People are...sad...and pathetic...sometimes

[Bill Mattocks]

Yesterday, I logged onto my Facebook account and discovered it had been locked by Facebook. The message was somewhat cryptic, requiring me to prove that I was me, and then asking me to review my authorized applications to ensure that none of them were posting things in my name. Obviously, I was alarmed; I've seen other people's Facebook accounts get hacked, and I know that suddenly a bunch of weird stuff will appear on their timeline that appears to be posted by them, but isn't. And I've read that the victim can't even see the posts on their own timeline, only their Facebook friends can.

So I went through the steps to get my account re-authorized, and I tossed out all the apps that I had previously allowed to access my Facebook account, even though I had had no trouble with them previously. I asked my Facebook friends if anyone had seen anything weird posted that appeared to be from me. One person said he had seen something about 'Bieber porn' that had been posted from my account. Alarmed, I asked for more details and found out to my relief that he was mistaken; he had been asked if a 'Smoking Gun' link I had posted might be spam by Facebook. I notified Smoking Gun about that, by the way.

Then my account got locked again. I had to undo it once more.

So I had a chat with Facebook Security. Turns out, someone (they won't tell me who) is reporting all my links on Facebook as 'spam' and it's triggering an automatic lockdown of my account.

Last night, I found out who. I got a message from someone who is 'friends' with me on Facebook, but they do not like what I have to say. Rather than unfriending me, or simply changing the settings that make it so they just don't see what I post, they have decided that what really needs to happen is that I need to be shut up. It's not so much that they are offended personally by what I say - they do not want me to be saying to anyone, not just them. Wow.

So...I am about to turn my Facebook profile private again. It had been private previously, but someone on MT wanted to 'friend' me and it would not let them until I turned my profile public, which I did. No more, sorry. And, I am going to go through my Facebook profile and remove people who I feel might be offended by what I have to say. I'm sorry, I hate to do it, but I'm not going to have my Facebook account locked because someone wants to have me forced to shut up; nor am I going to stop saying whatever the hell I feel like saying.

If you find you are no longer on my 'friends' list, I sincerely apologize, it's nothing personal. But I used Facebook to keep in touch with my family, and I'm not going to jeopardize that because an adult who acts like a five-year-old is having a temper tantrum and trying to get Facebook to be the bully on his behalf.

 

[Instructor]

I gave up on FB a long time ago. It was causing far more harm than good in my life. I think my wife still keeps a page but it continually is a source of aggravation to her.

I haven't shared your views much on MT but I sincerely support your right to have them.

 

[crushing]

I certainly hope you keep me as a FB friend. I enjoy much of what you share.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I gave up on FB a long time ago. It was causing far more harm than good in my life. I think my wife still keeps a page but it continually is a source of aggravation to her.

I haven't shared your views much on MT but I sincerely support your right to have them.

I don't really have any other way to keep in contact with my family. We're spread out across the nation and I don't talk on the phone, I'm not much of a letter-writer either. Before Facebook, I didn't even know that some of my nephews had married and had children of their own. It's nice to be connected to them that way and I've become very appreciative of it. I just don't want to lose it because some knuckle-dragger wants to have me muzzled.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I certainly hope you keep me as a FB friend. I enjoy much of what you share.

Not to worry, I suspect it's only a couple of people and they pretty much know who they are; they're the ones who let me know how much they want FB to shut me up, and they're not on MT.

 

[elder999]

I, for one, can't imagine what it is that you've posted on FB that could elicit such a strong reaction-"Time for getting hit on the head lessons?" :lol: Seriously.......

 

[Instructor]

I tire of people who think that their worldview is the only one that matters and bash you if your worldview is different.

 

[ballen0351]

I didnt even know that was possible. Thats sucks someone would do that.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I tire of people who think that their worldview is the only one that matters and bash you if your worldview is different.

Heck, I don't mind if they bash me; I have some great arguments on Facebook as well as Martial Talk; I like to think I have a thick enough skin to take it as well as I give it. But if I have a problem with someone on Facebook, I just mark their profile so I don't see their posts anymore - simple as that. If they have really gotten me to the point where I don't want to know them, I unfriend. No problem if they want to do anything like that to me - I totally get it! What I don't understand is this "I not only don't like what you said, I want you to be stopped from saying it at all." Really? Really? I'm so offensive that the world must be protected from hearing what I say? Wow.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I didnt even know that was possible. Thats sucks someone would do that.

Yeah, apparently if you want to 'get back' at someone Facebook, all you have to do is click on the down arrow next to all their links and 'report as spam' on them. Facebook will mark you as Joe Spamalot and lock your account.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I, for one, can't imagine what it is that you've posted on FB that could elicit such a strong reaction-"Time for getting hit on the head lessons?" :lol: Seriously.......

Well, recently I noted with glee that some leaders of 'Anonymous' had been arrested and wished them well getting their buttholes enlarged in prison. I guess some folks don't care to hear that.

 

[granfire]

Heck, I don't mind if they bash me; I have some great arguments on Facebook as well as Martial Talk; I like to think I have a thick enough skin to take it as well as I give it. But if I have a problem with someone on Facebook, I just mark their profile so I don't see their posts anymore - simple as that. If they have really gotten me to the point where I don't want to know them, I unfriend. No problem if they want to do anything like that to me - I totally get it! What I don't understand is this "I not only don't like what you said, I want you to be stopped from saying it at all." Really? Really? I'm so offensive that the world must be protected from hearing what I say? Wow.

