FACEBOOK WARNING: Activities that Could Get You Banned - MUST READ

FACEBOOK WARNING: Activities that Could Get You Banned - MUST READ

 
Facebook Review 

When it comes to look, feel, and utility, Facebook is superior to MySpace. Facebook's interface is cleaner and more professional. However, Facebook is more draconian than MySpace about enforcing its policies. More than that, Facebook has apparently banned users for offenses that were never spelled out.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

  

 

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.

 

 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.

 

 

 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.

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.