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I do like Facebook. You stay in touch with nice people, share in their lives, meet long lost school mates and learn all the latest gossip about your town. Yes, there are embarrassing extroverts in gruesome poses but, in all honesty: There's an element of comedy even in their crude displays. Things take a turn for the worse when not so nice guys use Facebook to go off about anything that doesn't fit into their concept of the world. To prevent this and put an early stop to virtual mobs, Facebook has come up with community guidelines. They basically state that we should all be nice to each other and (important!) should not show too much naked skin. Too bad that doesn't work.
Because not everyone plays nice with others. That's nothing new, arguments will happen in every family - but not witch hunts and calls for violence. That's when things get ugly. And pretty nuts at least for a European. Believe you me, I'm trying hard to respect cultural and religious differences but every once in a while I fail miserably. We seem to take a very different view on what's intolerable on Facebook compared to US Americans. I don't know about you but my fear of bare breasts is fairly limited.
The female breast is one of the first things we get to see at the beginning of our lives and hopefully the last thing at its end (as a male). All the more surprising that the sight of Janet Jackson's bare breast send an entire nation into uproar, causing panic and trauma in 2004. Suits were filled in the millions which has led broadcasters to always add a delay to these broadcast to nib potential and epic catastrophes in the bud. Hard to imagine the civil war two breasts would have spawned. Maybe we would be marveling at a hole in the ground where the USA had been if that had happened.
Things are different with political and social views. This is where the United States allow a degree of personal freedom of speech that covers all possible extremes. It is believed that a healthy democracy can sustain group members with weird hoods, swastikas or similar accessories. Only when these individuals commit "hate crimes" will the judicial system spring into action.
Something similar is currently happening on Facebook. Once reported, anything that portraits nudity in any way shape or form is immediately taken offline. That's fine, since I'm not too keen on Facebook becoming a porn site and many visitors are under age. But something strange happens with posts that call for violence or are dripping with racism and sexism: nothing. That's not entirely correct since you are given something: a standard text block. They have reviewed the post in question and they are utterly against all forms of racism and violence but they were unable to find anything that goes against their community guidelines.
You may be wondering why calling for murder and spreading hatred isn't enough. Has Facebook simply hired three students that send out these text blocks without careful consideration? Are they really reading these posts? Do they require posts to satisfy a bunch of formal criteria ("I FIRST NAME LAST NAME, hereby confirm that I have called on others to hate / kill the following individuals" before they get deleted? Do they require a notarially certified signature to signal intent unmistakably? Facebook has, certainly without intent, created a legal vacuum, free of nudism but also devoid of humanity for some individuals.
This is not about contradictory opinions or heated discussions. We all have different views on current affairs, anything's open for debate and sometimes blatant stupidity sends us into a rage. This is about hatred, pure, threatening and infectious. Whenever humans are being denied their right to existence a line is crossed that must not be crossed. This must not remain without consequence.
I have nothing to do with Facebook, all nonsense.
I find it odd this post started out about Facebook and the lack of policing violent and infectious posts, then slowing gained steam doing the same about Americans.
I recently deleted my facebook account due to numerous reasons, so I'm with you there, but when the posts here start attacking Americans, basically calling all Americans racists, violent , gun toting religious zealots I take offence.
Contrary to what you believe about Americans, we are not all alike, I wouldn't dare group all Germans true believers of Hitler and the evil he leashed upon the world or all followers of Islam evil, I could go on about other countries, but I refuse to believe that or step down to that level.
I now have strong concerns about Ashampoo, and the products I've purchased.
For what it's worth, from one human being to another Peace!
As you have no doubt noticed this article is only really serious about one issue: Facebook's inability to react to really extreme posts. It would just be stupid to paint all Americans with the same brush, you would never read something like that from me. Any country has its own weaknesses and contradictions, and I like describing all of those in a satirical, comically exaggerated manner. You will read similar stuff about Germany, I promise! In my opinion, any country in the world has great people as well as idiots; saints as well as hypocrites. Your country just as mine. About the comments: Yes, there are some very polarized statements that I don't agree with at all. I have unlocked all the comments I could stomach (even if it was with some difficulty). It goes without saying that these comments in no way, shape or form represent the opinion of Ashampoo. I was hoping for someone like you or Mr. Jeppsen to set things right from their perspective. Thank you for that!
