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tabular_rasaWell, it was bound to happen. My Regulus alter-ego got deleted off of Facebook.
They gave me an administrative email address.
Rant time.
To the Administrators of Facebook; I ask you to please read entirely through, and consider:
My alternate-identity Facebook account, Regulus Black, was deleted sometime before this morning. I can't say I'm particularly surprised; each day of the life of an alternate-identity on Facebook is one day closer to its inevitable death. I suppose I'm pleased Regulus lasted as long as he did, surviving as a relatively obscure character during all of the previous Harry Potter-string purges.
The solution for most purged alternate-egos these days is to submit an account again under a real name and then change it, or use a different email altogether. I could easily do this: change the spelling, use a nickname, or add a few initials to attempt to delay detection for a few months.
Instead, I am confronting the issue directly. It's not enough to simple adjust and hide as this cat-and-mouse chase continues.
Frankly, I am at a loss as to why this is even necessary-- why Regulus was even deleted in the first place. Why are any alternate-identities so adamantly purged? I've analyzed the possible reasons, and the argument simple does not hold.
I suspect the main fear of alter-egos is that they will be used to stalk without repercussion. To the best of my knowledge, no creative fictional alternate-identities (you know the type-- God, Frodo, Juliet Capulet, Naruto) have ever been created for this purpose. Regulus certainly never stalked anyone. People initiated friendships with HIM, not the other way around. He had a false "relationship" with another profile, but real-life Facebook users do the same, and it was mutual and one of the more fun features of the experience.
Similarly, alternate-identities have not been used for solicitation purposes. Those who make them have the goal of genuinely presenting a character, not creating a network for spam messages. The average Facebook user receives more spam from belonging to large Facebook groups than from friending an alternate-identity.
These fears are particularly groundless considering Facebook's recent opening to the public. Anyone can access Facebook these days, and a truly intent stalker would create a convincingly anonymous identity, not a creative character identity. Besides, Facebook's security features, such as limited profiles, privacy settings, and the ability to choose friends limit the conscientious user's potential of being stalked or harassed.
On top of the LACK of reasoning behind why Facebook alternate-identities SHOULD be purged, there are many reasons why they should NOT be purged:
Alternate-identities are clearly popular. (For goodness's sake, The necessity of frequent purges is proof!). My school's newspaper once did an article on the unique alter-egos that appear on Facebook, from our university and others; the reactions of students is positive. In fact, when I when created an account on Facebook, I did searches with the specific purpose of finding unique friends, delighting that I knew 18 Harry Potters and three Gods. It was part of the experience.
Facebook users enjoy alternate-identities. Regulus used to receive as many as five friends requests daily. His friends would detail their relationship in creative ways-- "We were both Death Eaters," "We hooked up in '87." Harry Potter alternate-identities friended each other, got in relationships with one another, created groups and events, and would wish each other happy birthday and play out scenarios on each other's walls. The only thing we can be accused of is being geeks-- certainly a harmless thing. Perhaps we spent "too much time" on our creative profiles and on-Facebook interaction-- but why should Facebook be upset with this?
Most importantly, it is of HIGHEST UTILITY that Facebook alternate-identities remain. I have never encountered anyone who specifically doesn't like the alter-egos, but I have encountered a few who simply don't care. Even if there were those that adamantly hated them, the solution for their qualms is simple: DON'T FRIEND THEM. It's very easy to function on Facebook without ever interacting with alternate-identities. The satisfaction with Facebook for these people will not change, either way. As for those of us who create, friend, and otherwise enjoy them, we are LOSING pleasure with Facebook. For us, it's part of the experience. It's a reason to log on more frequently and keep our profiles active. It unites groups of people with similar interests in a way much more engaging than simply joining a group called "Harry Potter Fans" or "Star Wars Geeks."
I hope you have considered my arguments. Next time, instead of manipulating "Save the Alter-Egos!" global communities to serve your purging purposes, take a look at the support so many Facebook users have for this oppressed but quite enriching part of the Facebook experience. Certainly Facebook must strive to create a pleasant and likeable networking site; why not consider the attitudes of the existing members? Facebook adjusted its feed in response to user interest; could not a similar compromise be made?
If there are valid reasons for these purges that I have overlooked, could I please have them explained to me? All I received was notification that my Regulus Black account was gone without a trace.
(In the meantime, I suppose I ought to get a hotmail and begin thinking up creative ways to spell Regulus Black.)
I'm not so sure about the last part, in parentheses, lol . . . they might come after ME . . .
Edit (7:51): So I got a reply back from Facebook:
Hi,
Fake profiles are a violation of our Terms of Use. Impersonating anyone or anything is prohibited. I apologize for any inconvenience but you will no longer be able to use the account. This decision is final.
Thanks for contacting Facebook,
Dylan
Customer Support Representative
Facebook
. . . and so I replied:
I don't want to be a harrassment, and I understand you, personally, are obligated under specific rules and guidelines in dealing with Facebook users and their alternative-identities (and must encounter countless complaints, considering the pervasiveness of them), but is there perhaps a higher organizational authority I could present my case to? Rules only exist, after all, because someone creates them. I am not challenging your enforcement of the established Terms of Use, but offering a suggestion of how they could be adjusted to suit users' preferences-- something that should, I'm sure, be presented to those who create them rather than enforce. As I explained before, these very rules in the Terms of Service may be unnecessary. If they are necessary for a specific reason, I'd really like to know why; the explanation I was given smacks of "because I said so" and arbitrariness.
