A Fresh Start 6 min read

so here I am, since my previous Threads account @startupisfun got suspended, which I don’t understand the reason behind it.

this came as a surprise because the “account status” was healthy. perfectly fine. I have no removed content, never got any restrictions whatsoever before.

previously I also have 2 FB accounts which discussed about startups and they are still alive even after 7+ years, with almost 8k friends. that’s why I did not bother to backup myposts, which apparently is a huge mistake.

just when I’m happy that I start to get several great recommendations on the platform, it got banned.

An Overview

of course I’m terribly upset. and these are the reasons.

I have almost reached 1k followers. I started from zero without using any of my real life friends, growing organically.

and I have almost reached 500 posts. I don’t post only 1-2 sentences each post; mostly have like 15+ paragraphs; each take at least 1/2 to 1 hour just to write them. that’s around 250-500 hours of work, which equals to 2-3 months.

I also have a good relation with a US 2 times unicorn-startup founder, and several other founders on Threads, get good testimonials from them. I can surely add them again, but I cannot expect them to add me.

but I shall leave no time for lamentation. sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. and this one is the time to learn.

FB said that my account got banned because account integrity. integrity of what? I use my real photo. real name. I took a verification video selfie. real email with my name. I also posted photo of me with my real life friends. FB user cleanup is very shady. one should never put too much trust on FB.

nevertheless, there are some other possibilities why my account got banned:

1. I posted financial details.
   like, the funding history of Toped. while I really screenshot from the source, but maybe FB is a little sensitive with financial information, because it may lead to frauds.
2. I posted too many medias (images & videos).
   I believe most of them have been circulated quite frequently in many accounts, and I always include their brand name if they’re from other sources. but maybe I missed a few things.
3. I expressed how I did not truly trust Altman because he hides the fact that he actually received big compensation from everyone — instead, he always tell public that he hold no shares in OpenAI.
   while I believe I did not get too far with my opinion — but others may think the otherwise.
4. some unhappy people reported my previous account.
   which I actually don’t know why. I tried to provide valuable information, so I can’t think that someone will dislike the value I provide. but hey, you will never know.
5. I posted Airbnb statistics
   while saying it’s more successful than Hilton and Intercontinental combined.
   FB doesn’t like it when you degrade other parties. I don’t think I degrade them, but you can only guess when the suspension reason is not clear.
6. I posted how Zuckerberg ousted Saverin in the early Facebook days.

I feel like the most possible reason is the #1, because I did posted a lot of images & videos 😂 but oh well, it doesn’t matter now.

A Slight Setback

what mattered is that — I don’t use Threads to get followers.

I use Threads to showcase my thoughts & capacity. so that people who will invest in my startup — and my future partners — can really take a dive into my thoughts, even before they meet me in person.

so that they will know that I know my field well, that I have good principles, and not some sort of random nuthead.

and now, because of my beginner’s mistake that I did not backup my posts, I lost all my previous posts.

would still repost my old posts again to Threads, this time without too much confidence. I mean, I don’t think people will react the same way when they have read the same exact content previously. my content will not be fresh anymore. FB has stolen my thunder. but that’s fine — I will still repost them.

I have downloaded the “download your information” from the previous account, but my posts are not included (isn’t this a violation of user’s data protection? because users should be able to download the main data they stored on the website).

so currently I’m considering other platform too to store my posts. will still post on Threads, but also looking for backups. maybe Medium. or my own website. idk. will try to consider later.

in the meanwhile, this post will suffice.

Digital Footprints

I just realized that when an account is gone, the proof that it was once existed is only lies in how other accounts has ever mentioned the account.

The problem is I rarely comment on other people’s posts, because I was too focused on creating content while I was not working. most people also will reply to your comment directly, without the need to mention you.

before I changed the username to @startupisfun, my previous username was @adrianstartup. the footprints: this, this, this, this, this, this, and this.

and then after I changed to @startupisfun but only for a short period of time before it got banned, so the footprints are just a few: this, this, this, and this.

A Better Future

while this is upsetting, it’s still much better sooner than later. I can’t imagine to have write like 1k or 2k or 3k posts and then lose them all. can you?

this teaches me to take control of my own data. and not to trust Facebook, because you’re renting instead of owning a space in social media after all. sometimes you forget this very basic things once you feels comfortable in the platform.

I have considered Medium for my backup, but apparently they have rules which I don’t like as well. might still write on Medium (later? or much later) but only for some posts that will abide their rules.

luckily I have stored my post titles in Airtable — so at least I can still remember what I have written so far.

Airtable: Adrian Startup Post List

airtable.com

it seems like a set back, it’s an important mission because I believe its incredibly important to let people know your capacity before they do a business deal with stranger.

I will need to rewrite the posts again. and it will take months. but on the bright side, this time I will not be limited by social media rules, nor limited by time. I can post as much and as fast/frequently as I can.

finally I have my own space.

this. is. freedom.