Can I block everyone in the world im not friends with?
December 10, 2010 8:12 AM Subscribe
Is there any way to make facebook so that any person who is not your friend is blocked?
My extended family is filled with prying conservative often hateful people I do not wish to associate with on facebook or have them be aware of me at all. There are dozens upon dozens of them. I left the mormon church, and the mormon church calls my relatives asking them to find my address. I've called the local church authorities and asked to be on the do not contact list, but mormon missionaries still find their way to my door.
I just want anyone I am not friends with to be blocked. I have blocked most of them, but new people in my family get accounts every so often and its a hassle keeping up with all the blockings.
Can I do this? if not, is there a limit to the number of people you can block on facebook?
My extended family is filled with prying conservative often hateful people I do not wish to associate with on facebook or have them be aware of me at all. There are dozens upon dozens of them. I left the mormon church, and the mormon church calls my relatives asking them to find my address. I've called the local church authorities and asked to be on the do not contact list, but mormon missionaries still find their way to my door.
I just want anyone I am not friends with to be blocked. I have blocked most of them, but new people in my family get accounts every so often and its a hassle keeping up with all the blockings.
Can I do this? if not, is there a limit to the number of people you can block on facebook?
I have no idea about the Facebook thing, but re: mishies - I'd call your mission president and ask that all record of you be removed from the area book.
posted by elsietheeel at 8:16 AM on December 10, 2010
posted by elsietheeel at 8:16 AM on December 10, 2010
Under Privacy Settings, go to "Connecting on Facebook". Switch "Search for you on Facebook" to Friends Only, and "Send you friend requests" to the lowest possible setting (which I think is just Friends of Friends). This will give you the most control over who tries to add you as a friend. Unfortunately, I don't think there's presently a way to block everyone but your friends.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:17 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:17 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Nevermind, I missed the part where you did that already. Try sending a notarized letter to the mission president (with a copy to Thomas S. Monson, why not).
posted by elsietheeel at 8:18 AM on December 10, 2010
posted by elsietheeel at 8:18 AM on December 10, 2010
Define "block".
The "Connecting on Facebook" privacy settings let you set who can send you messages or find you in searches.
Privacy Settings > then at the top look for Connecting On Facebook and click "View settings".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:18 AM on December 10, 2010
The "Connecting on Facebook" privacy settings let you set who can send you messages or find you in searches.
Privacy Settings > then at the top look for Connecting On Facebook and click "View settings".
posted by EndsOfInvention at 8:18 AM on December 10, 2010
Follow the EFF suggestions on Facebook privacy settings. It makes all info "Friends Only"
posted by I am the Walrus at 8:19 AM on December 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by I am the Walrus at 8:19 AM on December 10, 2010 [2 favorites]
Privacy settings> Connecting on Facebook: View Settings> Search for you on facebook: set to Friends Only .
That MIGHT do it. You would have to have someone who is not your Friend do a search for you to be sure. MeMail me if you like.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:20 AM on December 10, 2010
That MIGHT do it. You would have to have someone who is not your Friend do a search for you to be sure. MeMail me if you like.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:20 AM on December 10, 2010
I have found that you can get around all of it EXCEPT that someone can add you as a friend if they happen to see you (e.g. if you comment on a mutual friend's pictures or wall). It used to be that your name would be greyed out, but it's changed.
They should not be able to see you on your friend's actual friend lists or find you on seach/Google if you do all the tightest privacy settings.
posted by Pax at 8:36 AM on December 10, 2010
They should not be able to see you on your friend's actual friend lists or find you on seach/Google if you do all the tightest privacy settings.
posted by Pax at 8:36 AM on December 10, 2010
There isn't a way to summarily block all non-friends, if by block you mean Facebook block -- you have to manually block every single person you want to be completely invisible to. There doesn't seem to be a limit on this though -- this past year I blocked literally hundreds of people (don't ask).
In addition to the above advice about locking down your privacy settings to friends-only, keep in mind that if any of your FB friends have very open profiles, people will still be able to see you that way, including your profile picture (if you have one). Like, if your friend has her Wall visible to "everyone" and you post or comment on her wall, there you are, visible. Or if a friend has their wall locked down but their friends list is visible to "everyone," there you are in that list, still visible. And of course you're visible to your friends' friends in the same way. There's nothing you can do about this, short of asking all your friends to lock down their own profiles, which is really too much to ask of other people, in my opinion. If this is especially troubling to you, you can always change your Facebook name to a nickname or pseudonym.
