Wiped Out of MySpace
This past Sunday, September 23rd, our MySpace account and associated page were unceremoniously deleted.
Apparently this is something that has happened to quite a few others, although some could hardly have been surprised if their pages contained, to quote the MySpace Terms of Service: "nudity, violence, or offensive subject matter." There are, in fact, many things that can get a user banned or a profile and/or account deleted. Things like spamming, harrassment, copyright infringement, and code-manipulation to obscure MySpace banner ads. While there are numerous pages that fall into at least one of those categories, ours was not one of them.
So, after signing up and establishing our profile for In the Dark of the Sun--an effort to engage potential readers and build buzz--I read and accepted the MySpace Terms of Service without a second thought. On hindsight, I suppose I should have. Or, perhaps more to the point, I should have done something I do out of course for nearly everything else I create on the computer...back it up.
"MySpace.com may delete any Content that in the sole judgment of MySpace.com violates this Agreement."
Our "Content" consisted of a page I spent many days building with the same painstaking detail as our website. At the top was our unique banner--which I took great care to ensure did not obscure the MySpace banner ads--a flash blurb using music with the permission of its talented composer, a teaser from our book with links to our site, and comments I personally screened to prevent inappropriate graphics and links.
Over the weekend ending on the 23rd, we surpassed 5000 friends...and with that milestone, got wiped out of MySpace.
First I was stunned, then I was upset, and finally I was saddened. These 5000 people are now, for the most part, lost to us. Hopefully many will look for us, remember our site and the book, and reconnect. But for those who do not, I am profoundly sorry and saddened. Our MySpace friends list featured many from all branches of the military, even some deployed around the world. There were pilots and boat captains, police and firefighters, Coast Guard, K-9 and emergency responders. Actors, directors, producers, artists and musicians, and many, many writers. But most of all, men and women of all ages, from all over, who like film and entertainment, good books and reading, who liked what they saw on our page and wanted to be included as our "friends."
While "friends" for some MySpace members represent popularity or status, they are something artists of any kind take very seriously. In my case, I was proud of each and every one as I imagined them reading the words we've written and, hopefully, watching them play out on a movie screen. We were also proud to be in the company of other esteemed authors on MySpace, particularly Barry Eisler and Harlan Coben, whose works we greatly respect and admire.
MySpace defines itself as: "a social networking service that allows Members to create unique personal profiles online in order to find and communicate with old and new friends."
That is, apparently, until you get too many.
For those of you we lost and who, I hope will find this blog, we also hope you will continue to be our "friends" where it really counts. In life.
Post-Script: A request to restore our profile and page was submitted to MySpace, but we have yet to receive a response.
Apparently this is something that has happened to quite a few others, although some could hardly have been surprised if their pages contained, to quote the MySpace Terms of Service: "nudity, violence, or offensive subject matter." There are, in fact, many things that can get a user banned or a profile and/or account deleted. Things like spamming, harrassment, copyright infringement, and code-manipulation to obscure MySpace banner ads. While there are numerous pages that fall into at least one of those categories, ours was not one of them.
So, after signing up and establishing our profile for In the Dark of the Sun--an effort to engage potential readers and build buzz--I read and accepted the MySpace Terms of Service without a second thought. On hindsight, I suppose I should have. Or, perhaps more to the point, I should have done something I do out of course for nearly everything else I create on the computer...back it up.
"MySpace.com may delete any Content that in the sole judgment of MySpace.com violates this Agreement."
Our "Content" consisted of a page I spent many days building with the same painstaking detail as our website. At the top was our unique banner--which I took great care to ensure did not obscure the MySpace banner ads--a flash blurb using music with the permission of its talented composer, a teaser from our book with links to our site, and comments I personally screened to prevent inappropriate graphics and links.
Over the weekend ending on the 23rd, we surpassed 5000 friends...and with that milestone, got wiped out of MySpace.
First I was stunned, then I was upset, and finally I was saddened. These 5000 people are now, for the most part, lost to us. Hopefully many will look for us, remember our site and the book, and reconnect. But for those who do not, I am profoundly sorry and saddened. Our MySpace friends list featured many from all branches of the military, even some deployed around the world. There were pilots and boat captains, police and firefighters, Coast Guard, K-9 and emergency responders. Actors, directors, producers, artists and musicians, and many, many writers. But most of all, men and women of all ages, from all over, who like film and entertainment, good books and reading, who liked what they saw on our page and wanted to be included as our "friends."
While "friends" for some MySpace members represent popularity or status, they are something artists of any kind take very seriously. In my case, I was proud of each and every one as I imagined them reading the words we've written and, hopefully, watching them play out on a movie screen. We were also proud to be in the company of other esteemed authors on MySpace, particularly Barry Eisler and Harlan Coben, whose works we greatly respect and admire.
MySpace defines itself as: "a social networking service that allows Members to create unique personal profiles online in order to find and communicate with old and new friends."
That is, apparently, until you get too many.
For those of you we lost and who, I hope will find this blog, we also hope you will continue to be our "friends" where it really counts. In life.
Post-Script: A request to restore our profile and page was submitted to MySpace, but we have yet to receive a response.
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posted by Kim and Hawke at 10:19 AM
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