Facebook Delete Checker. Where is it?!
UPDATE 09/03/2011
Delete Checker has been pulled because of idiots that are obviously reporting the application. It is now only available to my personal friends and friends of friends. No access will be given to those that aren’t friends. To be clear, adding me as a friend of Facebook will be denied as I only keep people I actually know as friends. Sorry for the inconvenience, but Delete Checker will not be back. It is too time consuming for me to continuously re-setup the application when it’s pulled and, while it may sound selfish, I want the application to work for myself at all times. On top of that, I have lost motivation for adding features since I am busy with my PhD and, on a less significant note, not one person had bothered to donate since Delete Checker launched about a year and a half ago. If you want something similar, I’m sure there are alternatives. Use Google.
For those looking for an alternative, you can try installing GreaseMonkey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greasemonkey), then install this quality user script called Unfriend Finder.
UPDATE 21/01/2011
It happened again! But we’re back. This time at this URL: http://apps.facebook.com/deletecheck/ Again, you’ll need to re-install, re-authorize and set up your permissions for automatic stream posting if you require. This time I also noticed that Facebook went to the effort of deleting wall posts related to Delete Checker from my personal profile. Heh.
UPDATE 16/01/2011
Delete Checker has mysteriously disappeared… again. Oddly, several hours before this occurrence I noticed a sudden flood of support e-mails regarding the application, leading me to believe that it must have received a fair bit of exposure. Yet again, I received nothing from Facebook regarding the issue. However, before the application was removed I noticed some odd behavior: I was suddenly logged out while browsing Facebook and when returning to login I was forced to change my password due to a detected “intrusion”. Alas, my account was not hacked nor has my password been leaked… so I’d say there’s something a little fishy going on when Facebook pokes into your account to remove an application. At first, I noticed my account was untouched till a friend pointed out that Delete Checker was no longer available. Lo’ and behold, Delete Checker was no longer on my Applications list.
On the upside, when Facebook blacklisted the old URL (deletechecker_fo) they seemed to have removed the blacklist for the original, and more preferred, URL (deletechecker).
That said, Delete Checker is now back online. You will need to re-install the application by visiting http://apps.facebook.com/deletechecker/ then ensure you authorize the application using the link at the top of the Log page. If you had previously set up automatic posts, you will need to re-authorize Delete Checker by visiting the Settings tab.
Have fun!
PS. Check out my other applications if you wish: http://digitaldj.net/facebookapps.php
PPS. Some cool little facts: Since the launch of Delete Checker, 7000 accounts have used Delete Checker. 4000 of them active within the past 7 days. All of these users have been gathered simply by “word of mouth”.
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I’ve had quite a few messages on Facebook from previous users of Delete Checker that can no longer find it.
So here’s a quick blog post that’ll hopefully get indexed by Google and therefore make Delete Checker findable for those who used to use it….or those that want a Delete Checker!
On the 16th of April, Facebook removed the Delete Checker application without notice. A little research indicated that Facebook had removed all applications that added the unintended functionality of checking if users had deleted you from their friends list. For those interested, Section II, 5a of the Facebook Developers Platform Policy outlines that “You must not circumvent our intended limitations on core Facebook features. For example: You must not inform a user that someone has removed the user as a friend.” What’s funny is that Delete Checker was approved for the Facebook Application Directory, which is not an automated process. Before removal, Delete Checker had approximately 2,500 users…now it has 30.
But don’t fret! I’ve recreated the application so that is accessible to all. However, I have not published the application to the directory. This basically means that unless you know where to look, you won’t find the application. I had two “Delete Checker” applications, one for production and one for development. The development application was not removed by Facebook showing that it’s unlikely they will remove applications that are not published to the directory. The only possibility of removal is if someone explicitly reports the application….but I’ll be sure to put it back up if it disappears, so check back here if it does!
So, here’s what you need to know:
What is Delete Checker?
Delete Checker keeps track of which friends deleted you on Facebook. It also keeps track of when friends deactivate their account or someone ignores your friend request. You can setup Delete Checker to automatically post insults about deleted friends to your wall.
Where is Delete Checker located?
The application page, where you can install, review, discuss features/bugs and become a fan is currently located here: http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=178035012237354
The direct link to the application is located here: http://apps.facebook.com/deletechecker/
What do I need to do to make it work?
Both new users and previous users will need to re-authenticate the application for offline access (the application will prompt you, or follow the Instructions). If you were a previous user and you had automatic stream posts enabled, you will need to re-authenticate the application for stream posting by visiting the Settings tab as this is not enabled by default. Previous users will still have their log intact as it is stored on my own server and untouchable by Facebook.
I have a different question. Where’s more information?
You can visit the FAQ (highly recommended that you read this) for the application or post on the application’s discussions board.
The application is in violation of the developer policy. Is my account at risk?
While the application still violates the platform policy, users shouldn’t worry about the loss of their accounts. If anything, Facebook will just disable the application and possibly give me a warning about the application.
