Facebook question (also some drama, but I can't help that)

General Questions
#1

Here’s the situation. A friend of my wife (also blind; we can call her “Franny”) has a fb friend (third party, let’s call him “PJ”). Now “Phil” lives in an RV, which is apparently moored in an RV park, and he has somewhat recently opened his home to a homeless woman we’re going to call “Missy.” She’s been staying with him for a matter of months (although “PJ” clams that he is not on intimate terms with “Missy,” even though he had been in the past, before she became homeless), and seems to make herself at home with “PJ” and his furnishings, including his internet connection.

And his Facebook page, which he apparently does not bother logging out of when he’s away from the computer.

Yesterday “Franny” reported to my wife that she can no longer send messages to “PJ” on facebook and can no longer reach his page (She also reports that during the past few weeks, she has been getting a vibe from “Missy” that “Missy” would prefer that “Franny” not make herself evident in “PJ’s” day-to-day life).

“PJ” apparently also reports that he cannot find “Franny” when he searches his FB contacts to go to her page or send her a message.

I went on the Facebook site today to see if there’s any way that these effects could have occurred by means of “Missy” monkeying around with “PJ’s” FB settings. It does appear so, with the exception of the fact that, to an outside observer (or a mutual friend, such as my wife), both “Franny” and “PJ” remain in one another’s Friends lists.

Any idea what might be afoot? Please note that it is not essential that anything “PJ” reports be taken at face value.

#2

Not exactly sure of what is the question, but Facebook settings do allow you to put “friends” into different groups.

What they can do and see then depends on the settings for that “group”.

So its possible that while listed as a friend, a person cannot comment on a persons page.

#3

My best guess is that Franny has been added to PJ’s “restricted” list. From Facebook’s privacy page:

“When you add friends to your Restricted list they can only see the information and posts that you make public. Facebook does not notify your friends when you add them to your Restricted list.”

I would guess in this way, Franny can remain on PJ’s friend’s list, but not be able to see anything (although I’ve always assumed you can still get to the person’s page, but just not see posts).

#4

…

#5

Who’s “Phil”? :confused:

#6

I think Phil turned into PJ.

#7

Yes. “Phil” is a sloppy edit on my part.

#8

I’m guessing that Phil is PJ

#9

Check the list of “blocked” people. Sounds to me like the person was blocked. You can unblock them. Not going to look at the settings. You can figure it out.

#10

Except blocked people don’t appear on your friends list. I haven’t used FB in almost 5 years, but back then blocking someone removed them as friends as well.

Blocking will however make both the blocker and blockee invisible to one another, and even a search won’t remove that invisibility.

#11

Isn’t that an easy way to see if someone has blocked you? I thought FB wouldn’t want to allow that, like how you can’t see who’s viewed your profile.

#12

As I said, I haven’t used FB in 5 years, and have no idea what their policy was/is or if the mechanism has changed, but back then at least, yes it was an easy way to tell.

Now that I think of it, that’s what “blocking” means anyway.

#13

Blocking means that there’s no evidence of you to the other person. You can infer that they blocked you, but so what? The whole point is to be invisible to them, and that is going to be clear if you are looking for them.

#14

You can’t see who’s viewed your profile, but you can prevent people from seeing parts or all of it depending on how you set up your privacy settings. Blocking is just the ultimate extreme of that; you prevent someone from seeing any information at all on you (including the fact that you even exist).