A couple weeks ago I received an email with a Facebook notification stating that someone had shared a note with me. That’s actually one of the many Facebook sharing types that I’m NOT used to getting… so I clicked it out of curiosity… most of these noticed I either don’t have enabled or I just delete them and go check it out when I get a chance.
The note ended up being a neat tip from a photographer about photo editing… there was no link to selling anything… no request for donations if you like the tip… just a plain old tip, with example and instructions on how to do it.
I didn’t know the sender of the message, which isn’t all that uncommon. I approve pretty much any friendship request where the person has more than 10 friends in common… I use Facebook much like I use Twitter… for posting information to those interested… and to check out interesting things in my communities and networks. Most of the people on Facebook who add me who I don’t know are photographers.
I chalked it up to a mistake, sending that note out to everyone instead of just a smaller select group of recipients, deleted the email, and moved on… until two days later when I received a second one, from the same person, to the same huge group of people (hundreds), with another useful (to some, I’m sure) tip on photography… with example and instructions.
This time I considered just blocking the person… but honestly their profile photo was really friendly… and I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt… and so I emailed them instead. Lan and I teach social media… and in our workshops we try to include a little etiquette… and so here was the chance to teach someone something… right? I ALSO wanted to just do it nicely.
Hi xxx,
Just got this in my inbox… VERY cool tip. The polaroid transfer one was also cool, and probably appreciated by many.
The only thing is… I would really rather not receive these via email (facebook messaging). That should be reserved for personal communication, not mass mailings. I’m sure some people love it… and those people should subscribe to your blog’s RSS or pay attention to your feed, or even subscribe to your feed via email if you give them that option.
Sending it out like this without it being requested, however, is actually spam, even though I realize you probably mean no harm with it at all, and it seems like you are sharing information and not trying to sell anything.
You seem like a nice guy, even though I don’t know you (you have a very friendly profile pic) and that’s why I’m writing this to you instead of just flagging you or blocking you on FB. I am quite busy and only really have time for information I seek out myself… not stuff that is fed to me unrequested. I’m sure I’m not alone in this.
I teach social media etiquette and share my knowledge with the community as much as possible, hence the personal note to you, hoping you will understand this is about helping you and not attacking you.
Take care, and I do hope to see more of your work in the future… when I come visit your page. :)
Thanks,
Vu
I actually got a response, too… a couple days later. They thanked me for contacting them directly… and actually let me know that their Facebook account had been suspended… then asked if I knew of the best route to get their account reinstated.
I don’t.
Sadly, I think that a lot of people go through this kind of thing. It’s his fault for not reading the terms of service… so it’s completely within Facebook’s authority, right AND duty to disable accounts like these… but I wonder if there wasn’t a better resource out there… an Internet 101… something you had to read before you could ever sign on… that would make sure you knew the rules before you got out there and unknowingly wreaked havoc on others’ inboxes… if things like this could be avoided.
Internet etiquette is not as obvious to everyone as it is to us users who have been around for a while. I get downright pissed when people break the “rules” and my first instinct is to block or flag them. But I’m glad in this case I chose to try something different. It certainly didn’t save him… and he had to learn the hard way, like many people do. And hard it likely was, as he had over 1,000 friends on Facebook… and as my friend can attest to… Facebook doesn’t like when you add too many friends too quickly. He got a warning after doing 50 in a day, then another warning after trying 5 more the next day. More rules we need to follow because of all the jackasses out there spamming the crap out of everything.
I don’t even want to get started on how pissed I am that people keep falling for the phishing and spamming crap… which is the only reason they are able to keep doing it. Well, for the most part.
I suppose that as time goes on people will just learn. Sometimes the easy way, and sometime hard. Eventually there really won’t be any older people who are just now getting online. Just people who grew up using computers and the internet… and then weirdos who think computers are the devil. That’s right, there are only two categories.
-Vu
