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Facebook Bug Tells Users They Are Dead (fortune.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the rest-easy dept.

On Friday afternoon, many Facebook users logged into their accounts to see that the social media site declared them to be dead. Fortune's Jeff John Roberts reports that the bug has impacted their editor Rachel King: The lethal online epidemic is causing Facebook to display a small memorial message above users' regular homepage profile. In the case of my editor, Rachel King, Fortune tech writers who visited her page discovered a "Remembering Rachel King" message, and a wish to remember to remember and celebrate her life. I can assure you that Rachel is very much alive (and reminding me about the Oxford comma). But if you're wondering what it looks like, here's a screenshot. I'm still alive (for now) but it appears the bug is spreading quickly to others in the media, and has reportedly even affected the pages of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. While Friday's wave of Facebook fatalities was clearly a bug or a hoax of some sort, the social network does offer a function that allows people to turn the profile pages of loved ones into a "Memorial." The company has since fixed the bug and offered an apology: "For a brief period today, a message meant for memorialized profiles was briefly posted to other accounts. This was a terrible error that we now have fixed. We are very sorry that this happened and we worked as quickly as possible to fix it."

34 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. We're not dead, we're in a simulation by ArtemaOne · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wake up

    1. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by desdinova+216 · · Score: 1

      that is way too deep for a Friday.

    2. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by ArtemaOne · · Score: 1

      The easiest thing to do is to patch the DNC, replacing Clinton with Sanders. That would have solved the other situation.

    3. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by Kjella · · Score: 3, Insightful

      We're not dead, we're in a simulation. Wake up

      If you do, are you still in a simulation? It's basically 2500+ years of philosophy that the Matrix first touched on and Inception continued, is anything real? Does it matter what's real? If it's a good dream, don't pinch me.

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    4. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by ArtemaOne · · Score: 2

      Right, as if those polls took into consideration how many "Never Hillary" and "Bernie or Bust" people there would be by the end of things. Did you see how few people voted? Trump took the bare minimum expected and Clinton took far below any expected minimum thought possible due to people disliking HER specifically.

    5. Re: We're not dead, we're in a simulation by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      No. You are the same as never having existed in the first place.

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
    6. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 1

      The easiest thing to do is to patch the DNC, replacing Clinton with Sanders. That would have solved the other situation.

      Damn straight. Sanders would have obliterated Trump.

      The worst part of this whole debacle has to be placed squarely on the shoulders of a sleazy triumvirate consisting of Hillary Clinton herself, the DNC, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. This crooked cabal of cheaters worked their dirty little magic behind the scenes to torpedo Bernie Sanders, a much-loved candidate with no baggage who would have easily mopped the floor with Donald Trump. The unethical behavior and malicious tactics that Clinton, Shultz, and the DNC used to exclude him undermined the very foundations of the democratic process.

      Bernie Sanders has no financial baggage and no ties to Wall Street.
      Bernie Sanders has a spotless voting record.
      Bernie Sanders was the ONLY candidate that didn't have a Super PAC funding him.
      Bernie Sanders has the respect of his peers in and out of Congress.
      Bernie Sanders is the longest-serving independent in U.S. congressional history.
      Finally, Bernie Sanders is likable. A lot of the people that voted for Hillary absolutely hated her.

      Most Democrats know in their hearts it's true: Bernie Sanders would have won.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    7. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 3, Funny

      If it's a good dream, don't pinch me.

      After Trump won I kept jabbing myself with a needle to try and wake up. Now I'm just doing it so I can feel something.

      --
      Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
    8. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by Meski · · Score: 1

      Flick me to hibernate for a while, I'm sick of this shit.

    9. Re:We're not dead, we're in a simulation by gshegosh · · Score: 1

      Does it matter what's real? If it's a good dream, don't pinch me.

      It does matter, because if this isn't real life, but a mere simulation, it means that after we die, sim runners could restore as from backups and that in turn makes religious people actually right... Which kills my worldview a little bit ;)

  2. Had I a facebook account... by TigerPlish · · Score: 1

    ...I, for one, would welcome the news of my untimely death.

    --
    The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
    1. Re:Had I a facebook account... by fred911 · · Score: 1

      Then you could have said, "Had I had" assuming you would have the ability post mortem:-)

      --
      09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B - D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0 45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    2. Re:Had I a facebook account... by coastwalker · · Score: 1

      I have one but I have not looked at it since last November. I might take a look next year but the news that I might have been declared dead on it is not incentive enough to take a look now. See I have concluded that intrusive advertising is against my religion, so that kind of nixes Facebook. It is extremely fortunate that the fixed advertisement story on Slashdot is not intrusive which is why I am still here. As it is also not an advertisement for the "only new vehicle which will not kill my children" but for something vaguely technical, it does not feel intrusive, merely annoying, so well done to the new owners of the site.

