A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post discussing a new trend in social media for the New Year: taking a break from, or even killing off, your social media presence. There were a few examples I gave about how certain celebrities and individuals were having a “social media cleanse” and not participating in social media for a brief period of time. There was also a service that I found that “killed” your social media self completely: the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine. The online service not only deletes all of your social networking profiles but permanently restricts you from joining them again. Since my last blog post discussing the Suicide Machine, there have been some recent developments involving the service; Facebook wants the service dead.
Recently a Network World blog (Buzzblog) posted a story on how Facebook has contacted the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine and informed them that their service breaches multiple terms-of-use violations. In a written letter to the Suicide Machine, Facebook stated:
It has come to Facebook’s attention that Moddr, through its Web site located at www.suicidemachine.org, is (1) soliciting Facebook user log-in information, (2) accessing Facebook accounts that belong to others, (3) scraping content from Facebook, (4) sending unauthorized commercial communications, (5) falsely asserting that Moddr has partnered with Facebook, and (6) infringing Facebook’s intellectual property rights on and through www.suicidemachine.org.
Web 2.0 Suicide Machine has decided to not list Facebook, or any other social networking sites, as “partners” but instead uses the term: “our target networks.” The Suicide Machine has decided to relaunch the service for Facebook and reject their cease and desist order. I’m sure Facebook isn’t thrilled by the Suicide Machine’s reaction to their letter… let the legal battle begin!
Who do you think will win this “David vs. Goliath” showdown?