Yes, you are like the most evul one of the lot.....


Yeah, that's where you go about the really? Really REALLY really?

Can't stand the thought police, the goody-goodies...

Right now I am only using FB to keep up with the two organizations my kid is involved in, after I spend a few month addicted to the games. it's too much trouble to navigate that crap. And I don't want to be visible to everybody and their brother...(as somebody put it in an exercise of anthropomorphing social media: FB is like a PI or a stalker...)


Good for you to not let jerks cramp your style. heck, we do disagree on many subjects, I think I have enough respect for you to not mussle you.

 

[Gnarlie]

If you know or suspect you know who the culprit is, you can just change your security and privacy settings to 'Custom', and make sure that by default, your posts are visible to everybody except that person. Alternatively, make your posts available to only the small group of actual friends you can trust. You can even form groups of people into lists and limit access to a specific list.

Facebook can be perceived as causing problems if you don't control who sees what, and you don't limit the personal information you put out there.

 

[Jenna]

Facebook SUCKS!

I can back that up with empirical evidence and point you to my "alter ego" who continues to masquerade as me despite my futile attempts to have the fake profile taken down.

Once more with feeling... Facebook SUCKS!

***MESSAGE TO EVERYONE***

PLEASE KEEP YOUR PRIVATE DETAILS PRIVATE ON FB.
PLEASE DO NOT ACCEPT PEOPLE YOU DO NOT KNOW IN REAL LIFE ON FB. ASSUME THAT EVEN AMONG THOSE THAT YOU DO KNOW THERE MAY BE HIDDEN AGENDAS. (I know, sinister).
PLEASE BE WARY OF ANYTHING YOU SHARE ON FB (as with MA, an item that seems innocuous to you may be a weapon to someone else).

***MESSAGE ENDS***

NB. Ignore the above if you are seeking additions to your portfolio of stalkers.

Apologies for hijacking the thread. Facebook sucks.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I, for one, can't imagine what it is that you've posted on FB that could elicit such a strong reaction

So what your saying is you have never actually read any of Bill's posts here on MT :lol:

Bill

I frankly do not do Facebook, it makes me too nervous based on my career background and training but the fact that they can do that to you because they are offended is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[oftheherd1]

That sucks Bill. It is one of the reasons I don't have an active FB account. I also don't tweet. My cell phone is the dumbest one I can get, and certainly won't connect to the i-net, and I don't receive emails on it. There are many defenses against crackers, but I don't have the time to fight them when it is somewhat easy not to. So I understand you solution.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Well, for what it's worth, I think I managed to quiet things down on Facebook. I took some of the technical advice I got on this thread (thank you!) and applied to one of the people whom I knew had a problem with me, based on the messages she sent me. Then I applied the same settings to her relatives. Bingo. All quiet; at least for now.

However, I have tightened up my privacy settings as well. If you want to friend me on FB, you have to already be friends with someone else who is friends with me. Sorry, but that's just the way it is, and I'm not changing it again. You also can't send me an IM on FB unless we're friends already; not even friends-of-friends can communicate with me. Wish I could loosen it up, but I can't.

Again, it's not just people objecting to what I say; I've got FB friends who have called me an a-hole and threatened to kick my *** (yeah, and they're on MT also) and I'm fine with it. Yawn. But when someone takes action designed to get my FB account shut down; that's the only way I have to stay in contact with my family, so I'm just not going to let that happen; I'll do whatever I have to in order to keep my FB account, even if it means tossing out everyone except my immediate family. It's like yeah, kick my *** if you want; but don't threaten to burn down my house; that will get me pissed off.

 

[Carol]

Yikes, that is terrible!

A lot of my real-life friends from this area have either left the area and gone elsewhere, or they are still in New England but we don't live close enough to see each other regularly. Facebook has been a great way to see in touch...I love the little stuff they share, like my friend Leah's son posing with a Cat In The Hat style hat on Dr. Seuss's birthday. While I have plenty that I do not like about the platform, I don't want to miss out on keeping up with my friends.

There does seem to be a way where you can separate your friends in to groups, and control who sees what and who posts what. I haven't done that yet but I'm about to figure it out. Sadly I learned the hard way over the last month or two that a few of my real-life friends are not the people I thought they were and may be putting them in a more restricted category.

I hope you keep me as a friend as well, I like your posts -- especially your 'getting hit on the head lessons' posts

 

[Steve]

I use facebook quite a bit, mainly to keep up with family and connect with other martial artists and other online friends.

Sorry to hear you're having trouble, Bill.

 

[Instructor]

There does seem to be a way where you can separate your friends in to groups, and control who sees what and who posts what. I haven't done that yet but I'm about to figure it out. Sadly I learned the hard way over the last month or two that a few of my real-life friends are not the people I thought they were and may be putting them in a more restricted category.

I hope you keep me as a friend as well, I like your posts -- especially your 'getting hit on the head lessons' posts

The new Google+ works this way you can divide your friends up into circles.