Author Topic: Delete Facebook  (Read 13798 times)

FINate

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #50 on: September 18, 2021, 09:31:24 AM »
I'm working to delete my Facebook/Instagram accounts. They're really only used to shared photos and personal updates with family and a few close friends spread out across the US. They are only visible to friends.

But I'm having trouble finding an alternative solution since FB/Insta makes it so easy (I realize this isn't a good excuse, hence the working on it part). I don't want to post pictures and updates on something like a public blog. Nor do I want a super locked down private site where people have to create new accounts and jump through hoops to get in. I just want something quasi-private, like if you have the hidden link you can get it, or something like that. I'm not opposed to hosting something myself on my Synology if it does want I want.

How are other people handling this? Suggestions?

ETA: Also considering setting up my own Wordpress instance on AWS.
« Last Edit: September 18, 2021, 09:38:20 AM by FINate »

Hash Brown

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #51 on: September 18, 2021, 09:32:23 AM »
Let's not forget Twitter. Delete that too. It seems clear by now that no one can consume Twitter content with any regularity and remain mentally healthy.

Twitter is even worse.  I think that it zones in, even more, on self-appointed gurus providing direction for meek, afraid-to-take-action people.  It's slightly visual, but it's more about what ideas are fashionable and win status within that crowd.  The more preposterous and self-defeating the idea, the greater the status that it affords. 

sui generis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #52 on: September 18, 2021, 12:37:49 PM »
Ugh, I would love to delete facebook but I just don't think I can.  From this thread, though, I did learn about the BN app that's coming and got on the waitlist!  Thank you!

But even if I didn't need FB for BN, I have several other types of groups that it's really useful for.  Particularly hiking groups.  Before I did a thru-hike a couple of years ago, the group was invaluable in helping me figure it all out.  If there was a replacement for that, I could probably consider getting off FB.  I have almost 1000 "friends" on FB, and enjoy scrolling through their updates when I look at my groups, but I never post myself (except in the groups) and would be fine without those friend updates.  I don't use it to stay in touch with the "friends" that I'm really friends with.

On instagram, I almost resisted getting started.  I have a couple close friends that post pictures of their travels and stuff there, so it is a good *supplement* to our typical methods of staying in touch.  I think it's more user friendly on my side than receiving a dozen pics in my email or text.  And better on their side to be able to post it once and not have to send to lots of different family/friend group text chats or whatever.

I hate myself for being part of both of these platforms.  I wish there was something I could do, like buying carbon offsets or saying Hail Marys, to balance my karma on this.  I don't think I really believe in balancing karma or Hail Marys, even carbon offsets. It's obviously better to not do the thing in the first place.  But....here I am, being their sucker.

Dicey

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #53 on: September 18, 2021, 12:40:38 PM »
Ugh, I would love to delete facebook but I just don't think I can.  From this thread, though, I did learn about the BN app that's coming and got on the waitlist!  Thank you!

But even if I didn't need FB for BN, I have several other types of groups that it's really useful for.  Particularly hiking groups.  Before I did a thru-hike a couple of years ago, the group was invaluable in helping me figure it all out.  If there was a replacement for that, I could probably consider getting off FB.  I have almost 1000 "friends" on FB, and enjoy scrolling through their updates when I look at my groups, but I never post myself (except in the groups) and would be fine without those friend updates.  I don't use it to stay in touch with the "friends" that I'm really friends with.

On instagram, I almost resisted getting started.  I have a couple close friends that post pictures of their travels and stuff there, so it is a good *supplement* to our typical methods of staying in touch.  I think it's more user friendly on my side than receiving a dozen pics in my email or text.  And better on their side to be able to post it once and not have to send to lots of different family/friend group text chats or whatever.

I hate myself for being part of both of these platforms.  I wish there was something I could do, like buying carbon offsets or saying Hail Marys, to balance my karma on this.  I don't think I really believe in balancing karma or Hail Marys, even carbon offsets. It's obviously better to not do the thing in the first place.  But....here I am, being their sucker.
Yeah, but you're our sucker and we love you. Anyone who gets to FIRE deserves more grace than you're giving yourself. I hope that was mostly hyperbole.

Weisass

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #54 on: September 18, 2021, 02:46:49 PM »
Legit question here-- asked earlier and got no response. How have those of you who quit negotiated this if you work somewhere that depends on a Facebook page as part of its "online presence?" can you make a case here for ditching it or doing it differently?

sui generis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #55 on: September 18, 2021, 05:22:41 PM »
Ugh, I would love to delete facebook but I just don't think I can.  From this thread, though, I did learn about the BN app that's coming and got on the waitlist!  Thank you!

