabled because you exceeded Facebook's limits on multiple occasions when sending unsolicited friend requests, despite having been warned to slow down. We will not be able to reactivate your account for any reason. This decision is final.
Thanks for your understanding,
Kyle
User Operations
I was on the site since 2004, yet they've locked me out, and all trace of me has vanished.
I find it amusing that their track record on such "final" banning's is a bit flaky.
You have the incident with blogger Jon Swift and his account getting shit-canned, his readers complained, even created an fb group to fight for his cause, and now, facebook has become more lenient (I mean spotty) in their policy on such things:
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Hi Jon Swift, Upon further review, we have decided to reactivate your account. Our Terms of Use, to which all users agree when they first sign up for the site, stipulate that you must not “impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent yourself, your age or your affiliation with any person or entity.” However, since others on the site seem to know you by this name, and since you don’t appear to be using the name to impersonate or to hide your identity, we have determined that you are not violating these Terms. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Please let me know if you have further questions or concerns.
Thanks for your understanding,
Jerry
Customer Support Representative
appeals@facebook.com
appeals+ngq0zsr@facebook.com
appeals-comment@facebook.com
comment-info-rt@facebook.com
disabled@facebook.com
info@facebook.com
info+ngqrvqs@facebook.com
warning@facebook.com
All in an effort to get unbanned, and apparently after 48 hours and a few suck-ass emails back and forth he was unbanned.
Speaking of sucking ass (I have since lost access to my college email account), but oh well. Feel free to add me on my new account.
Let's face it, F- the book of face... (F- as in flowerpot).
Photo top via flickr by Robert Scoble
Photo break via flickr user sorenshaman
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