Facebook can't verify that I'm a real person?

Posted on: March 10, 2008

I just wanted to upload bigger videos and avoid having to repeatedly type in CAPTCHAS. So I tried to verify my account, but no go, because I don't meet either of the 2 criteria. Reece @ Facebook Customer Operations confirmed:

There are are only 2 ways to verify your account.  The first way is through your mobile phone.  The second way to stop seeing captchas is to affiliate with a college network.  If your school provides you with an email address, you can add a college network from the "Networks" tab of the Account page.

Thanks for giving the time to help me, Reece. I just wish it wasn't so limited, because, given that we had a person-to-person email exchange, I would think I qualified for person-ship!

I asked if exceptions were made. But sadly, no.

This seems ridiculously shortsighted. Then again, Facebook was founded on college social networking, so it doesn't seem like they'd be missing out a big opportunity. But still, they do have numerous workplace networks (like Linden Lab's), so why don't those count?

Interestingly, I just checked upload limits while logged in, and it now says:

Please upload a file only if:
  • The video is under 300 MB and under 20 minutes.
  • The video was made by you or your friends.
  • You or one of your friends appears in the video.

Which is up from the 2-min. limit I saw before. Did something else change? :)

3 Responses to “Facebook can't verify that I'm a real person?”

  1. dandellion Kimban Says:
    March 11th, 2008 at 7:15 AM PDT

    Facebook is annoying with their insisting on "real persons" that is actually more privacy and security threat than providing a good service and value to its users. Web was doing great in the old times without all that anti-pseudonymity movement.

  2. Razrcut Brooks Says:
    March 15th, 2008 at 4:24 PM PDT

    My following comments are not to be construed as criticism to you as a person, Torley. However, please explain why you (and others) feel this strong desire to explore EVERY possible internet networking website available? Why are you driven to advertise your life, appearance,your knowledge, your skills, and your creations to the world? Sites like MySpace attract people who self-absorbed . People think that they are interesting and are positive the world wants to know it.
    There are so many websites that I bet you feel pressured to "keep up" . Pressure to be "in the know" and among the crowd. Why? It must be exhausting to have to log into so many accounts and to keep up-to-date.

    Again, from what I have seen, I enjoy your videos and I like your personality so I am not insulting you as a person. I just disagree with the value of it all. I think immersing ourselves into MANY websites is unhealthy in the big picture.

    When I am elderly, I doubt that I will reflect back and wish I had spent MORE time on a computer. I will wish that I had spent more time eating a cool crisp watermelon on a hot summer day among friends at a lake…rather than trying to replicate this event virtually.

    Please enlighten me on the value of being connected to many social websites?

  3. 2B Aeon Says:
    September 21st, 2008 at 6:30 AM PDT

    Wow Razrcut I found your remark interesting!

    "why*do* you (and others) feel this strong desire to explore EVERY possible internet networking website available? Why are you driven to advertise your life, appearance,your knowledge, your skills, and your creations to the world? Sites like MySpace attract people who self-absorbed . People think that they are interesting and are positive the world wants to know it."

    So insightful! You said what I could not find words to say. At the same time bringing forth the understanding to me that possibly most people don't know they are letting their ego consume them. People are driven from within by their egos without knowledge of what drives them. In a way at this time this is a helpful fact. It is helping others who need the help to find themselves. There are people out in cyberspace who are expressing themselves in ways they were never able to before and people like Torley (full of energy and intelligence) are spreading the news "IT IS OK TO BE YOURSELF"

    I am elderly 76 years old. I have been busy living a repressed inner life. With my computer I am able to do what my failing body is trying to prevent. 'ENJOY'

    Perhaps the need to find every outlet on the internet serves a purpose to spread the word. 'IT'S OK TO CARE.'

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