Hintology
STATUS PAGE
Regarding our suspended Meta accounts
November 13th – 12:30pm EST
After a month-long ordeal, I have some good news: our accounts are back online.
What Happened
Following advice from other creators, we purchased a Meta Verified subscription to access their support team. The experience was surreal. Support representatives were sympathetic but ultimately unhelpful, insisting nothing could be done and that appeal decisions were final. Then, a week later, our Instagram accounts mysteriously reappeared. No explanation, no notification, just suddenly online again. Apparently our persistence triggered an actual review, and they found no violations. Facebook took three more weeks. Same pattern: "we can't help you," followed by sudden restoration a week later.
The Real Cost
Yes, we're relieved. But should we trust these platforms again? Absolutely not. One complaint, one algorithmic decision... and that nearly erased twelve years of community building overnight. This experience has fundamentally changed how we think about Hintology's future.
We won't abandon social media, but we can no longer build our foundation there. We need an independent home base: a website hosting our core content, community member interviews, and a project showcase. This will take significant time and effort to build properly, and it means less day-to-day social media activity from me personally.
Revised Timeline for Issue #3
Originally scheduled to be released this month, Issue #3 is now planned for Spring 2025.
I need to be honest: this saga left me drained and dangerously close to burnout. Many of you understand that these are difficult times, especially for artists. Hintology remains largely a solo project, volunteer work driven by passion. We sell quality books at the lowest viable price point, and I've invested hundreds of unpaid hours because I want to keep this project free from commercial pressures and advertising influence.
The submission response has been unprecedented, and this book deserves the ambition it's inspired. A spring timeline gives me space to complete the design thoughtfully and finalize arrangements with our new printer. I want us all to hold this volume proudly as testimony to our shared creativity and inspiration.
The updated timeline will be posted on the submission page shortly.
Looking Ahead
This experience, while troublesome, has at least clarified something important: we need resilience built into our foundation, not just borrowed from platforms we don't control. So, once again, thank you for your great patience, but especially for your encouragements as well and your continued belief in what we're building together.
Note that this status page will be archived at year's end.
— Vincent Marsolais
Editor-in-chief at Hintology
October 4th – 10:30pm EST
After three weeks, Meta has finally reviewed our case. As you'll recall, we were never given the opportunity to defend ourselves with actual explanations or evidence. There was only an "appeal" button, nothing more.
The verdict: permanent suspension of all accounts, with no further right to appeal.
But it doesn't end there. Every one of our editor-in-chief's personal accounts has received identical treatment: his artistic projects, collaborative work, and private profiles. The platform now offers only one option: "download your data." That data, however, contains nothing of substance. No posts. No images. No messages. Just metadata: ad preferences and account settings. Not even a list of followers.
What This Means
Vincent has lost access to twelve years of his digital life. Every photograph. Every contact. Every conversation and thought shared across these platforms since 2013. His phone number can no longer be used on WhatsApp. Private messages on Messenger (including potentially crucial business communications) are gone and irretrievable.
These measures are not simply punitive. They are comprehensive erasure. Meta appears to be treating Hintology as what they call a "dangerous organization."
Where We Go From Here
We have little to say about the future of this project right now. We will explore every possible avenue for recovering our work, but the path forward remains unclear.
Some of you have found the @hintology_magazine account on Instagram. We established it primarily so our community could still reach us. To be clear: we have no intention of starting from scratch. Too many years, too much care, too much work have gone into what we built. The situation is, frankly, devastating.
For now, the focus must be on healing and processing this loss.
We will keep you updated as we know more.
— Vincent Marsolais
Editor-in-chief at Hintology
September 21th – 9:00am EST
We've create this status page to keep everyone update.
Still no update from Meta on the situation. A few members of the community have passed the word, but we find ourselves obliged to send a communiqué to our mailing list regarding what the consequences for the magazine would be if ever the accounts were to be permanently disabled. Here is the letter from the editor-in-chief:
"Hi everyone,
I've been putting off writing this because, honestly, I'm still trying to make sense of everything that's happened just a few days ago. But you deserve to know where things stand, even if I don't have all the answers yet.
What We Know (and Don't Know)
A few weeks ago, we featured an artist's work as part of our weekly curation. Within minutes, she contacted us demanding financial compensation and threatening legal action. We immediately removed the content and tried to respond, but she had already blocked communication and, we suspect, reported us to Meta.
The result has been a complete suspension - not just Hintology's accounts, but every account tied to me personally. Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, everything. Meta hasn't actually told us why this happened or given us any timeline for resolution. I'm stuck in this frustrating limbo, appealing to a system that offers only a single "appeal" button and no real way to communicate or explain the situation.
In five years of running Hintology, this had literally never once happened. We've always tried to celebrate artists and elevate their work, but clearly I needed to be more cautious about permissions. It's a hard lesson that it takes just one offended artist to bring down years of community building.
The Reality Check
This experience has forced me to confront something I've been avoiding: I might have been trying to accomplish too much all at once. Between finding a new book printer that can match our quality standards, managing a complex publication with over a hundred contributors, attending design classes, handling contracts, supporting my immigrant partner, and dealing with some health challenges, while keeping Hintology’s social media active - I was already stretched pretty thin even before this Meta situation happened.
Maybe this forced pause is the universe telling me to slow down before I completely burn out. I'm trying to see it that way, even though losing access to all my contacts and having people wonder if I've disappeared has been genuinely worrisome.
Where This Leaves Issue #3
I want to be completely honest with you: I don't know if or when we'll get our accounts back, and this uncertainty is affecting everything. The book is still very much alive in my mind - the concept is solid and the contributions are meaningful - but I need to be realistic about timelines.
If Meta restores access and I can reconnect with the community, great. If not, we'll figure out another path forward. Either way, I'm committed to taking the time needed to create something we can all be proud of, rather than rushing through it while juggling crisis management.
For contributors: I know this uncertainty is frustrating. Please know that I'm committed to either delivering a publication that lives up to our standards, and in the unlikely worst case of a cancellation, to providing full refunds to donators. I'll update you as soon as I have more clarity on the timeline.
Building Something More Resilient
Regardless of what happens with Meta, this whole experience has shown me how vulnerable we are when we build community entirely on platforms we don't control. One complaint, one algorithmic decision, and everything can vanish overnight.
So here's what I'm thinking: let's use this disruption as an opportunity to create something more sustainable. This newsletter is a start - it's direct communication that no platform can interfere with. I'm also exploring other ways we can connect that don't leave us at the mercy of corporate policies.
What You Can Do
1. Subscribe to our newsletter - it's our most reliable connection right now;
2. Share this info with other community members who might be wondering where Hintology went;
3. Keep using #Hintology in your posts - community exists beyond any single account;
4. Be patient with me as I navigate this uncertainty and figure out the next steps;
5. Get updates by occasionally visiting this page.
A Personal Note
I started Hintology because I believe in the power of art to create meaningful connections and dialogue, and to heal. That mission hasn't changed, even if our methods need to evolve. This setback is frustrating and honestly exhausting, but it's often in darkness that we see best where light comes from.
I don't know exactly what the next chapter looks like yet, but I'm committed to figuring it out. As an artist myself, getting back to spending time working on my craft will surely help me seek clarity. In any case, thanks for bearing with me through this messy, uncertain time.
I'll keep you posted as things develop. This status page will have real-time updates, and as always, you can send us an email if you want to share thoughts or just check in. Your encouragements have always helped."
— Vincent Marsolais
Editor-in-chief at Hintology