I sympathize, because I'm a very private person myself. I'm currently content with a friends-only unsearchable profile, specific loathsome people blocked, a non-me profile photo, and a fake town set as my "location." I also registered a couple of other accounts under my real name back when I was feeling especially paranoid, "just in case," but I'm actually a little embarrassed about that now.
posted by Gator at 8:39 AM on December 10, 2010
In addition to the above advice about locking down your privacy settings to friends-only, keep in mind that if any of your FB friends have very open profiles, people will still be able to see you that way, including your profile picture (if you have one). Like, if your friend has her Wall visible to "everyone" and you post or comment on her wall, there you are, visible. Or if a friend has their wall locked down but their friends list is visible to "everyone," there you are in that list, still visible. And of course you're visible to your friends' friends in the same way. There's nothing you can do about this, short of asking all your friends to lock down their own profiles, which is really too much to ask of other people, in my opinion. If this is especially troubling to you, you can always change your Facebook name to a nickname or pseudonym.
I sympathize, because I'm a very private person myself. I'm currently content with a friends-only unsearchable profile, specific loathsome people blocked, a non-me profile photo, and a fake town set as my "location." I also registered a couple of other accounts under my real name back when I was feeling especially paranoid, "just in case," but I'm actually a little embarrassed about that now.
posted by Gator at 8:39 AM on December 10, 2010
If you are trying to keep a low profile, why be on Facebook at all? The point of that site is making connections, and it sounds like that is just what you DON'T want to do, but instead maintain connections you already have in your offline life. I think its unrealistic to expect you can have an online presence that is completely private, no matter what combination of settings you use on Facebook.
Another option: create a new FB profile using a fictional name, send an email to the people you want to be FB friends with alerting them to the fact that this fictional person will be sending them a request and then delete (not deactivate) your current, authentic profile.
Oh, and you'll need a new email address too since that is one way to find people on FB.
And all of your tags in photos will vanish and will have to stay vanished or you'll no longer be hidden.
posted by Ranindaripley at 8:46 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Another option: create a new FB profile using a fictional name, send an email to the people you want to be FB friends with alerting them to the fact that this fictional person will be sending them a request and then delete (not deactivate) your current, authentic profile.
Oh, and you'll need a new email address too since that is one way to find people on FB.
And all of your tags in photos will vanish and will have to stay vanished or you'll no longer be hidden.
posted by Ranindaripley at 8:46 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Also, there's this rather involved process mooted by Lifehacker for making yourself low-profile on Facebook.
posted by Happy Dave at 8:50 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Happy Dave at 8:50 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you want the church to leave you alone, you need to write a letter explaining you want to be removed from the records of the church, then send it to the local Stake President, and ask for a written response. Telling a bishop or missionaries almost never does anything, as there is no reporting structure or way to pass that on without an official written request from you; it might get them to stop during their tenure, but since everyone is a volunteer and temporary, it won't do anything long-term.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:50 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by blue_beetle at 8:50 AM on December 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Huh. My husband managed to get himself kicked out of the Mormon church, and aside from an accidental missionary visit (they were in the neighborhood, not looking for him particularly) no problem.
How he did it was become an evangelical Christian. I don't know how you feel about religion in general but can you tell them you have changed religions or something? I knew these guys followed up on their regular flock but that's pretty wild that they are still pestering you.
As to facebook, I know a lot of my friends simply use their first name and middle name, for instance. You may also want to post a generic fb profile pic. I don't know what else to tell you that hasn't already been said.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:10 AM on December 10, 2010
How he did it was become an evangelical Christian. I don't know how you feel about religion in general but can you tell them you have changed religions or something? I knew these guys followed up on their regular flock but that's pretty wild that they are still pestering you.
As to facebook, I know a lot of my friends simply use their first name and middle name, for instance. You may also want to post a generic fb profile pic. I don't know what else to tell you that hasn't already been said.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 9:10 AM on December 10, 2010
as the world famous states - you have to do the formal process. it doesn't always work, but a second letter suggesting that you've sent it to the media as well usually gets a swift response.
as for facebook - my suggestion would be a slightly modified name. misspell your last name, go by middle, first (so your first name shows as your last name and your middle as your first), something like that.
posted by nadawi at 12:28 PM on December 10, 2010
as for facebook - my suggestion would be a slightly modified name. misspell your last name, go by middle, first (so your first name shows as your last name and your middle as your first), something like that.
posted by nadawi at 12:28 PM on December 10, 2010
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posted by roomthreeseventeen at 8:15 AM on December 10, 2010