I hate Facebook (does that make this a "hate speech?") and I always have. I hated it since it began, and I even hate the name of it. It's a stupid name, and it sounds like "address book for people who can't read."

I deleted my Facebook account when they banned Trump. Yesterday, I signed up again, because I wanted to search for somebody.

Then today, I got an email from Facebook saying "Your account has been suspended because you violated our community standards."

I didn't even post anything. I searched for my friend, couldn't find him, searched a few more people, then logged off. Somehow that "violates their community standards."

What a joke!?

They offered an "Appeal" option, and I clicked on it. It directed me to "Upload a verification selfie." Seriously, that's what it said. It's the most idiotic thing I've heard for a while "verification selfie?" It's as dumb as it sounds. But I'm nice to dumb people, so I uploaded a selfie to see what happens.

Could it be that they found out I'm a conservative? Or that I'm a Trump supporter? Could it be that I'm on an international blacklist for having an inpenetrable brain?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)

Hi there,

I hate Facebook (does that make this a "hate speech?") and I always have. I hated it since it began, and I even hate the name of it. It's a stupid name, and it sounds like "address book for people who can't read."

I left Fidonet when I married because it seemed to me there is so much
more to life than sitting at the computer and chatting with virtual
people. Then some years later some contacts invited me to Facebook and I
am a user as of today. I often wanted to delete it but then again it keeps
me connected with people in different parts of the globe whom I once met
or worked with or befriended but who moved away (or from whom I moved
away).

The reason I hate it is mainly that you have no real control over what is
in your feed and what not and how much of what. The tendency to form
"filter bubbles" or "ad bubbles" means I will probably miss infrequent
status updates from true friends who rarely post, and will be swamped with commercial and political agenda instead. There are means to counteract but
it is difficult.

Oh yeah, and then there is the political propaganda. Both from the left,
and from the right, and from Putin, I despise them all and there is so
much of it on Fracebook it drives me nuts.

That's why I rejoined Fidonet recently, I realized it was a platform where one had full control over what to read and what to skip. Where one can
read echos of itnerest and read it all and then move on with life rather
than scrolling endlessly throuh an unsorted mess. We also had our
flamewars here, but I feel that at least some respect for the person at
the other end of the line was always there.

Could it be that they found out I'm a conservative? Or that I'm a Trump supporter? Could it be that I'm on an international blacklist for having an inpenetrable brain?

Trump once was banned but he is back. Conservatives are also there in
massive numbers. This canot be the reason.

True, the Facebook filtering algorithm is somewhat biased. In Western politics, there is a certain bias for the woke agenda, but as long as you don't spread fake news or incite hatred among others, you can also be pro- life, anti-gender and whatever and FB will let you.

What strikes me most, though, is the bias in the Ukrainian war. Facebook
and often censors Ukrainins who merely report Russian war crimes, but
seldom censors Russians bragging about the same war crimes. The reason
being that Russia has a large bot army that will complain about every
single pro-Ukrainian post in large numbers, and Ukrainians have only volunteers who complain about pro-Russian posts and don't reach the same number of reports. The so-called community standards seem in a large part
be based on "it is against our standards if the omplaints about the post exceed a certain trheshold", which is a loophole for abuse. It could well
be that the bias for the woke aganda is based on the same mechanism and is not something that Zuckerberg acutally intended.

As to your experience, I think the algorithm mistook you for a troll who wanted to suck up information without contributing. Try again, create some harmless posts with the infamous cat picks, create a profile that shows
you are a legit person, and then do the searching again. Of course, if you want to. If you don't want to it is fine.

I think Facebook essentially tries to make anyone addicted to endless scrolling so that the addicted FB users consume the paid-for propaganda
more easily. In fact, you never reach the bottom when you scroll back in
FB, you scan scroll and scroll and get totally lost. And each time you do
it you see somewhat different posts. It is an ocean to drown your soul in.
I admire anyone who manages to stay away from it entirely.

Tobias

-+- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
+ Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)

--- OpenXP 5.0.58
* Origin: I'm back, and in greater numbers! (2:240/5853.10)

Aaron Thomas wrote to All <=-

I hate Facebook (does that make this a "hate speech?") and I always
have. I hated it since it began, and I even hate the name of it. It's a stupid name, and it sounds like "address book for people who can't
read."

Actually I'm reminded of Monte Python and the Holy Grail where the monks chant as they march and hit themselves in the face with a big book.

Then today, I got an email from Facebook saying "Your account has been suspended because you violated our community standards."

I got banned from reviewing things on Amazon for the same thing. It took me a while before I realized that the violation was calling a couple of books "Woke nonsence".

Interesting "community standards" and shows who Amazon has policing their reviews.

I didn't even post anything. I searched for my friend, couldn't find
him, searched a few more people, then logged off. Somehow that
"violates their community standards."

There's probably something else at work here.

Could it be that they found out I'm a conservative? Or that I'm a Trump supporter? Could it be that I'm on an international blacklist for
having an inpenetrable brain?

Who knows. The censors never have to explain themselves, so it's impossible to know what "wrongthing" you did.


