Facebook Review
If you use Facebook, you should familiarize yourself with all the activities that can get your account disabled. This warning doesn't just apply to spammers and other ne'er-do-wells: Even the most well-meaning users need to be careful.
Wait, What is Facebook?
If you aren't familiar with Facebook or social networking sites in general, you might want to check out this lens first:-
What is Facebook?
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Facebook is a social networking site that makes it easy for you to keep in touch with friends, co-workers, and people who share the same interests as you. You can create a personal profile, upload pictures, write notes, and send messages to your frie...
You Must Use Your Real Name and DOB
It's common for people to use a nickname or pseudonym when they join online communities. Many people will only provide a fake date-of-birth, if they provide one at all. That's understandable, since you might want to protect your privacy.Unfortunately, these practices can get you banned from Facebook. You must provide your real name and DOB. Don't even use a nickname you go by in real life.
Also, your true name needs to sound "authentic" to Facebook. If your parents named you Beta, or if you're a British member of Parliament, Facebook could give you the boot.
Supporting Links:
- Facebook User Banned for Using Nickname: Jon Swift is a political blogger who tried to use Facebook. Unfortunately, "Jon Swift" is his pseudonym.
- What's in a Facebook Name? A woman is prevented from creating a Facebook account because the system doesn't approve of her real name.
- Facebook apologizes for suspending British member of Parliament as fake: Facebook just couldn't believe that someone like Steve Webb would create an account on a social networking site.
Individual Humans Only!
Facebook only allows individuals to have accounts. No corporations, no businesses, no organizations, no cats, no dogs. If you're not a flesh-and-blood human, you're out. No, you may not open up an account for your pet hamster, no matter how popular he is.On the plus side, you should be able to create a Facebook Social Ad or Page for your organization. Facebook might even be kind enough to let you create a page about your famous hamster.
Supporting links:
- Facebook: How do I create a business account? Facebook's official answer to those who wish to create business accounts.
- Facebook shuts down my cow's account: Facebook was not pleased when someone created an account for his cow.
Don't Create Multiple Facebook Accounts
It's against the rules to create more than one Facebook account. To quote Willy Wonka, "Everyone has had one, and one is enough for anyone." Facebook may terminate all your accounts if you're caught doing this, although in a lot of cases they just delete the "dupe" account.By the same token, multiple people aren't allowed to use the same Facebook account. Don't invite your pal to log into your account... but this is sensible advice anyway.
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.
Supporting links:
- Popular Recruiter and Blogger Gets Banned: If you have a lot of contacts in your address book, this is a good example of why you should think twice about importing them all to Facebook.
- Free the Blackadder one! A union organizer is banned for adding too many friends.
- Facebook Ban: Banned From Inviting Friends and Sending Messages: Another blogger gets the Facebook backlash.
Don't Post Copyrighted Material
There have been a couple of reports that Facebook removed some videos for containing copyrighted material. The videos themselves were homemade, but they were jazzed up with copyrighted soundtracks. One example included a short video of two cats wrestling to the music "Doing It Right" by the Go Team.If you do upload any videos to Facebook, make sure they don't infringe on any copyright laws. Use public domain music instead.
Supporting Links:
Homeschoolers (Weren't) Welcome
Homeschoolers on Facebook? Nope.
Until recently, homeschooled kids weren't allowed to have an account on Facebook. They even suspended some homeschoolers' accounts. But it looks like they changed the rules. This is from their official rule book:If you are homeschooled, you can still register with Facebook. You do not need to specify a high school when registering with Facebook or using the site.
In order to have an account on Facebook, you either need to be at least 18, or you need to be at least 13 and enrolled in high school. And yes, you have to be able to prove that you attend this school. Since it's difficult for Facebook to confirm that sort of thing for homeschoolers, they take the easy route and ban any homeschooled kids they discover on the network.
Unfortunately, it's not enough to provide the name of your local public school. Facebook will eventually try to confirm this, and if it turns out that you don't attend that school, Facebook will disable your account.
