Twitter Update

Found a way to contact Twit even when you're blocked from Twit.  It's convoluted and somewhat hidden; I really just stumbled upon it.  Once you find the "Contact Us" button, it's still convoluted...and more hidden.  If anyone really needs all the excruciating details, contact me.  Here's the message I finally was able to submit to Twit  ---edited a bit:  [It's a lot like the last post, but don't miss my commentary after the quote.]

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 "1. As a senior citizen & a night owl, I do not have regular sleep hours.  Plus, I get only 4 -6 hours of sleep per 24.  Those are not any more than 2 consecutive hrs of sleep at a time.  Much of my awake time is online.  I SUSPECT all that has caused your algorithms to block me from Twitter because of SUSPECTED AUTOMATION.

2.  Apparently, your algorithms were programmed in such a way as to make them incapable of handling this:  I DON'T HAVE A CELL PHONE, & don't want one.  That means I can't give you a MOBILE number to get a code to verify my acct.  HELLO.

3.  Just prior to being blocked for suspected automation, I passed the "I am not a robot test" by ID-ing "taxis" in a series of photos.  Still blocked.  Really, Twitter?!  That action on the part of your algorithms MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER.

4. You have a problem.  Those algorithms in that scenario are incapable of handling a simple situation.  I am NOT automated in any way.  I have NOT violated any of your policies as far as I can determine.  All I have is a land line for a phone. My email is abstractcowboy@gmail.com.  I live in NM, USA.  I'm a former Biology & Ecology teacher, & a former employee of Sacramento Environmental Management Dept., HazMat Div.

5.  Stop blocking me from your site.  Unlike your algorithms, I AM NOT A ROBOT.   I've passed that "not a robot" test on Twitter a gazillion times.  If you don't believe the results of those tests, why even have them?  This is not rocket science.  Sincerely, Scott Haley"

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We'll see how they respond.  I realize this is a somewhat trivial matter; however, it is indicative of the mindset of High Tech companies.  For the most part, they don't seem to care one whit about folks who use their venues.  It doesn't seem to matter that we're the only reason they have paying ad clients.  They make it as difficult as they can for someone to contact Support.  Then you wait an ungodly amount of time to hear back.  Why?  Most likely because the companies haven't hired enough CSRs to handle the load.  Or, like some companies, they refer you to a "Discussion Forum" where nonprofessionals give helping you a shot.  That's often nothing but a nightmare.  C'est la vie in an overpopulated world, eh?

Back when I was a young man (1960), the population of the USA was HALF of what it is now.  Fewer customers for Biz.  Companies bent over backwards to help you, and keep you coming back to their operation.  You younger folks have no idea of how different it was then in that regard as compared to now.  It's astounding.

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Not only my opinion.  Happy Trails

A Question & a Hunch: Is TWITTER discriminating against or censoring accounts which DO NOT violate their policies?

 I've been on Twitter for a bit over a year.  There and elsewhere online, I've often been critical of High Tech companies, Mega Biz in general, neoliberalism, and corporatism.  A few times in the past, Twitter has stopped me from accessing my account because they suspect its "automated".  That may be because I'm a senior citizen and don't have regular sleep hours.  Plus, I'm a night owl, not an early bird.  In any 24-hour period, I get maybe 4 - 6 hours of sleep.

Yesterday they blocked/throttled me again, saying the account "appears to be automated".  [This time, I can't find a way to get around it.]  I've tried to contact them, but as you know, High Tech companies don't want you to contact them.  That would require them to hire support staff.  After unsuccessfully trying different things to reach them, I sent the following email to this  address:  tweet@twittermail.com...found it online, don't know what it is ---

"Twitter thinks I'm a robot...even after ID-ing "taxis" in a series of photos.  They won't let me into my acct.  They want a mobile phone number so a code can be sent.  I guess the robot algorithms of Twitter were not programmed to be capable of dealing with this:  some people, like me, don't have a cell phone; and don't want one.  Let me into my acct...am not a robot.  Obviously, your algorithms are the robots."  😀

High Tech companies utilize algorithms which often are not capable of handling the myriad of situations arising in online scenarios such as the one above.  That's why they need live people as support staff.  But the Head Honchos of some of these companies appear to not care much at all about their users, only about their advertising clients.

One analytic website (I didn't note the name) says Twitter has done this - blocked access because of "suspected automation" - to thousands of T. accounts.  We're not suspended for violations, but blocked temporarily because of Twit suspicions.  "Try again later", they say.  For those with cell phones it's a brief glitch; although, I don't know that for certain.  Trying again later has not worked for me this time.

What's really ignorant on Twit's part is:  to prove you're not automated (a "robot"), you're given a series of photos from which you have to ID the ones with a bus, a train, or a taxi, etc.  Even if you pass that test, sometimes the algorithms still prevent you from accessing your account... because of suspected automation.  That makes no sense whatsoever.  [I hope Twitter isn't one of the companies claiming to have Artificial Intelligence:]

All the above generates the title of this essay.  I'm NOT suggesting that Twitter is, for a fact, discriminating.  I'm saying this:  I SUSPECT they might be.  Their blocking of people who moments ago passed the "I'm not a robot" test is highly suspicious activity on their part.  [Sometimes you're required to pass that test three times in a row, & then you still get blocked.  That's either really faulty algorithms or massively bad policy, or maybe, attempts to rid the site of some people & their ideas.  People who have not violated any of Twit's policies.]  That's just a hunch, not a fact.  Given the scenario above, it's a plausible guess, or at least, a remote possibility.

If anyone knows how to contact whatever paltry support Twitter has, please let me know.  Keep in mind, though, I can't get on their site at all, so the method of contact must be email or a toll free telephone number (I do have a land line).  Also, please let me know if any of you have had similar problems.

Thanks.  Be Well