But even if I didn't need FB for BN, I have several other types of groups that it's really useful for.  Particularly hiking groups.  Before I did a thru-hike a couple of years ago, the group was invaluable in helping me figure it all out.  If there was a replacement for that, I could probably consider getting off FB.  I have almost 1000 "friends" on FB, and enjoy scrolling through their updates when I look at my groups, but I never post myself (except in the groups) and would be fine without those friend updates.  I don't use it to stay in touch with the "friends" that I'm really friends with.

On instagram, I almost resisted getting started.  I have a couple close friends that post pictures of their travels and stuff there, so it is a good *supplement* to our typical methods of staying in touch.  I think it's more user friendly on my side than receiving a dozen pics in my email or text.  And better on their side to be able to post it once and not have to send to lots of different family/friend group text chats or whatever.

I hate myself for being part of both of these platforms.  I wish there was something I could do, like buying carbon offsets or saying Hail Marys, to balance my karma on this.  I don't think I really believe in balancing karma or Hail Marys, even carbon offsets. It's obviously better to not do the thing in the first place.  But....here I am, being their sucker.
Yeah, but you're our sucker and we love you. Anyone who gets to FIRE deserves more grace than you're giving yourself. I hope that was mostly hyperbole.

Well, thank you. And yes, you are right about the hyperbole and I don't really "hate myself" for this one thing.  It's just that cognitive dissonance when your actions are contradicting your values.

Legit question here-- asked earlier and got no response. How have those of you who quit negotiated this if you work somewhere that depends on a Facebook page as part of its "online presence?" can you make a case here for ditching it or doing it differently?

I've never worked at such a place, so I guess I don't really get it.  Like, as an employee, part of your job is to....react and interact with the page/posts of your employer to drive views and etc?  Or maybe not your official duties, but it's implied that you should be doing so and that not being on facebook to do so is either detrimental to your advancement at the company or to the company's success?

Weisass

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #56 on: September 18, 2021, 08:06:43 PM »


I've never worked at such a place, so I guess I don't really get it.  Like, as an employee, part of your job is to....react and interact with the page/posts of your employer to drive views and etc?  Or maybe not your official duties, but it's implied that you should be doing so and that not being on facebook to do so is either detrimental to your advancement at the company or to the company's success?

No…. Part of my job is to manage their page, as in post content,etc. which as far as I can tell requires a personal account.

sui generis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #57 on: September 18, 2021, 09:30:18 PM »


I've never worked at such a place, so I guess I don't really get it.  Like, as an employee, part of your job is to....react and interact with the page/posts of your employer to drive views and etc?  Or maybe not your official duties, but it's implied that you should be doing so and that not being on facebook to do so is either detrimental to your advancement at the company or to the company's success?

No…. Part of my job is to manage their page, as in post content,etc. which as far as I can tell requires a personal account.

Wouldn't they have a separate login for that? And if not, couldn't you create a profile that owns and manages that page so you don't have to do it personally? I definitely thought that was possible.

former player

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #58 on: September 19, 2021, 02:13:03 AM »


I've never worked at such a place, so I guess I don't really get it.  Like, as an employee, part of your job is to....react and interact with the page/posts of your employer to drive views and etc?  Or maybe not your official duties, but it's implied that you should be doing so and that not being on facebook to do so is either detrimental to your advancement at the company or to the company's success?

No…. Part of my job is to manage their page, as in post content,etc. which as far as I can tell requires a personal account.

Wouldn't they have a separate login for that? And if not, couldn't you create a profile that owns and manages that page so you don't have to do it personally? I definitely thought that was possible.
Also, only post from work and using a work computer, to avoid cookies and geolocation data on your own devices.  But then Facebook would be inside the work network, which depending on the business might not be so good.

iris lily

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #59 on: September 19, 2021, 08:02:32 AM »
Deleted it in 2016. No regrets.

I made a separate "throw away" account a few months ago to sell some stuff on FB marketplace when it became clear that has become more useful in my local area than Craigslist. That's going to be the extent of my presence there until something displaces FB marketplace in my local area . . . which will hopefully happen soon bc fb sux.

Yeah, I recently bought something thru FB’s Marketplace and am now combing it for another thing I want to buy.

Tass

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #60 on: September 19, 2021, 08:37:34 AM »
I am only allowed on facebook 1 day a week. Maybe it will be my baby step toward quitting entirely, but it's working for now.

I highly recommend the extension FB Purity: https://www.fbpurity.com/
It offers a lot of customization. I block all the sidebar content, the ads, the stories, certain MLMs by name, specific posts by type ("[person] attended [event]," for example). It also lets you set Most Recent as the newsfeed default, instead of the Top Posts algorithm.