Supporting links:
- Facebook | I'm homeschooled. How can I join? This is Facebook's official answer to homeschooled children who are interested in getting an account.
- Does Facebook Discriminate Against Homeschoolers? An article from Washingtonpost.com
Conclusion
As long as you don't use Facebook heavily, and as long as you follow all the rules, you'll probably be OK. However, I wouldn't depend on Facebook for all my business or professional contacts.If Facebook becomes your primary means of staying in touch with people you know, you would be in a fix if Facebook ever decided to disable your account. Have a plan B. Make backups of your data and explore other social networking options.
More Links About Facebook
Do you know a good article that talks about Facebook users who have had their accounts disabled? Add it here.
13 Reasons your Facebook account will be disabled
This article on Get Satisfaction was one of the fi more...2 points
Respond when Facebook censors your political speech - Wired How-To Wiki
A list of things that can get you banned, and what more...1 point
Facebook proxy information
You may be wondering what exactly proxies are. Pro more...1 point
TechCrunch: Facebook Stirring Up Anger For Disabling Accounts
As if Facebook didn't have enough to worry about, more...0 points
Get Satisfaction: Facebook
This website, Satisfaction, gives people a way to more...0 points
Share Your Facebook Experiences...
What has been your experience with Facebook?
vallerie wrote
i now that sometimes fb is not good. don't ever add someone you don't now or someone like handsome ,beautiful that means you add? No,beacause may be they add you because they trick you or post in other things like the negative things that they need.if people add you that you don't now better just ignore it.
do it or itwillbe a trouble!
Posted November 07, 2009
eddy wrote
well i got issued a fb warning.now even though i really dont know what it is i did thats so terrible as i do joke around alot and write alot.sometimes i dont think ahead and say things that can be misconstrued! i do complment woman alot and guys if they are good at sports or an actor,what have you! im not mad at facebook but the ones who cause lies and friction among our rankbeen here for like 6 months and never a serious problem.if thats facebook for you then who needs them.but if theyll tell me what it is i said to cause harm or upset a user then maybe i could adjust the behavior.somw are so touchy here and dont deserve decint peoples friendship.they accused me of harrassing other users or a user.id like to know who/what but its trivial now.people listen to the guidelines here and at any time you can get a warning and be totally and completely dumbfounded.i was quoting a film all week long and joking about cookies.sometimes i write on a post far too much,and get too chatty.who knows?
Posted October 23, 2009
eddy wrote
well i got issued a fb warning.now even though i really dont know what it is i did thats so terrible as i do joke around alot and write alot.sometimes i dont think ahead and say things that can be misconstrued! i do complment woman alot and guys if they are good at sports or an actor,what have you! im not mad at facebook but the ones who cause lies and friction among our rankbeen here for like 6 months and never a serious problem.if thats facebook for you then who needs them.but if theyll tell me what it is i said to cause harm or upset a user then maybe i could adjust the behavior.somw are so touchy here and dont deserve decint peoples friendship.they accused me of harrassing other users or a user.id like to know who/what but its trivial now.people listen to the guidelines here and at any time you can get a warning and be totally and completely dumbfounded.i was quoting a film all week long and joking about cookies.sometimes i write on a post far too much,and get too chatty.who knows?
Posted October 23, 2009
Jenny wrote
I cannot log into my account for 2days now it's been 38hours and still can't log in. At first I emailed them asking if there was a bug or some sort of application that cause my fb account to go under site maintenance. They ask me to printscreen and paste it to windows and attached it to my email. I haven't heard any real fb people to contact with. I have friends who I cannot even get in touch at the moment.for the 20th highschool reunion next year. Has anyone experienced this pls help!..
Posted October 05, 2009
saltandpeppergirl wrote
facebook just disabled my account . i don't even know y did they do that ? can anyone give me any solution . pleaseeeeeeeeeeee help .i need help . if anyone knows any solution pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee reply me .
Posted September 30, 2009
