Is there a reason that Facebook declines to provide the user it disables with no comment?
I am just speculating here, but an educated guess would lead me to think that Facebook continues to disable a disproportionate number of accounts held by activist or minority groups such as the gay community.
The logic behind this is simple. Facebook gives people the platform to communicate and share their social values. The gay community, is and has been especially vocal with the drive for Equal rights, and rightly so!!
It makes sense that users that are more active with posts, or more popular within the network attract more attention than the regular guy out fishing on the weekend and posting profiles pics of his 28" salmon.
In Facebook's Statement of Rights and Responsibilities at #14. they discuss "Termination".
14. Termination
If you violate the letter or spirit of this Statement, or otherwise create possible legal exposure for us, we can stop providing all or part of Facebook to you. We will notify you by email or at the next time you attempt to access your account. You may also delete your account or disable your application at any time. In all such cases, this Statement shall terminate, but the following provisions will still apply: 2.2, 2.4, 3-5, 8.2, 9.1-9.3, 9.9, 9.10, 9.13, 9.15.1, 9.18, 10.3, 11.2, 11.5, 11.6, 11.9, 11.9, 11.12, 11.13, and 14-18.
Sound a bit vague to you? Yes to me also.
As a follow on to my previous blog, guilty until proven innocent is the norm with these internet companies. Facebook have enough legal resources, not to mention the monopoly now that perhaps it's time for us little people, >>yes us the users<< to start to expect and seek better advice about our rights to our profiles.
All we are asking for at this time is for SOME COMMUNICATION from Facebook regarding the situation with disabled accounts.
I will continue to pursue this matter. I have emailed www.mashable.com, www.techcrunch.com and other similar sites to see if I can find a journalist who is astute enough to realize that real people are being hurt by facebook's inability to get their spam algorithms correct.
How can you help? Post this blog or other similar blogs to your facebook, tweet comments...
by getting the attention of the larger social media news sites we can bring the issue of disabled accounts to the management at Facebook... if Facebook does their job better, then I am sure they can avoid the law suits that will inevitably happen if they don't.
69 kisses, Syd.
Facebook disables its entire user base, after its user use algorithm gets a mind of its own.
Despite severe warnings from Facebook, users who continued to use the site for social networking ... doing things like posting wall comments, playing applications, sending messages, expanding their friendship circle have now been eliminated.
One user comments... "It's like a ghost town. The only posts on my news feed are those from players still playing Zynga's zombie dance band war-ville. I am so scared, I really don't know what to do. I have no idea how to send regular emails anymore, and who is going to look at all my baby photos I keep posting."
Sounds like Science Fiction? Well yes, perhaps the statement is a little exagerated, but it is becoming more obvious that Facebook is starting to suffer from a spam protection system that can no longer keep up with the number of users.
With Facebook now the third largest web property in the world, is it ok for it to continue to operate under private company policy and not be required to provide its customers with any support or reasons for the disabling?
I don't think so.
Over the past year I have watched an increasing amount of user accounts being disabled for no reason. Ironically the link on the box that Facebook provides goes to a page with no direct contact information to assist the user in getting the account reinstated.
Think about it. Social networking at this scale is still quite a new thing and at the end of the day it's the managers that decide on an appropriate mathematical forumlae to use to detect spam. But when three of my friends' accounts get disabled in one day, two of them PhD professors, one an international fashion photographer you have to wonder whether these managers know what they are doing and if facebook has the management intellect to keep up with itself.
Yes, I am fully aware of the terms of service. I've read it! Have you? You should... it is reasonably easy to understand. It's clearly been written to protect facebook at all costs at the detriment of its users' rights. Ok - I hear you - we choose to set up our profile accounts, mostly I think because there is not another option. We have been elegantly seduced into joining this site, with no rights to the account that we establish.
I start to question then, whether the implied duty of care that facebook thinks it should provide under the TOS and that which consumers now can reasonably expect to receive under the changing technology platform are two different things. At some point I am sure the courts will be asked to decide.
This will become very evident once facebook expands its credit system and becomes a money transfer conduit for facebook applications... and when money is involved the conversation changes completely.
Unless you, or a close friend have had your account disabled, most people don't care. It is time however, that we start to voice our concerns and our fears to those that can assist us getting this message out.
Please tweet this post, share it on your facebook, add your comments.
It's important that we express our thoughts and opinions while we still have a platform in which to do so!
69 kisses, syd.
Bra-mask: Chicago researcher invents bra that doubles as face mask
(taken from Chicago Tribune - Thursday, October 29, 2009 - Ericka Slife)
To you, that cute pink bra with black lace trim might conjure up thoughts of sexy lingerie. To Dr. Elena Bodnar, it represents a possible lifesaver.
Behold the bra-mask – a brassiere that in an emergency can be turned into a pair of protective face masks.
