Today's topic is the effect of the “semicolon” on a Facebook block: something many social media users argue about when they get blocked, which some believe in and others think is useless.
Lately, because of the current situation, many people's social media accounts are being reported depending on what they post. Facebook and other social networks apply certain blocks for these reports, in line with the terms set out in their rules of use. And people believe they can get past these blocks with a method they discovered themselves: asking others to comment with a full stop or a semicolon, it doesn't matter which. Let's talk a little about whether this is possible. Since Facebook is the platform where the most semicolon requests appear, let's go through it with Facebook as the example.
Why do Facebook blocks happen?
Many of us, me included, click to accept the terms of use without reading them when we sign up on a website. But are the terms of use really that unimportant? What are these terms, which we don't even open, actually for? The terms of use from Facebook or any other website are there to regulate what you do after you sign up. It's exactly in these terms that Facebook states which blocks will be applied to your account, and under which conditions.
When we accept the terms without reading them, it's as if we move to a country whose constitution we don't know and leave whatever happens to us there to chance. The reason our account gets blocked unexpectedly is that we act without knowing these rules.
What does Facebook block?
That depends on what we do. Besides blocking the whole account, Facebook can also block a specific activity, and this happens more often. Depending on which rule our account broke, we can face partial blocks on things like sending messages, commenting, sending friend requests or posting.
Does a semicolon affect the block?
Unfortunately, no. Today Facebook and every other big website run on artificial intelligence that is more powerful than we might think. You can't lift a block on an account that was blocked for some reason just by getting people to comment. It's only an untrue belief that has spread among people. Blocks can last for different periods, from a few hours to a few days. Small blocks may last just 1 hour, and the block happens to end around the time we ask for semicolons. We then see it as if the block ended thanks to the semicolons. Not only does this not help with the block, sometimes we even end up under pressure from other people. The reality is that asking for semicolons is nothing but a waste of time.
So how can a Facebook block be lifted?
If you really believe you were blocked by mistake, Facebook has contact forms for that. There you can write your complaint and explain that the action happened by mistake. You'll get a reply from Facebook's moderators within a few hours at most (sometimes sooner). To do this, when a notice appears on screen saying the action failed, you can click the contact link and report it.
How can I get my disabled Facebook profile back?
If the rule violation on the account is serious, your profile may even be disabled. In that case, again, stay calm, go to the contact link Facebook provides, fill in the details and send them. You'll be asked for the email address active on the account, your name and surname as they appear on your ID card, and a photo of your ID card. After you fill in the form and send the details, a notification will reach your email within 1 day.
Conclusion
In conclusion, I can say that it isn't right to do something just because your neighbour does, without researching it. Nobody knows who first spread the semicolon idea in Azerbaijan, but even though the method is wrong, it keeps spreading. As conscious users, let's not waste our own or anyone else's time with methods like this. I wish you a social media life with few blocks!