      --
      Facts are history now plebs have politics for religion on social media.
  3. Apologies: Status update was 4 days 2 hrs early by Timmy+D+Programmer · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please accept our apologies for prematurely updating your profile status. Please be assured the status has been corrected, and will be updated at the appropriate time on Tuesday. Sincerely, Facebook

    --


    (If at first you don't succeed, do it different next time!)
  4. Re:Not dead, just deported by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

    If you want a job, my ashtray needs a good scrub.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  5. Many-worlds interpretation bug. by hey! · · Score: 1

    Greetings from the Trouser of Time's other leg. Glad to see you made it.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
  6. CNN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    CNN: "Donald Trump kills thousands of Facebook users."
    Brian Williams: "I was there."

  7. well, they're not dead, yet by turkeydance · · Score: 4, Funny

    this is just encouragement

  8. Obligatory by Yvan256 · · Score: 4, Funny

    We apologise for the fault in the statuses. Those responsible have been sacked.

    1. Re:Obligatory by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1

      That beats: "We apologise for the fault in the statuses. We will visit each of the affected users in person to 'true up'"

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    2. Re:Obligatory by Meski · · Score: 1

      Does this mean we'll be coming back as Facebook Llamas?

  9. Thank god. by SolemnLord · · Score: 1

    Beats seeing what else 2016 has in store.

  10. I'm not dead! by PPH · · Score: 2

    I don't want to go on the cart.

    --
    Have gnu, will travel.
  11. Re: facewhat? who cares by Z00L00K · · Score: 1

    Facebook is dead, move on.

    --
    If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  12. That's odd by buss_error · · Score: 1

    I feel fine!

    Actually, I deactivated (not deleted, since you can't really do that) my facebook account some time ago. I've no time for it. Got programs to write, don't cha know?

    --
    Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.
    1. Re: That's odd by Zero__Kelvin · · Score: 1

      What makes you think you can't delete it?

      --
      Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
  13. Oh sure... by digitig · · Score: 1

    You say you're not dead, but how can we be sure?

    --
    Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?
  14. QA? Who needs it? by MoarSauce123 · · Score: 1

    Not surprised at all. QA is a bad word in the new software industry. Instead of testing and confirming stuff just gets pushed out. I guess those impacted can only quote Samuel Clemens: “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.”

  15. Shades of Monty Python . . . by reboot246 · · Score: 1

    The Dead Collector: Bring out yer dead.

    [a man puts a body on the cart]

    Large Man with Dead Body: Here's one.

    The Dead Collector: That'll be ninepence.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm not dead.

    The Dead Collector: What?

    Large Man with Dead Body: Nothing. There's your ninepence.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm not dead.

    The Dead Collector: 'Ere, he says he's not dead.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Yes he is.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm not.

    The Dead Collector: He isn't.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Well, he will be soon, he's very ill.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I'm getting better.

    Large Man with Dead Body: No you're not, you'll be stone dead in a moment.

    The Dead Collector: Well, I can't take him like that. It's against regulations.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I don't want to go on the cart.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Oh, don't be such a baby.

    The Dead Collector: I can't take him.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I feel fine.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Oh, do me a favor.

    The Dead Collector: I can't.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Well, can you hang around for a couple of minutes? He won't be long.

    The Dead Collector: I promised I'd be at the Robinsons'. They've lost nine today.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Well, when's your next round?

    The Dead Collector: Thursday.

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I think I'll go for a walk.

    Large Man with Dead Body: You're not fooling anyone, you know. Isn't there anything you could do?

    The Dead Body That Claims It Isn't: I feel happy. I feel happy.

    [the Dead Collector glances up and down the street furtively, then silences the Body with his a whack of his club]

    Large Man with Dead Body: Ah, thank you very much.

    The Dead Collector: Not at all. See you on Thursday.

    Large Man with Dead Body: Right.

  16. If only by JustAnotherOldGuy · · Score: 2

    "Facebook Bug Tells Users They Are Dead"

    If only it were true.....

    --
    Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
  17. They're not dead by CanadianMacFan · · Score: 1

    Just pining for the fjords.

  18. Who cares by Gussington · · Score: 1

    Who cares. Can't those of us who choose not to engage in such fads be left in peace without a FB or Twitter story everyday? This isn't TMZ...

  19. Does it also tell them they vote democrat? by BozoForPresident · · Score: 1

    :D

  20. They are DEAD, but the impostor complains by syntotic · · Score: 1

    First step in a Turing game. Do I have to explain? The account owner is really dead, but there is an impostor who wants to give a different impression (identity theft), so the impostor has to complain, otherwise the plan went floop and he may even be noticed. Once solved this peccata minuta the impostor can dedicate to the pretense that he is the dead person and collect more information or deceive people. Kind of Turing, can you be sure it is The Person on the other side of the site? Sounds like a good way to signal dead accounts, besides, in which case there should be no complaints! You can work out further details on your own.