Facebook Requires A Mobile Number To Access My Account?

[Optix]

I figured I'd pop into the NZXT Facebook page and see how their contest is going. When I tried to sign in I was greated with a screen that said I need to provide a mobile number in order to verify my account. There does not seem to be any way around this and clicking on the link to use another form of verification takes me nowhere; the screen simply refreshes. Even one of the help files says that I'll need to either enter a mobile number and text a code or I'm S.O.L.

Now I may be way off here and there may be a back way in but if not this is the most foolish thing I have ever heard of. They are blocking me from accessing an account that has been setup for some time now simply because my life doesn't require that I have a cell phone.

This may have something to do with that foolish new service that allows them to track where you are when you post a message from your cell (which is a HUGE invasion of privacy in my opinion and should be DISABLED by default rather than making users access their preferences and turn it off).

If this is the way Facebook operates then who needs them.

 

[Tharic-Nar]

It's been some time since I logged into my account, and I too remember this BS. The only way round it is patience and friends. If you confirm friends with about 5 other people and wait about 3 months (!), then you shouldn't need activating via mobile, email was enough, at least that's what happened to me, but their system was bugged for a while, it kept telling me to confirm for about 2 weeks before it let me do anything. If it's been changed in the last 6-8 months or so, well, i'm not going to give them my mobile... nor login, lol. Their privacy policy is worth as much as the paper it's written on... wait, it's digital ... Still don't understand the fascination with social networking sites, people post private information then wonder why 100's of people know about it - "But i set it to private..." - dear me, if you want something private, don't talk about it, and most definitely, don't post it on the internet in any shape or form.

Rant over.... mostly.

 

[Optix]

I use Facebook and Twitter primarily for contests since some of them require you to "like" them or retweet posts. I think social networking is foolish for the average person but a business, group or a band just starting out for example would likely find it necessary.

My earlier post and picture still stands.

 

[Rob Williams]

I stopped using Facebook a couple of months ago for a bunch of different reasons, and that's one of them. There's no such thing as making your Facebook your own, because you're always going to have every bit of information about you exposed at all times, and you're constantly going to be barraged with information. My favorite "feature" is the recommended friends list. If they were my friends, they'd already be on my list

I found I wasted too much time on Facebook as well, and for the most part, it's just loaded with attention whores and those who like to post every possible thing that they are doing with their day. It's pointless.

If I logged back in and saw what you did, I'd just go ahead and delete my account. Tempted to do that anyway. I first started using it for business reasons, but I haven't found much use there either.

Kudos on the iconic pic.

 

[Optix]

You seem pretty into music considering the only avatar you have had that wasn't music based was the FIFA World Cup so I knew you'd appreciate it at least. What a waste. So many contests...

 

[killem2]

I would like to know why its foolish for the average person? I am able to keep in instant contact with friends and family thousands of miles away from me that I would have otherwise, in general never spoken to or known of again. Not everyone who uses facebook is:

Person 1: "OMG LIFE SUCKS"
Person 2: What's wrong?
Person 3: Dislike button!
Person 1: Everything is wrong :'(

.. and filled with attention whorish comments.

Anyway I remember having to do this on an alt account I made for a game on there, and I was still able to get in I just didn't have alot of access to adding friends. Which is probably so people don't spam other people or try to pretend they are someone they are not and scam them.

 

[Rob Williams]

You seem pretty into music considering the only avatar you have had that wasn't music based was the FIFA World Cup so I knew you'd appreciate it at least. What a waste. So many contests...

Haha, I have a great appreciation for music, but a lot of people do. I just have been in the habit of posting the album cover for whatever I've been looking forward to come out. Of course, when football season arrives, I can't help but break the mold and toss either an Arsenal or Colts logo up there.

I would like to know why its foolish for the average person? I am able to keep in instant contact with friends and family thousands of miles away from me that I would have otherwise, in general never spoken to or known of again.

There are without question great reasons to use a social network like Facebook, but there are some things that drive me nuts about it. Keeping in touch with a family member 1,000 miles away is one thing, but the number of people that would rather message a friend through Facebook rather than just send a text, or you know... call them, blows my mind. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine who needed something messaged me through Facebook, and then days later told me to nevermind because he didn't need help anymore. He asked why I never responded to the message...

Doh, I dunno... maybe because I'm not 1:1 with my Facebook account.

For me personally, it drove me nuts to see all these attention whores on Facebook everyday, all day, and it just grew on me to hate it. I was tired of seeing people I knew who get shit-faced drunk on the weekend and live crazy lives posting incredibly deep philosophical quotes every day of the week to give the impressive that they are smarter than the rest.

To add to it, I like having my friends connected to me on Facebook, but I don't want to see pictures of their kids or pets every-single day, and I don't really care that they found a hair in the $15 salad they just ordered. I liked Facebook at first because it was a great way to keep in touch with friends and collegues, and it is great for that, but it's everything else that totally turns me off.

It doesn't help that it's a rather addictive service, either. My brother is on it every chance he gets, it seems, and that's just a complete waste of time. So many people would rather be on Facebook than actually go out and hang out nowadays. I won't even get into those games...

 

[Optix]

My wife and I are not users of social network sites. We think they are a pointless way to spamming for attention but as killem2 mentioned there are valid reasons to use it. Our family is all here so that's a moot point for us. The only reason why I setup Facebook is for contests although I do like Twitter for hardware news updates, not to post where I am going, what I am doing or what kind of sammich I ate.

We have missed out on barbecues, pool parties and movie nights all because someone can't pick up the phone. Ironically the ones who have the pool parties work for Telus so you KNOW they have cell phones.

What a goofy way of verifying an account though. It would be like saying I can't use my car stereo because I don't own an MP3 player although the deck has an input port for one. I know the reasons why they are doing it and account theft would be a pretty bad deal considering the amount of information that someone would have access to but locking someone out completely?

 

[Rob Williams]

It's ironic, but last night I went to some Google service, and it asked me to use my mobile phone to help tie the account together. There were too options - either to do it, or "Ask me later", or something to that extent. I sure hope Google isn't going to be pressuring people into doing this as well. Google has enough information about me. I'm not about to hand over my cell phone number, too.