My shortlived romance with FB

[ch33zw1z]

So I'm not your average facebook user, not a big social media guy. I signed up last June due to cub scouts, I was performing leader duties and most parents wanted communication through FB. Ok, whatever, I finally signed up.

I didn't really use the account except to message people in the cub scout page.

So I've been using it lately as a means for notifications of things like live streaming of press conferences, live streaming of NPR, stuff like that.

Today, used it during the day like usual, and a little while ago FB stopped letting me login and use the site.

FB started redirecting me to a site (FB URL) that claimed it required a government issued ID to continue using the site. After some googling, turns out it is legit.

So I sent them a picture, of the cartoon "the Tick". I get an email 15 minutes later that says that picture isn't good enough. I click the link in the email to manage this transaction through the URL, and I can't reply without attaching another picture.

Well, eff it....I told them to delete my account and attached a picture of the middle finger.

So long FB, it's been real.

Update edit:

Just thought you guys would get a kick out of this. FB just emailed me to let me know that my account has been verified and is now active again. I just logged in to make sure, and it works lol.

recap: verified my account with a .jpg of a middle finger and verbage indicating I don't need their site, /mic drop.

 

[Eug]

Well, I've never had a FB account. Neither has my wife. This is despite owning iPhones, iPads, and several computers. Just never felt the need.

 

[TallBill]

Odd, I've never shown any sort of ID. Did you perhaps use a fake or shortened name for your account?

 

[ch33zw1z]

No, but I did just help my Sis-in-Law recover her account, and we reported a person harassing her. Maybe that triggered some verification process.

 

[ch33zw1z]

Well, I've never had a FB account. Neither has my wife. This is despite owning iPhones, iPads, and several computers. Just never felt the need.

I resisted until I felt it was beneficial for me. If it wasn't for cub scouts, never would have happened.

 

[lxskllr]

Screw facebook. You can do everything you need with email, and clever filtering.

 

[Elixer]

Such BS, as if they can detect fakes.
Suffice it to say, there are lots of tutorials out there for getting by this "requirement".

I for one have no reason at all to ever go on FB, always thought it was dumb.

 

[JEDIYoda]

sounds fishy to me.......

 

[Elixer]

sounds fishy to me.......

https://www.wired.com/2015/06/facebook-real-name-policy-problems/ is a good write up about it.

 

[UncleWai]

I only use FB to stalk my ex and crush.

 

[Carson Dyle]

So, facebook requires you to use your real name, even if you're not impersonating someone else? I didn't know that.

I have a dummy account, only so I can browse, follow some news, etc. Just a name I made up, with no background, schools, workplace, etc. If it got deleted tomorrow I wouldn't give a damn.

 

[RLGL]

I don't do social media!

 

[ultimatebob]

Screw facebook. You can do everything you need with email, and clever filtering.

Sure, if you can convince every person you know to e-mail you everything that they post to Facebook. Good luck with that.

 

[lxskllr]

Sure, if you can convince every person you know to e-mail you everything that they post to Facebook. Good luck with that.

Doesn't have to be everything, just baseball stuff. He doesn't care about fb otherwise. Using filtering in a decent client, you can make a ghetto mail list. Otherwise, there's numerous low cost self hosted solutions that he can get running with a little hassle up front learning new things in exchange for not having to deal with facebook's bullshit ever.

 

[FelixDeCat]

If you contact FB for any reason these days you will get locked out until you send a copy of your DL. It happened to me. Had the account since 2010 and they locked it last month. After 7 years, Im now a fake person after sending them as message asking for help with something.

F them. Im not sending anything.

 

[ImpulsE69]

The biggest flag of what FB is, is simply the fact they REQUIRE your real name. For a social media site that is used more to spam useless nonsense than anything else. No thanks.

They may not enforce it completely (would be very tough to police), but if that were to ever change...hmm.

 

[ultimatebob]

I always wondered how closely they monitored this stuff. Maybe you should just create another account with a phony name and see how long it takes them to figure it out.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I always wondered how closely they monitored this stuff. Maybe you should just create another account with a phony name and see how long it takes them to figure it out.

I wouldn't think the OP would have created a phony account if he was using it for Cub Scout activity. If he did, it would explain why someone may have reported the account to facebook.

 

[TXHokie]

I always wondered how closely they monitored this stuff. Maybe you should just create another account with a phony name and see how long it takes them to figure it out.

FB don't care. I've been a variant of Darth Vader for a couple years now and never been questioned. Even posted about how my career took off when I joined the Empire. If my account get disabled because of violating their user agreement, I'd be upset for a whole millisecond.

 

[Eug]

Sure, if you can convince every person you know to e-mail you everything that they post to Facebook. Good luck with that.

If it's not worth it to email or text, then I don't care. Hasn't been a problem at all.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Seriously, they require ID now to sign up? That is the most retarded thing ever. I guess they only do it for new accounts since I've never had it. I have a love-hate feeling with FB. It's good to keep in touch with people that you normally would not really talk to or spend much time with, either because they're not in town, or because it's just people that you arn't really friends with, like perhaps old classmates.

On the other hand, I hate all their BS and mass surveillance crap, and they keep changing the site and making it worse. The amount of javascript BS on that site is completely ridiculous. A site like FB should be rather simple as far as code goes, no reason to overcomplicate everything so much. The biggest thing is the lenghts they go to to spy on their users though, and even if you don't have an account, they create a shadow profile of you based on your IRL friends that do have an account. If you're in a picture and/or they have you as a contact on their phone, it will actually scrape their device for more info including your phone number and other details. They also spy on you on any site you go to so they know what you buy, what you search for etc. Whether or not you use FB doe snot matter, they do it anyway. Same with Google, but think FB has actually gotten worse.

The whole idea that a site can even access your contacts is ridiculous. Browsers need to be coded to be more secure and prevent this kind of thing.

It's crossed my mind to start a new social media platform that has the same functionality as FB but without all the spying crap, but it would be near impossible to promote something like that. Most people don't even care about their privacy.

 

[ch33zw1z]

I refrained because I do not like being being the product. For things involving information, if it's free to use, then you're the product they're selling

I never used the app either, I didn't like FB wanting complete access to my phone. The permission list is the longest I've ever seen

 

[cbrunny]

https://www.wired.com/2015/06/facebook-real-name-policy-problems/ is a good write up about it.

That is bananas. I've never heard of this. Complete insanity. If it ever happens to me, I'll gladly send some.. uhh.. DNA over to their labs.

Is there DNA in poo?

 

[ch33zw1z]

update bump

 

[Ns1]

ITT: people who refuse to use FB but have > 10k posts on message board forums