Facebook has disabled my account
Something is wrong with the algorithms of Facebook: if they are trying to become a social network, they shouldn't disable accounts when people start to use them, even mildly heavily.
Last night, and today I discovered that many of my extended family members were on Facebook. As you know, genealogy is a hobby of mine, and with more than 20,000 in my family tree, using Facebook seems a great way to keep in touch with some of them (less than a hundred), exchange latest info on the family, see pictures, etc.
We have even created a group for one of the branches that has 456 descendants of a Danish immigrant to Chile.
So indeed I started getting warning messages, when I started sending the URL, user and password to some family members to our online family tree. Indeed, it seems that promoting an external web site is against the terms of use. Huh ? you can't send a link in an email anymore ? To your own kins ?
Anyways, I got a warning email last night. I immediately replied telling the Facebook people what I was doing, and I really slowed down the number of pings to my family members. Maybe one every few minutes max.
This morning I started adding family members again. I got a 2nd warning email today, and a disabled account email 73 seconds later. Waow... As if you read your emails immediately... Worse than a cease & desist.
email 1:
From: Facebook <info+oc0caz2c@facebookmail.com>
Date: 26 avril 2008 15:41:57 HAEC
To: "Rodrigo A. Sepulveda Schulz" <rodrigo@riscpartners.com>
Subject: Warning: Your Facebook Account
Reply-To: Facebook <info+oc0caz2c@facebookmail.com>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
email 2
From: Facebook <info+oc0caz2c@facebookmail.com>
Date: 26 avril 2008 15:43:10 HAEC
To: "Rodrigo A. Sepulveda Schulz" <rodrigo@riscpartners.com>
Subject: Warning: Your Facebook Account
Reply-To: Facebook <info+oc0caz2c@facebookmail.com>Hi,
Your account has been disabled for persistent misuse of the site. Please contact disabled@facebook.com for more information.
The Facebook Team
I understand Facebook belongs to themselves, and that they are free to kick you out manu militari. Somehow I get a feeling of total unfairness.
I've emailed both contact addresses I got in the emails. So do you think I'll get my account back ?
I really don't see the point of registering with a second account (and not lying about my ID, just not saying anything more than requested), and start adding my family members again...
Reminds me of when Robert Scoble got kicked out of Facebook too...
Something definitively wrong with the automatic algorithms at Facebook...
got the same, in the same context (email to my family).
They're probably very afraid of spam. but it also means that they're actually scanning the body of the emails...
Anyway, 24h after sending an email to the support, my acount was back
Posted by: DMY | 26 April 2008 at 19:23
That SAME thing happened to me!!!! But I'm back on, and have to be super careful. Ugh. sorry, that sucks so much.
Posted by: Derek from TellingonTrixie | 28 April 2008 at 19:45
Seriously, don't even get me started on the flaws of Facebook.
Posted by: Justine | 28 April 2008 at 19:51
Facebook punishes people who bring value to their site through community initiatives, and rewards those who spam (Zombie bites and whatnot). Try to make sense of it.
Posted by: Blaspheme Bourne | 28 April 2008 at 19:52
Sorry to ask a silly question. When you say "when I started sending the URL, user and password"
You sent your FB login and password along with the group link?
Posted by: Bill | 28 April 2008 at 20:06
iJustine, get started. You've been going around all day saying you hate Facebook but not itemizing the problems. I think you secretly love Facebook and want to marry Zuckerberg.
Posted by: Siggas Nation | 28 April 2008 at 20:10
Rodrigo,
My company has released an application on Facebook called Circle of Friends that is designed to allow you to easily keep in touch with groups of friends. The problem that you see with Facebook can be easily solved by using our application. Using it, you can easily create a personal circle of your family members, share links, photos, videos, etc. with them. It is your own private and customizable community. Please try the application. We are working on a new release of our user interface that will make a lot of the interaction that you describe very easy (and not subject to Facebook's spam policies). If you find Circle of Friends interesting, please let me know what you like and don't like about the app. We would be happy to incorporate your feedback into the application.
Posted by: Ephraim Luft | 28 April 2008 at 20:21
There are worst offenders on Facebook (ex-EIC's with too much time on their hands) then what you've done. And while I'm inundated with messages on funwall asking to me "forward" who at facebook is fixing the real spam?
Posted by: LaLaFuFu dotcom | 28 April 2008 at 20:23
That sucks. I hope they sort this out. Facebook is such a rat trap.
Posted by: The Dude Dean | 28 April 2008 at 20:49
Bill> no, URL and password to our family tree only
Ephraim> Thanks for the offer, but I've now created 4 facebook groups to manage 4 branches of our tree. I'm just missing a close integrate between localtion and a Google maps.
Blaspheme> and LaLaFuFu> I totally agree. Those messages with "please forward to see what happens", and those zombie bites & al. are just a nightmare to manage when you have almost 800 friends like me :( I just delete them as spam now indeed.
Posted by: Rodrigo A. SEPULVEDA SCHULZ | 28 April 2008 at 20:52
ecce ning!
Posted by: m | 28 April 2008 at 20:56
what a bizarre yet strangely typical storey.. I mean it's ok to promote the use of external websites like You toob etc but not you family tree site?
You'd think a smarter algorithm would just ask their admin to take a closer look, ie. try some personal (human) attention.
I block nearly all app's now and killed off the Fun/Superwalls coz I can see video's on my [friend's] wall[s] at a much less spammy rate, and when I choose to.
Posted by: Deezplace | 29 April 2008 at 20:26
The thing with the FB apps is that when I get one from an app that I don't want, I just say "block application." And yes, Super Fun Wall or whatever it is called, IS on that list.
-Adam
Posted by: Adam | 01 May 2008 at 17:04