... If love is blind, lingerie makes great braille.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (1:120/616)

Tobias Ernst wrote to Aaron Thomas <=-

I left Fidonet when I married because it seemed to me there is so much more to life than sitting at the computer and chatting with virtual people.

We should "cancel" you for that statement. :)

Then some years later some contacts invited me to Facebook and
I am a user as of today. I often wanted to delete it but then again it keeps me connected with people in different parts of the globe whom I
once met or worked with or befriended but who moved away (or from whom
I moved away).

Same here. I use it to keep in touch with distant friends and family. Also to communicate with some groups that we have no other way to communicate.

The reason I hate it is mainly that you have no real control over what
is in your feed and what not and how much of what. The tendency to form "filter bubbles" or "ad bubbles" means I will probably miss infrequent status updates from true friends who rarely post, and will be swamped
with commercial and political agenda instead. There are means to counteract but it is difficult.

Oh, ya. I get so frustrated with that sometimes. I want to go to Facebook HQ and shake some idiot and tell him "You do not know better than me what I want to see."

But that's the problem with the Wokies: They strongly beleve that they are smarter than you and can run your life better than you.

Oh yeah, and then there is the political propaganda. Both from the
left, and from the right,

I've pretty much blocked that. I get a little from a few morons who have some of the same friends as I. I'm still surprised my responses haven't gotten me kicked off yet.


... What part of "NO" didn't you understand...?
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (1:120/616)

am a user as of today. I often wanted to delete it but then again it
keeps me connected with people in different parts of the globe whom I

I get that, but next time you're unable to find someone by searching Facebook, consider the possibility that the person might have had their "account suspended" for no good reason.

The reason I hate it is mainly that you have no real control over what
is in your feed and what not and how much of what. The tendency to
form "filter bubbles" or "ad bubbles" means I will probably miss infrequent status updates from true friends who rarely post, and will
be swamped with commercial and political agenda instead. There are
means to counteract but it is difficult.

I know. Same here. A simplified version of Facebook would be more useful. During the 24 hours that they let me have an account, I noticed that the left toolbar is loaded with crap that I'd never click on. And years ago, I
remember using Facebook and seeing lots of posts from people who were not even on my friends list. Less is more.

Oh yeah, and then there is the political propaganda. Both from the left, and from the right, and from Putin, I despise them all and there is so much of it on Fracebook it drives me nuts.

I was angry about Trump being banned. I'm a Trump guy. My philosophy was that if they banned Trump, then they'll definitely want to ban me also (and they sure did.)

True, the Facebook filtering algorithm is somewhat biased. In Western politics, there is a certain bias for the woke agenda, but as long as
you don't spread fake news or incite hatred among others, you can also be pro- life, anti-gender and whatever and FB will let you.

You're probably right, but it's suspicious that me, my conservative wife, and one of our conservative friends, have all been censored and/or suspended by Facebook while my liberal friends often ask me "Why aren't you on Facebook?"

It could well be that the bias for the woke aganda is based on the
same mechanism and is not something that Zuckerberg acutally intended.

That makes sense. It could be a mechanism, and not humans behind it, but there are humans behind the mechanism. Google and Apple have strict rules regarding what they like to call "user generated content." They require app developers to put strict controls over what people can say to one another, and IMO that ruins it. Nobody is allowed to express their true opinions if those opinions might hurt somebody's feelings.

As to your experience, I think the algorithm mistook you for a troll who wanted to suck up information without contributing. Try again, create
some harmless posts with the infamous cat picks, create a profile that shows you are a legit person, and then do the searching again. Of course, if you want to. If you don't want to it is fine.

I appreciate this advice. I have decided that if they let me back on, then I'm going to use my account to bring attention to what happened (how they suspended my account for no obvious reason and then demanded a selfie (like some derranged online sex predator.)

I think Facebook essentially tries to make anyone addicted to endless scrolling so that the addicted FB users consume the paid-for propaganda more easily. In fact, you never reach the bottom when you scroll back in

Yes, this is true. I'm glad you noticed it also. My wife is one of the addicts. She reads everyone's crap, but she's smart enough to disregard the propaganda that gets added to the mix.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)

I got banned from reviewing things on Amazon for the same thing. It
took me a while before I realized that the violation was calling a
couple of books "Woke nonsence".

I wish some conservative lawyers (if any exist) would review this "community standards" crap and find a way to sue these companies for discrimination.

It irks me when developers devote more time and energy into censorship than they do in meaningful innovation.

Who knows. The censors never have to explain themselves, so it's impossible to know what "wrongthing" you did.

I wonder what it would be like working for Facebook. They probably fire people for doing stuff that "violates community standards."

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)

Aaron Thomas wrote to Dr. What <=-

I wish some conservative lawyers (if any exist) would review this "community standards" crap and find a way to sue these companies for discrimination.

These are private companies and can kick anyone off their platforms at any time, for any reason. It will be kind of hard to prove "discrimination" when they don't have any personal information about you other than your credit card and address.

It irks me when developers devote more time and energy into censorship than they do in meaningful innovation.

