As of yesterday, I became part of an apparently growing number of people who have been banned by Facebook for no apparent reason with no prior warning. I have looked through their terms of service and can only figure that I connected with too many people using FB's own "people you may know" service. I have been using Facebook as an extension of this blog and used their own service of having my blog posts automatically show up as a link on my Facebook page. Will I get my FB page back? Who knows. I have contacted their customer service, but they have not bothered to email an answer back to me. Oh well. I did enjoy the social networking abilities that Facebook seemed to offer, but, I probably spent too much time there anyway. My time is probably better spent shooting and sharing those images here.
UPDATE: As of 5-19-09 and after numerous emails to Facebook, I have had absolutely no response.
UPDATE 5-20-09: No response from Facebook.
UPDATE 5-21-09: Ditto
UPDATE 5-22-09: No Response
UPDATE 5-24-09: Not a word.
UPDATE 5-26-09: Total silence.
UPDATE 5-27-09: Connected to a guy named Joseph (or an automated reply?) who said I couldn't talk to anyone at that email address and was directed back to the original address from which I have had no reply.
UPDATE 6-01-09: Still no response from Facebook.
UPDATE 6-10-09: Facebook who?
Hey Dan - people have certainly noticed you're gone! You're missed. I've only been on FB for a few months, but I've looked forward to your fantastic posted photos (and have been coming over to your blog to see more)!
ReplyDeleteIf it's any consolation, the one time I've contacted FB customer service, it took more than a week to receive a response at all, and then a 3-day volley of daily emails to their rep (who I believe was in Asia) before the issue was resolved - perhaps that will still happen for you. Your FB friends hope so! Best.... Mark S. Peterson
Hey Mark, thanks for the very kind remarks. The whole thing has been rather puzzling since I don't really know what I did except connect with people, which I sort of thought was the whole idea of social networking. I hope to resolve it somehow, but in the meantime, I will work on my shooting. Glad you feel the desire to keep an eye on my work. I appreciate that.
ReplyDeleteI've been watching your updates to this post, Dan, and this really stinks. I continue to hope, as I'm sure do your other photog colleagues on facebook, as well, that you're able to return soon.
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing simply makes no sense. Facebook seems to encourage use of their "friend finder" utility - it now even comes up as the default landing page when one clicks on the "friends" tab at all! Best of luck with it.
Mark, thanks for comments. I really don't understand the deal with Facebook. They push their site as a networking hub, but if you actually try to use it, they get rid of you. Most importantly, they don't really tell you the rules. You're on your own and if you happen to do something that triggers their automated software police, you are gone. And I really do think it is just their software doing it, because I don't think any humans actually work there.
ReplyDeleteOh well, I will continue to try to contact them, because I did enjoy sharing with other people in the profession, and on the surface, Facebook offers a few opportunities other sites don't. In the end, I fear it is a useless endeavor, at least for me. Thanks again for visiting my blog.
Hey Dan,
ReplyDeleteI have a client who was banned from Facebook on June 5, 2009. Do you ever get your account back?
Martin
Martin,
ReplyDeleteNo, I haven't. In fact after numerous attempts to contact them, they still haven't returned an email. Frankly, I don't believe any humans actually work there!