Facebook: A Social Networking Utility – Maybe

Writing by Social Marketing Journal on Monday, September 15, 2008 Leave a comment

If users have had doubts in the past, it seems they have been answered. According to Facebook, they are not a social networking utility, rather they are “a social utility that connects you with the people around you”.

TechCrunch has a post related to a Facebook account that was deactivated and the email received (they received an email?) related to the accounts deletion. The circumstances admittedly are not your standard events. You can read the TechCrunch post for those details. Was it interesting and important to note is the wording of the email.

If users have had doubts in the past, it seems they have been answered. According to Facebook, they are not a social networking utility; rather they are “a social utility that connects you with the people around you”.

TechCrunch has a post related to a Facebook account that was deactivated and the email received (they received an email?) related to the accounts deletion. The circumstances admittedly are not your standard events. You can read the TechCrunch post for those details. Was it interesting and important to note is the wording of the email.

Please note that Facebook accounts are meant for authentic usage only. This means that we expect accounts to reflect mainly “real-world” contacts (i.e. your family, schoolmates, co-workers, etc.), rather than mainly “internet-only” contacts. As stated on our home page, Facebook is a social utility that connects you with the people around you, not a “social networking site”. It is meant to help reinforce pre-existing social connections, not build large groups of new ones.

A follow up email to the TechCrunch post did clarify matters a little. In that email they stated:

We recognize and appreciate that each person uses Facebook based on their own interests and preferences and are happy to see people meeting new friends on Facebook.

That statement is almost the reverse of the first email. As I said earlier, the situation is an unusual one and related to multiple accounts or people using Facebook for reasons other than socializing. However, when looked at from a different perspective, the first email does state the ‘official policy’ according to their home page. The second email is almost an acknowledgment that individuals do go beyond ‘family and friends’ and that’s okay.

At least, it appears it’s okay if you don’t upset anyone. Upset the powers that be and they can use the ‘official policy’ to deactivate your account. A double standard in anyone’s book.

Leave a comment                      Category: Facebook                      

Read similar posts in Facebook

• Becareful How you Use Facebook
• Facebook Application Review: Super Cool School Makes Learning Anything Free and Easy
• Facebook: A Social Networking Utility - Maybe
• Facebook Not Happy With Account Closures,
  Now Enforcing Profile Upgrade
• My Account Got Deleted by the Facebook Police!

Subscribe to our RSS feed

No comments yet.