But remember that we are talking about people who can NEVER create anything yet want to believe that they are so much better than us plebes.

I wonder what it would be like working for Facebook. They probably fire people for doing stuff that "violates community standards."

The problem with places like Facebook is that, like all Wokies, there are rules for them and rules for everyone else.


... Actions are usually right, but the reasons seldom are.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (1:120/616)

I hate Facebook (does that make this a "hate speech?") and I always have. I hated it since it began, and I even hate the name of it. It's a stupid name, and it sounds like "address book for people who can't read."

I deleted my Facebook account when they banned Trump. Yesterday, I signed up again, because I wanted to search for somebody.

Then today, I got an email from Facebook saying "Your account has been suspended because you violated our community standards."

I didn't even post anything. I searched for my friend, couldn't find him, searched a few more people, then logged off. Somehow that "violates their community standards."

What a joke!?

They offered an "Appeal" option, and I clicked on it. It directed me to "Upload a verification selfie." Seriously, that's what it said. It's the most idiotic thing I've heard for a while "verification selfie?" It's as dumb as it sounds. But I'm nice to dumb people, so I uploaded a selfie to see what happens.

Could it be that they found out I'm a conservative? Or that I'm a Trump supporter? Could it be that I'm on an international blacklist for having an inpenetrable brain?

Because you deleted your account a while back and then suddenly showed back up, it sounds like they might think your account is a fake.

$$
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

I wish some conservative lawyers (if any exist) would review this "community standards" crap and find a way to sue these companies for discrimination.

These are private companies and can kick anyone off their platforms at
any time, for any reason. It will be kind of hard to prove "discrimination" when they don't have any personal information about you other than your credit card and address.

All they have is my IP address, real name, and now a photo of me (I did what they said and uploaded a "selfie.") I'd never sue somebody for a problem that arises with a free service that they provide, that would be sleazy.

I'd like to see someone else sue them though.

It irks me when developers devote more time and energy into censorshi than they do in meaningful innovation.

But remember that we are talking about people who can NEVER create anything yet want to believe that they are so much better than us plebes.

If Facebook was worth the trouble, I'd care more about it. But it's not. I really don't need it for anything. But notice how the phone companies don't play this game? (not yet anyway!)

If Tmobile started suspending accounts for people who don't obey "community standards," they'd lose a lot of money! Surely the globalists have considered the option of messing with customers, but someone with 1/2 a brain talked them out of it.

The problem with places like Facebook is that, like all Wokies, there
are rules for them and rules for everyone else.

Yea it's fine for Mark Zuckerberg to facilitate human trafficking with his crappy WhatsApp application, but if I made a similar app then the Google Play Store would tell me "your app facilitates human trafficking so we're banning it."

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)

Could it be that they found out I'm a conservative? Or that I'm a Trump supporter? Could it be that I'm on an international blacklist for havin inpenetrable brain?

Because you deleted your account a while back and then suddenly showed back up, it sounds like they might think your account is a fake.

That's possible I guess, but I don't understand how this form of policing benefits them.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)

Aaron Thomas wrote to Dr. What <=-

If Tmobile started suspending accounts for people who don't obey "community standards," they'd lose a lot of money! Surely the
globalists have considered the option of messing with customers, but someone with 1/2 a brain talked them out of it.

It's the magic of capitalism and competition. If TMobile pisses someone off, that person can easily move to a different vendor - and take their phone number with them.

Yea it's fine for Mark Zuckerberg to facilitate human trafficking with
his crappy WhatsApp application, but if I made a similar app then the Google Play Store would tell me "your app facilitates human trafficking
so we're banning it."

Yup. That's right.

Even back in the 1970's, Lee Ioccoca remarked that if he ran Chrysler like the Elitists ran the Gov't, he'd be in jail.


... Both of his feet are firmly planted in the air.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (1:120/616)

Could it be that they found out I'm a conservative? Or that I'm a Trump supporter? Could it be that I'm on an international blacklist for havin inpenetrable brain?

Because you deleted your account a while back and then suddenly showed back up, it sounds like they might think your account is a fake.

That's possible I guess, but I don't understand how this form of policing benefits them.

Fake accounts are bad and can be used to post "fake news," as well as to commit criminal acts (like swindling people out of money) for which FAcebook could be liable.

They don't do a very good job of preventing such accounts, so I am a little surprised they would even be flagging deleted accounts, like yours, that return after a while. That said, I also know that deleted/dormant accounts are a source that FB hackers use for account takeovers. I have been in several groups where a member reappears only to have another member (like a child) complain that their dead relatives account has been hacked.

$
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

They don't do a very good job of preventing such accounts, so I am a little surprised they would even be flagging deleted accounts, like
yours, that return after a while. That said, I also know that deleted/dormant accounts are a source that FB hackers use for account takeovers. I have been in several groups where a member reappears only
to have another member (like a child) complain that their dead relatives account has been hacked.

This all makes sense. But I still prefer to accuse them of discrimination ;)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Windows/64)
* Origin: JoesBBS.Com, Telnet:23 SSH:22 HTTP:80 (1:342/200)