Be careful of stereotyping 319 million Americans and lumping them into one large group. Whenever confronted with the Western European self-righteousness on the guns vs. nipples issues, Americans can rightfully scratch their heads at the seeming amnesia about some of histories worse atrocities that happened at the hands of Europeans. We don't have to look back too far in the 20th century to see the result of the fear and suspicion of those we consider different, who we have abused and killed. Suppression of ideas that are considered socially unacceptable have resulted in the destruction of libraries, rounding up of intellectuals, and racial profiling at its most heinous. For all its social advancements and professed sexual equality, countries like Germany, Austria, Italy, and others still do not protect gay marriage--something now enshrined in the same US constitution that protects guns and free speech.
By the way, Gandhi did not say that. He was murdered in 1948 and the first mention of that quote was in 1967 and there is no evidence that he ever said it. Once again, people fall prey to ideas they read on the Internet that support their own stereotypes.
Good to hear a sound mind from Germany. The continent of North America has many countries other than the U.S. Sven.
When Gandhi was asked by a reporter what he thought of the US culture, he replied, "it would be a good idea"
Many of us have lived on the continent for 1000s of years before the US existed. We have the same answer as Gandhi.
Fortunately I was born with 2 feet.
When Facebook no longer serves my needs they will move me on to greener pastures.
One of our hard fought battles of the 20th century was based of freedom of speech. It seems that Facebook would attempt to dilute that in the interests of creating an artificial following.
What is Facebook???Is something like two pears or like one watermelon?The humanity is going wrong,wake up people!!!Go in the nature,read some books,ride bicicle,swim,eat something good,visit your country,let the "facebuc" behind you!
I don't mind the innocent or tasteful showing off of beautiful bodies.
The worst offense in the media is religious bullying.
As a user who has battled with a troll page that spouted hate and ignorance under the guise of a religious page, I and many other people who were offended by the posts on the page have repeatedly reported the content and the page to receive the following (canned) reply:
"Thank you for taking the time to report something that you feel may violate our Community Standards. Reports like yours are an important part of making Facebook a safe and welcoming environment. We reviewed the comment/post/page you reported for [foo reason] and found it doesn't violate our Community Standards."
Bologna.
If it was really important, you wouldn't use canned replies. You'd read the context behind the post and act on that.
Nintendo's Miiverse does a (slightly) better job at moderation of their social service.
And it's not just Facebook. It's social media in general. They say one thing then do the complete flipping opposite. Social media in general is going downhill, and billions of us are just along for the ride.
An Ashampoo Blog ... Thought the bogger came from Germany, currently the best EU Country for software. Many, many moons ago, I was gaining 3 and a half inch diskette, software using German based hacks, that played excellent music and showed off their graphic skills, on hacked software of my existing Amiga A1200. Now I have 3 Commodore Amiga A1200`s, plus several hundred purchased and boxed disks; plus complete collections of Amiga Format, Amiga Uer International. Also have at least 3000 of these hacked Amiga disks. Plus more ... I am not sure what do do with them ...
Don´t sell it! :) I´ve sold my old C64 stuff and I deeply regret it.
Facebook is for illiterate Numpty`s.
Facebook is not about social media, thats what they keep on telling the users, but its not the truth. Facebook is a company that wants to get the users money, and guess what: most users have forgotten that. Facebook is not much more that that.
Facebook is an insidious disease which many people have, for which there is no cure.
Conversing with family and a FEW friends should be OK as they are aware of your likes and dislikes, but Mr Facebook wants the ins and outs in a demanding, arrogant manner of everything which makes people tick, almost to asking the size of their grandmothers shoes.
I have often thought that Americans use violence as a sex-substitute. It is OK in a movie to see a female blown to bits as long as you do not see a nipple in the process.
Everyone has the right to express them self but not when it involves violence and threats,We should all be treated with respect no matter our race or religion.Please get rid of the people who use Face Book to try and rote those who are vulnerable to this.LIke trying to tell me Face Book wants to give me $500.000.00 if I pay for the cheque duties like Duh,cannot this be stopped please..
