Facebook disabled my account 2 days ago. I guess they deemed I was using my account to excessively send the same kind of messages to all my so called facebook friends. And yes, I was. So they disabled my account. If I owned Facebook, I would have done the same.

So, I learned my lesson. Facebook is a wonderful tool to network, make friends and find new connections. And at times, folks can go overboard in their zeal to add more friends and contacts. I was doing just that for my team members. Unlike some blatant spamming, I had a clear, concise plan in mind and not necessarily trying to build a numbers game.

I emailed a concerned member of mine that Facebook reinstated my account. Soon after I sent her the message, the next page displayed a warning…

Please Read This!

Warning! Your account could be disabled.

Your behavior indicates that you may be in violation of Facebook’s Terms of Use. Continued misuse of Facebook’s features could result in your account being disabled. If you have any questions or concerns, you can visit our FAQ page.

It makes me wanna not email anyone within my Facebook network ever again.

I like honest people. Even if they come off as dumb. Who wants to deal with clever conniving phony bastards just so you could get along with them? - “Be Honest.”

If you run a business or service, make it a point to sustain your enterprise on a solid foundation of honesty. You may not always live up to other people’s expectations. Your commitments may take a beating once in a while. Your financial obligations may derail. But that should not reflect on your principles of being honest.

Yesterday, I got an invitation to be a friend from a Facebook member. I usually check their profiles and this profile stood out among all of them I’ve seen thus far. This is the kind of person, I ‘d like to deal with far as honesty goes. What he does is not entirely legal. So, to reiterate my statement - “Be honest while doing something legal.”

Below is this gentleman’s profile. I love it.

Contact InfoEmail : Windows Live : xxxxxx @ aol.com
Land Phone : xxxxxxx
Current Town : Northampton, United Kingdom
Website : http://xxxxxxx

Personal Info

Interests : Hi my interest are building and repairing computers,
downloading music movies and software.

I WORK CHEAPLY AND WILL NEVER GET RICH,
I ALSO BUY AND SELL PC COMPONENTS, AND COPIED SOFTWARE, SO CHEAP ITS UNREAL

Favorite Music:
POP ROCK AND SOUL

Favorite TV Shows:
ONLY FOOL AND HORSES, TWO PINTS OF LAGER

Favorite Movies:
GREEN MILE AND YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Favorite Quotes:
THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE MILLIONAIRES

About Me:
I AM A 48 YEAR OLD DODGY FELLA, WILL COPY AND CRACK ANY SOFTWARE I CAN AND SELL IT

I resisted MySpace for years. ( I even have my MySpace contact box blanked out. ) And so did I, resist using FaceBook and many other social networks. Simply because, the original premise of social networking for connecting between a set group of known contacts becomes a mass hysteria of commercial offerings.

I joined FaceBook a couple of months ago but never went there to actively associate with my contacts. When I did start connecting with members in earnest, I got sucked into the marketing mentality so pervasive within FaceBook and many other networks.

Although there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the FaceBook platform to connect, what I found disturbing was the herd mentality created by some marketers by teaching others, how to build a list? How to explode your friends by 1000 in 30 days? And how to profit from Facebook?

All this is fine if there is a valid data set showing those who run amok using these methods, that the tactics proposed works! Sure it may, for some. But, when every fisherman sells fish to every other fisherman, the market kinda gets pretty redundant and ineffective.

I am a marketer at heart. I do promote when I get an opportunity. I do this only when I am invited to be a friend by someone. The bar of being a friend of someone is set pretty low by the likes of MySpace & FaceBook.

I make enough money without the use of MySpace and FaceBook to be listening to amateurs on how to make loads of money using stealth tactics and relationship marketing. Most users are so blinded and well hypnotized by these marketers, that they realize little that 6 months from now, they’d be doing little else than trying to sell to folks who don’t know any better with little return on investment of money and most importantly - time.

If my straight shooting is not well taken, then I would welcome refute of my statements with a conclusive results based data set, which proves that the herd mentality which is ongoing in these social networks, do actually work. If at all! It may, for a select few. When a few attempt anything worthwhile, it has a greater probability that it may work. It is akin to robbing a bank. When 2 people rob a bank, chances are that they may or may not be successful. When a million people try the heist, the bank will still get busted. But like in the previous attempt, only a select few will run with the loot.

I swear, there are better ways to make money on the Internet and loads of it. It is much easier than soliciting for a $10 affiliate sale on FaceBook. But why listen to a no name guy who just makes $100k per year? The marketing gurus do a better job selling their wares.

Welcome to web 2.0 - The social network madness!

According to a report in Tech Crunch, Facebook lost millions in 2007 and projected an even bigger negative cash flow for 2008. Name Advertising on the other hand is projecting a $50k plus profit and surplus for fiscal 2008 and yet I am having trouble getting much needed financing.

I will never understand the ways of the world. This is so reminiscent of the dot com bubble almost a decade ago. Venture money poured like tap water. There was no accountability. Billions of dollars were lost into failed companies.

Today, the story continues. There is talk of recession. People are losing homes. But if you are smart enough to polish a good business plan, I guess there are enough lenders out there who will show you the money.

When I meet potential investors, I tell them, look - “I don’t have a business plan. Look at my numbers. I am making money. I will present the business plan if you are interested.” Then again, they say what! What is it that you are selling?

Domain names! Is that really a business? Do you have collateral? Then I wonder. There is a lot of eye opening that need to be done. I do my part to wake folks up.

I don’t want to be nowhere near as big as Facebook. Facebook is a perceived value. My company by comparison makes more money then Facebook.

It makes a profit!