A few days ago I LinkedIn.com blocked my access, due to complaints from
members that I "... sent or posted unsolicited messages via groups that
appear to be phishing, spam, or abusive in nature ...". However, in a
Kafkaesque twist, the complainants, messages and groups were not
identified. Instead I had to agree to "... adhere to the LinkedIn User
Agreement and Privacy Policy from this day forward", thus admitting my
guilt, without knowing what it was that I was supposed to have done.
As well as blocking access to sending positing to discussion groups and
administering the groups I run, my LinkedIn profile was also blocked. As
I was blocked, I could not appeal to other LinkedIn members for support,
or even to ask what I had done wrong.
So I agreed to LinkedIn terms. I was admonished to "... make sure any
links and comments you post are appropriate for the Group ...", still
without saying what group or what had been inappropriate. My access and
profile were then restored: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomworthington
As I still don't know what it was I said to cause offense, or in which
group I said it, this has made me wary of posting anything to any
LinkedIn group on any topic. I have resigned from most of the LinkedIn
groups I was was a member of, to prevent accidentally posting something
which may give offense and might get me banned. Also I found myself
avoiding responding to, or even looking at, postings in non-LinkedIn
groups, in case there was something I might do wrong there.
Previously I had reported some postings to LinkedIn, usually of the
"Have your PHD Thesis Written for $10!" variety. I assumed there was a
process where the poster would be told which posting was objected to and
why. But this is not the case, instead you just find yourself banned.
It is worrying to think of the power which those administering such
social media services have. A corporation, or government, could impose
very effective social control by these means.
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