They gave me an administrative email address.
Rant time.
To the Administrators of Facebook; I ask you to please read entirely through, and consider:
My alternate-identity Facebook account, Regulus Black, was deleted sometime before this morning. I can't say I'm particularly surprised; each day of the life of an alternate-identity on Facebook is one day closer to its inevitable death. I suppose I'm pleased Regulus lasted as long as he did, surviving as a relatively obscure character during all of the previous Harry Potter-string purges.
The solution for most purged alternate-egos these days is to submit an account again under a real name and then change it, or use a different email altogether. I could easily do this: change the spelling, use a nickname, or add a few initials to attempt to delay detection for a few months.
Instead, I am confronting the issue directly. It's not enough to simple adjust and hide as this cat-and-mouse chase continues.
Frankly, I am at a loss as to why this is even necessary-- why Regulus was even deleted in the first place. Why are any alternate-identities so adamantly purged? I've analyzed the possible reasons, and the argument simple does not hold.
I suspect the main fear of alter-egos is that they will be used to stalk without repercussion. To the best of my knowledge, no creative fictional alternate-identities (you know the type-- God, Frodo, Juliet Capulet, Naruto) have ever been created for this purpose. Regulus certainly never stalked anyone. People initiated friendships with HIM, not the other way around. He had a false "relationship" with another profile, but real-life Facebook users do the same, and it was mutual and one of the more fun features of the experience.
Similarly, alternate-identities have not been used for solicitation purposes. Those who make them have the goal of genuinely presenting a character, not creating a network for spam messages. The average Facebook user receives more spam from belonging to large Facebook groups than from friending an alternate-identity.
These fears are particularly groundless considering Facebook's recent opening to the public. Anyone can access Facebook these days, and a truly intent stalker would create a convincingly anonymous identity, not a creative character identity. Besides, Facebook's security features, such as limited profiles, privacy settings, and the ability to choose friends limit the conscientious user's potential of being stalked or harassed.
On top of the LACK of reasoning behind why Facebook alternate-identities SHOULD be purged, there are many reasons why they should NOT be purged:
Alternate-identities are clearly popular. (For goodness's sake, The necessity of frequent purges is proof!). My school's newspaper once did an article on the unique alter-egos that appear on Facebook, from our university and others; the reactions of students is positive. In fact, when I when created an account on Facebook, I did searches with the specific purpose of finding unique friends, delighting that I knew 18 Harry Potters and three Gods. It was part of the experience.
Facebook users enjoy alternate-identities. Regulus used to receive as many as five friends requests daily. His friends would detail their relationship in creative ways-- "We were both Death Eaters," "We hooked up in '87." Harry Potter alternate-identities friended each other, got in relationships with one another, created groups and events, and would wish each other happy birthday and play out scenarios on each other's walls. The only thing we can be accused of is being geeks-- certainly a harmless thing. Perhaps we spent "too much time" on our creative profiles and on-Facebook interaction-- but why should Facebook be upset with this?
Most importantly, it is of HIGHEST UTILITY that Facebook alternate-identities remain. I have never encountered anyone who specifically doesn't like the alter-egos, but I have encountered a few who simply don't care. Even if there were those that adamantly hated them, the solution for their qualms is simple: DON'T FRIEND THEM. It's very easy to function on Facebook without ever interacting with alternate-identities. The satisfaction with Facebook for these people will not change, either way. As for those of us who create, friend, and otherwise enjoy them, we are LOSING pleasure with Facebook. For us, it's part of the experience. It's a reason to log on more frequently and keep our profiles active. It unites groups of people with similar interests in a way much more engaging than simply joining a group called "Harry Potter Fans" or "Star Wars Geeks."
I hope you have considered my arguments. Next time, instead of manipulating "Save the Alter-Egos!" global communities to serve your purging purposes, take a look at the support so many Facebook users have for this oppressed but quite enriching part of the Facebook experience. Certainly Facebook must strive to create a pleasant and likeable networking site; why not consider the attitudes of the existing members? Facebook adjusted its feed in response to user interest; could not a similar compromise be made?
If there are valid reasons for these purges that I have overlooked, could I please have them explained to me? All I received was notification that my Regulus Black account was gone without a trace.
(In the meantime, I suppose I ought to get a hotmail and begin thinking up creative ways to spell Regulus Black.)
I'm not so sure about the last part, in parentheses, lol . . . they might come after ME . . .
Edit (7:51): So I got a reply back from Facebook:
Hi,
Fake profiles are a violation of our Terms of Use. Impersonating anyone or anything is prohibited. I apologize for any inconvenience but you will no longer be able to use the account. This decision is final.
Thanks for contacting Facebook,
Dylan
Customer Support Representative
. . . and so I replied:
I don't want to be a harrassment, and I understand you, personally, are obligated under specific rules and guidelines in dealing with Facebook users and their alternative-identities (and must encounter countless complaints, considering the pervasiveness of them), but is there perhaps a higher organizational authority I could present my case to? Rules only exist, after all, because someone creates them. I am not challenging your enforcement of the established Terms of Use, but offering a suggestion of how they could be adjusted to suit users' preferences-- something that should, I'm sure, be presented to those who create them rather than enforce. As I explained before, these very rules in the Terms of Service may be unnecessary. If they are necessary for a specific reason, I'd really like to know why; the explanation I was given smacks of "because I said so" and arbitrariness.
