Twitter suspends SissyWillis due to "strange activity"

Twittering suspended? Passionate bird watcher and listener Tiny is uncomprehending at the thought.

Checking in on our twitter account this afta, we were horrified to learn that we'd been blackballed on accounta "strange activity":

Account Suspended. This account is currently suspended and is being investigated due to strange activity. If we have suspended your account mistakenly, please let us know. See Suspended Accounts for more information.

We followed instructions and sent in a request for redress:

I just received an "Account suspended" red flag. I have done nothing to deserve this but DID notice a few minutes ago someone had used my account/logo to post a link to some dangerous thing that gave a warning. I immediately deleted the tweet, and now this.

"Your ticket will be submitted to Twitter Support and we'll email you a ticket confirmation. Accounts may be suspended for a minimum of 30 days for research." Minimum of 30 days? Gasp!

Meanwhile the above two suspicious-sounding requests for our name, password and permission to use twitter.com "items from your keychain" keep popping up on our screen. Paranoia setting in. Maybe just a routine computer system reaction to being shut out by twitter?

Tiny is not amused. Nor are we. Obama cyberthugs carrying out "Big Guy's" instructions to stifle dissent? Was it something we said in 140 characters or less? We haven't been much of a fan since December 11, 2006, when we caught then candidate Obama calling us a racist. Prepare for twitter withdrawal symptoms. Just as we were really getting into the thing, along the lines of Amba's recent tweet:

I'm finding Twitter positively giddy lately. I'm following astronauts and astronomers and an accountant, plus my friends. World expanding.

World imploding. Black hole ahead?

Update: What hath twitter wrought? This just in via imail from Goomp:

When I click on Sisu an invitation to connect to twitter comes up. What is my user name?

We checked on Tuck's computer, and he gets the same prompt. What one must do is click on "cancel" to close the prompt window, but who would know? Will our stats now plummet? [Tears hair out. Exits stage right]

Update II: "This is the first time I've heard of Twitter suspending a blogger, Sissy," emails Pam of Pamibe:

Was your account hacked? And why when I clicked on your site did I get a Twitter prompt? Too many questions and no answers.

I think I'm going to delete my Twitter account. I don't use it anyway. ;)

Don't ask us. We just blog here.

Update next morning: "Yesterday's news," we twittered:

1. Twitter suspends SissyWillis due to "strange activity" Now back in business, but what was that about?

2. Re twitt account's recent suspension, am back in business but flooded with a cete  of badgers = commercial followers

Makes us think that brief hijacking of our account was about trashy trolling for potential customers. Anybody out there know anything about that?

Comments

[goomp]

Every time I click on Sisu I get an invitation to sign on to Twitter. To me it sounds like thought control to stifle dissent.

[pam]

I got the same prompt! It looked like my info in the boxes so I clicked 'okay', not thinking....! Dangit!!

[Mark B]

Same window prompt with me. It also popped up when I clicked post a comment. Cheers, Mark

[Joan of Argghh!]

Yep. Weirdness. Login prompt, fake-o screen claiming to be twitter login. Ya been hacked?

[amba]

I think you got hacked. Yikes!! Maybe you need a geek to go in and find the bad code and weed it out.

[Teresa]

Sounds like this may have gotten you...

Twitter has been notoriously insecure and there have been recent exploits where all you have to do is go to the wrong page for your account to be hijacked and send out garbage tweets.

At least they fixed it for you. I hope you changed your password. If not, do so ASAP.

[scott]

You can unlock your account after it is suspended. You need to go to http://twitterunlocker.com finally a place that helps!

Scott

[buy viagra]

Why the hell they suspended his account ?

[Last Angry Man]

Cute cats! I have three adopted cats, two calicos and a cranky male black cat! Also two outdoor feral cats.

I too got suspended by the clowns at Twitter without reason or notice. Took two weeks for some tech support troglodyte clown to respond. Makes you wonder why you would invest in this private company.
Text of response to being nice and requesting re-activation of Twitter account:

andr8a, Jan 23 01:51 pm (PST):
Hello,

Twitter reserves the right to terminate user accounts without further notice. This account will not be reinstated.

For the Twitter Rules, please visit:

http://help.twitter.com/forums/26257/entries/18311

Thanks,
Twitter Trust and Safety