Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Facebook is Weird

So, I was about to post a comment on someone's photo today (on Facebook), and I got this warning:

Block! You are engaging in behavior that may be considered annoying or abusive by other users.

You have been blocked from posting on walls because you repeatedly misused this feature. This block will last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When you are allowed to reuse this feature, please proceed with caution. Further misuse may result in your account being permanently disabled. For further information, please visit our FAQ page.

Wow! That's pretty creepy.

Here's what Facebook's FAQ section says about it:

I have been warned for engaging in behavior that may be considered annoying or abusive.

Facebook systems determined that you were repeatedly using the same feature in a short period of time. Your activity caused your account to be flagged as potentially abusive.

Once you close your warning, you must significantly slow down or stop this behavior. Further misuse of site features may result in a temporary block or your account being permanently disabled.

Here's what another website says about my warning:

Don't Add Too Many Friends
Yes, it's true, Facebook has banned members for adding too many friends, or at least for adding too many friends "too fast." What's ironic about this is that Facebook makes it possible for you to invite a bunch of people at once by importing your address book. If Facebook decides you have a ridiculous number of contacts, you could find your account disabled.

Apparently Facebook has also banned people for being too active. If you spend a lot of time writing on your friends' walls, it could trigger Facebook's spam alert.

To avoid problems, you should only add a few friends at a time. Don't be too post-happy. Try not to be too popular.

Huh. Soo . . . either I need to get a life, or Facebook is buggy. Or . . . both.

Oh. Wait. Actually, I just realized that it says that I am "blocked" from using that feature. Here's what Facebook's FAQ says about that:

I have been blocked from using a feature.

Facebook has policies to stop behavior that other users may find annoying or abusive. Even if you did not have this intention, Facebook systems have determined that you were repeatedly using the same feature in a short period of time.

Since you did not adhere to previous warnings, a temporary block was set on your account. Here's what you should keep in mind about your block:

  • This temporary block will last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
  • Attempting to use this feature while you are blocked can extend the block.
  • We cannot lift this block for any reason, so please be patient and refrain from using this feature for a few days while waiting for this block to be removed.
  • Once you are allowed to use this feature again, you must significantly slow down or stop this behavior.
  • Further misuse of site features may result in more blocks or your account being permanently disabled.
Unfortunately, Facebook cannot provide any specifics on the rate limits that are enforced. The threshold at which you are warned is not a specific number, but rather determined by different factors, such as speed, time, and quantity.

Sad day. Guess I'll be backing off of Facebook for awhile . . .

1 comment:

  1. Okay, this a giant loose stool. Let me tell you why.1) I know people who, I'm pretty sure, don't actually work or go to school but update their status, comment on YOUR status and then change their status again. ALL DAY LONG. If those twits aren't blocked, there ain't no way you can be.2) Isn't this the point of Facebook? 3) They should bring back the PRIVACY settings they had before. That way, I could secretly delete a bunch of my "friends" which would in turn discourage them from commenting on my wall too much.4) I am awesome.5) So are you.

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