Because of many of the things that you mentioned, I rarely use Facebook. Some of my family and friends do not know how to email, so I have to look up and see how they are doing, pictures, etc., But I never browse it, and never go to or use vendors' Facebook sites.
The government has enough info about everyone - why give them more? It's my belief that my privacy is my own responsibility. In my opinion, social networks are irresponsible, totally unnecessary and an invitation to every crazed individuals, identity thieves and other miscreants to invade your life and take advantage of your naivete! I don't subscribe to social networks! Never have! Never will! Period!
Un sure what you are on about, please explain, are you for the right for every one to say as they please, or are you for setting some standards to go by.
Thanking you
Gary
Please take a look at Denise Hair´s comment: "Everyone has the right to express them self but not when it involves violence and threats." I quite agree.
The Human Body is not porn. Hatred is the worst from of pornography. Thought Police leads to Hitler and Stalin however.
I have a Facebook account which I basically don't use except on the sites where one has to Login using the Facebook Account. To me it seems basically another waster of time. I don't think the readers are interested in my breakfast menu etc. and anything I want to tell my friends goes direct by Email. Mostly I try not to send round stuff which will offend, though once I did send round some photos I got from someone else showing some of the results of ISIS Barbarity.
Thus from me, the Moderators would have little if anything to fear. However one can sympathise with anybody that has to wade through the submitted content to weed-out undesirable material and the potential effect that any such material would have, naked flesh of any area included.
With all the geniuses currently employing their time making the Internet in all its forms user friendly, child-proof and otherwise Nanny-State innocuous, surely an online filter could be constructed to bypass the poor moderators and or weed out seditious or otherwise posts? However I suppose then there would be the outcry about denying basic human freedoms of choice etc.
It's a real problem but in the meantime my infrequent limited interaction with Facebook is not looking like increasing any time soon.
Americans are at best bi-polar.
As you have stated, nudity shocks, hatred is commonplace. And non-forgiveness is supreme. Guns reign supreme and "in God we trust" seem to be at loggerheads...but they are parallel in their application. Their constitutional "right to bear arms" collides violently with any idea of peace, "love thy neighbour" and "thou shalt not kill".
The Facebook dilemma is this. How far do you go with freedom of expression? It seems FB controllers have opted for Freedom of Speech. You can say anything you want. You can't show "everything", you can only state it. They are struggling with the borderlines between discontent and hatred.
Further, it is easy to strike myriad false Facebook accounts if you own your own domain. So having to name yourself when you make racist/sexist/bullying comments would not work.
Perhaps Facebook needs two faces. Family facebook, where rules would prevent children from being damaged and a Forum Facebook, where you can say or portray anything.
I would prefer to see a third alternative. Voting. Laisez-faire.
Give the public absolute power over what they wish to see or not see through user controlled filtering. We are almost there. Facebook just has to give it more potency. That way, freedom of speech is maintained...and so is the freedom not to hear or see offensive crap.
Give us the power to decide, Mark Z.
John Heron
Sydney Australia
Good piece, fully agree. Heaven forbid you should post your god's own creation (should you believe in one) the naked body but pictures of people of people advocating murder and violence against others with different views to them, that's OK. Ello doesn't have these hang ups but it is ever so limited yet and Google + is not bad. But the flesh police on facebook, dear oh dear.
I dont use facebook as I dont trust any of my information on it. Willsomebody tell me how to delete any of my information thats already on it ? I am 82 years old.
Absolutely! This should be rammed down the throats of FB executives, including founder Mark Zuckerberg.
I totally agree, well written Sven!
Great article Sven. I wholeheartedly agree with your assessment about the irregular standards facebook holds with respect to hate speech vs nudity.
Anecdotally, the anti-nudity bit probably has links to the deeply entrenched Puritan ethics. I have some suspicions that there a lot of guilt/shame issues have been passed down by intransigent judeo-christian values. Politicians, of course, ensure these hot button topics are upheld in a way that all but guarantees their re-election, by magnifying fear and insecurities in a manner skewed to their interests.
And Facebook amplifies its host cultural attitudes in a very non-negotiable way. Short of leaving facebook, or waiting for a generational changes that slowly starts to reflect in facebook policies, there are slim pickings to choose from.