For those of you only interested in specific groups, you can also stop the newsfeed from showing up entirely.

scantee

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #61 on: September 19, 2021, 09:46:27 AM »


I've never worked at such a place, so I guess I don't really get it.  Like, as an employee, part of your job is to....react and interact with the page/posts of your employer to drive views and etc?  Or maybe not your official duties, but it's implied that you should be doing so and that not being on facebook to do so is either detrimental to your advancement at the company or to the company's success?

No…. Part of my job is to manage their page, as in post content,etc. which as far as I can tell requires a personal account.

I know someone in this situation and what they did was to delete their account and start a new account where the only thing they use it for is responsibilities required for their. First they had tried minimizing their use of their existing account (unfriending people, blocking people, unsubscribing from groups) but the pull was still too great. Starting fresh on a work only account has worked for them however.

I would also inquire with your work about establishing a work login that doesn’t require any personal account. If that is not an option however, the approach above might work for you.

Weisass

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #62 on: September 19, 2021, 12:46:29 PM »


I've never worked at such a place, so I guess I don't really get it.  Like, as an employee, part of your job is to....react and interact with the page/posts of your employer to drive views and etc?  Or maybe not your official duties, but it's implied that you should be doing so and that not being on facebook to do so is either detrimental to your advancement at the company or to the company's success?

No…. Part of my job is to manage their page, as in post content,etc. which as far as I can tell requires a personal account.

I know someone in this situation and what they did was to delete their account and start a new account where the only thing they use it for is responsibilities required for their. First they had tried minimizing their use of their existing account (unfriending people, blocking people, unsubscribing from groups) but the pull was still too great. Starting fresh on a work only account has worked for them however.


I would also inquire with your work about establishing a work login that doesn’t require any personal account. If that is not an option however, the approach above might work for you.

THanks! This is a good idea… not sure why I didn’t think of it.

bye-bye Ms. FancyPants

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #63 on: September 19, 2021, 07:02:12 PM »
Damn it! But however will I stalk random people I care nothing about & spend mindless hours trolling people??? UGH.

dougules

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #64 on: September 20, 2021, 10:39:38 AM »
Damn it! But however will I stalk random people I care nothing about & spend mindless hours trolling people??? UGH.

MMM Forum?

bye-bye Ms. FancyPants

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #65 on: September 20, 2021, 02:22:51 PM »
Damn it! But however will I stalk random people I care nothing about & spend mindless hours trolling people??? UGH.

MMM Forum?

LOL - I guess that is true and probably slightly more productive - I might accidently learn something!

CodingHare

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #66 on: September 22, 2021, 09:47:18 AM »
I took the same approach as with drugs:  Be smart, don’t start.  I’ve never regretted it in the least.
I almost can claim this.  I got a Facebook account back in 2012 when my college group project insisted that they couldn't coordinate any other way.  They never used the group they were in, and I hated the interface and deleted my account.

I retried in 2015 because I thought I wanted to keep in touch with family and friends.  Added a few people, realized I never wanted to hang out with my extended family, and realized I didn't want everyone knowing what I was up to.  Plus by that point the writing was on the wall about Facebook being a net evil on American society.  Deleted it again.

I do occasionally wish I had easy access to old friends (they don't think about me because I'm not on FB), buy nothing groups, and finding new friends through it locally.  2020 has basically left us needing to build a new friend group from scratch since we moved mid-pandemic.  But I am going to exhaust every other resource first.

Fishindude

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #67 on: September 22, 2021, 10:12:44 AM »
Sheesh, some of these responses are comical.   Almost sounds like a drug addiction.
No different then the TV, radio, or anything else ..... shut it off if you're tired of it.
Go outdoors, take a walk.

FINate

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #68 on: September 22, 2021, 11:58:13 AM »
I'm working to delete my Facebook/Instagram accounts. They're really only used to shared photos and personal updates with family and a few close friends spread out across the US. They are only visible to friends.

But I'm having trouble finding an alternative solution since FB/Insta makes it so easy (I realize this isn't a good excuse, hence the working on it part). I don't want to post pictures and updates on something like a public blog. Nor do I want a super locked down private site where people have to create new accounts and jump through hoops to get in. I just want something quasi-private, like if you have the hidden link you can get it, or something like that. I'm not opposed to hosting something myself on my Synology if it does want I want.

How are other people handling this? Suggestions?

ETA: Also considering setting up my own Wordpress instance on AWS.

Answering my own question since it may be useful to others.

I decided to spin up my own WordPress instance on AWS Lightsail. It was surprisingly easy because they already have a wizard for this. I'm only a week into it, but so far I'm very happy with it. Planning on deactivating my FB accounts soonish.

Cost should be about $3.5/month. I own the instance and the data, and I can configure it however I see fit, so it's worth the nominal cost to me.

Installed a plugin to make the entire site private so people need an account to access. Initially I was hoping for a way to make this easier, but in the end I think it's a feature not a bug ... don't want a bunch of casual users, really only want the few people that really value it.