Bodnar’s invention won the Ig Nobel Prize, given by Annals of Improbable Research magazine for achievements that “first make people laugh and then make them think.”
“The brilliance of my idea is that it’s very simple,” said Bodnar, of Chicago, who is director of the nonprofit Trauma Risk Management Research Institute.
To use the bra-mask, the wearer unsnaps the brassiere from under her shirt, which breaks it in two. Because each cup has hooks on its side, the strap is wrapped around the head and hooked to the cup, which goes over the mouth. Bodnar said an experienced user can don the mask in mere seconds.
The bra-mask could be used during such disasters as fires, terrorist attacks, dust storms or a swine flu outbreak, Bodnar said. Indeed, she first thought up the idea while treating victims of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster as a medical university graduate in her native Ukraine.
Bodnar is now pursuing commercialization of her bra-mask. She hopes all women will eventually have one.
But what about the men?
As Bodnar noted in her Oct.1 acceptance speech at Harvard University, “Isn’t it wonderful that women have two breasts, not just one? We can save not only our own lives, but also a man of our choice next to us.”
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Sydney : Now we just need to think of an emergency use for a jock strap, whips, handcuffs, and grandma's oversized panties... But how great to see people thinking outside of the box, and this case one that could potentially save lives. Maybe it's time to bring back detachable shoulder pads... or not...
Do Not Pass Go - Do Not Collect $200 - Go directly to ZyngaVille !
I have been a player of Mafia Wars for quite some time now. In my madness I have committed real dollars to this game and am not embarassed at all to say so.
I have spent many hours reading comments on the forum and what has struck me is the apparent lack of customer service that this company provides. Perhaps what concerns me more is the somewhat reckless change of rules that happen randomly so it seems.
My concerns were further increased after reading/viewing this article on The Consumerist.
http://consumerist.com/2009/11/mafia-wars-ceo-brags-about-scamming-users-from-day-one.html
In the last couple of weeks Zynga has built in a Terms of Service Agreement that must be clicked before you are able to play the game.
I see many comments about the amount of spam that is sent to fellow Facebook friends, I see many comments about the servers not working, I see many comments about the frequent change of rules.
I suspect it is only a matter of time before we read about Zynga being sued for spamming, scamming.. after all the wonderful thing about America (and us here in Australia also) is we hate being taken advantage of...
... more comments to come.... syd
Syd's City
Want to be in my next book?
I am currently writing the sequel now and would love to include you in it!
If you have any thoughts please post them on the Forum!
69 kisses
The Age of Nepotism
a book by Vahid Razavi.
The Age of Nepotism is an electic travel and lifestyle journal or perhaps more so a scrapbook that covers a year of Razavi's life with his travel and work in the Balkin States.
As an Australian who has never travelled to any of these areas, the background information that Razavi writes and comments about is fascinating. His style of writing is very tangible and like any good travel writer the author allows you to share the travel experience.
But this book is more than a travel story, it's a contextual history and cultural lesson as well.
Just a little smaller than a 33" record cover, the book has been beautifully printed, the inside pages embossed on heavy gloss stock.
Designed to be a coffee table book, it should definitely not be treated as one. Many coffee table books are just that - they sit on the coffee table and remain unread.
The Age of Nepotism can be read in one sitting over a cup of coffee or a glass of beer and I recommend you do that.
But it's too much book for one read, so leave it on the coffee table, and pick it up again, and again, and again...
Razavi has been a close friend of mine for many years and I am very excited to see this book published.
- 69 kisses Vahid, thank you for being there when I needed you :) -
www.theageofnepotism.com
Buy "The Age of Nepotism" on Amazon
As twittering continues to expand at an amazing rate, and more people focus their attention on facebook and other social networking sites, it seems to me that casual blogging is becoming less popular. As I click the tinyurls on trending topics, the links tend to direct readers to the same sites. Less people are writing good articles and more people are reading them.
When I set up this site it was primarily to promote my book "The SOMA Diet". Although out of print, it has been re-edited and it is my plan to re-release it with it's sequel "Syd's City".
At the same time, many of my friends are also doing some really cool and interesting things so it occured to me, dedicating part of my site to writing about these accomplishments and helping connect people with similar interests would be a good thing.
So, please enjoy, the reviews that I write, and take the time to follow these people on twitter or friend request them on facebook.
They are interesting people who add value to the world, and take the time to read your comments.
- Syd
on facebook sydney hilton - http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=1150665219&ref=profile
on twitter - sydneyhilton - http://twitter.com/sydneyhilton
Sunday 22nd March, 2009
Rick & Steve : The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World
It's simply terrible that we can't buy Rick & Steve at GAYS"R"'US yet :(
Pussy would make such a fun stocking stuffer - meow!!
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