Configured a static IP then created a DNS record for a domain I already own.

Getting SMTP and HTTPS going was a little bit of a pain, but not too bad.

While not for everyone, it's a potential option for those with the tech know-how.

Archipelago

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #69 on: September 22, 2021, 12:22:08 PM »
Just chiming in for the folks who want to use Facebook for that 5% of things it's useful for. Here's how I've managed it, and it's worked out pretty well!

1. Deleted FB app off my phone. Kept FB messenger app for contacting groups or family members. I can go on FB from desktop once a week for 15 minutes and get everything done I need to on there (which just involves visiting the local Buy Nothing community page and posting things to give away). The boredom/addiction urge to open up an app and scroll is completely removed.

2. Downloaded Social Fixer extension which removes anything having to do with politics, religion, vaccines, news, elections, etc. All of that is gone when I visit from my web browser :)

3. Downloaded a birthdays app for my phone. It syncs with my phone contacts so I just add any birthdays I want to come up for reminders directly to my phone, and the birthday app sends me a reminder at 8:00 AM. Side note - FB removed the ability for you to export birthdays. Lol @ this. Another means of monopolizing their hold of people's data. I also took this as an opportunity to add people's birthdays who aren't on FB (i.e. kids).

None of these ideas really involve permanently deleting FB but they're good compromises and my life has been much better. This has been the case for almost 5 years.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2021, 12:23:54 PM by Archipelago »

Dreamer40

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #70 on: September 27, 2021, 09:53:40 AM »
No way. After moving to a new area, Facebook was the fastest way to get plugged into local groups that share my interests. It’s how I met the awesome local people in my book club, found volunteer opportunities, and got the pulse on the neighborhood. I found nextdoor to be mainly people complaining about stuff and too negative.

If your feed is full of stuff that makes you unhappy, it’s very easy to block or unfollow that stuff. I never hear from the friends who don’t live nearby and who deleted Facebook. They faded away and those relationships fizzled out. A text message every few months or a Christmas card doesn’t keep the connection strong. I become out of sight, out of mind to them.

FINate

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #71 on: September 30, 2021, 09:01:31 AM »
I expect to deactivate my FB account next week. I deleted the app (and Instagram) from my phone and haven't otherwise logged in for a while. Didn't miss it one bit ... well, except maybe family photos from real friends, but the signal to noise ratio is terrible. Logged in again today and it looks even worse after some time away.

The Fix Social extension is tempting. But then I consider things like the following:

https://gizmodo.com/leaked-facebook-docs-depict-kids-as-untapped-wealth-1847763431
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/facebook-authoritarian-hostile-foreign-power/620168/

And then I'm certain that I just don't want any part in what they're doing.

Cool Friend

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #72 on: October 01, 2021, 08:44:48 AM »
I expect to deactivate my FB account next week. I deleted the app (and Instagram) from my phone and haven't otherwise logged in for a while. Didn't miss it one bit ... well, except maybe family photos from real friends, but the signal to noise ratio is terrible. Logged in again today and it looks even worse after some time away.

The Fix Social extension is tempting. But then I consider things like the following:

https://gizmodo.com/leaked-facebook-docs-depict-kids-as-untapped-wealth-1847763431
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/11/facebook-authoritarian-hostile-foreign-power/620168/

And then I'm certain that I just don't want any part in what they're doing.

Yeah that's my feeling too. The convenience isn't worth that to me.

Funny update: my only extant social media is an Instagram, which I'm also planning on deleting this weekend. They asked me to take a survey the other day, in which I wrote that I was uncomfortable with Facebook owning them as I dislike the company. As soon as I finished and closed out the survey, the app said "Good news! Now people on Facebook can find your profile!" Cool cool cool.

i_have_so_much_to_learn

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #73 on: October 14, 2021, 10:11:38 PM »
This is another post because I have several things to say about FB and didnt want to cover up my message above.

FB is for old people anyway. Unless you mean “FB” to cover all main social media platforms and I do not see this thread as being that, FB is just one player of many.

While I seldom hang out on FB, I DO consult it every day for news of my hobby groups. Also, I am the administrator for two FB group pages. They are small pages with tiny readership, and that is ok. FB is very easy technology to bring groups of people together for brief texting and EASY photo loading. It has been a boon for geoups like that, no longer having to maintain websites. Even tho website construction is much easier today than years ago, it is too cumbersome when all we want to do is push out occasional messages about events,and show pretty pictures of dogs and flowers.

I type scads of words daily about various issues including hot political ones, but I do not use FB for that.

I am very concerned about FB’s censorship, but that is a separate issue from the purposes of using FB.
This cross posted. Sure, sure, but FB is still selling you and your group members information. Don't fool yourself that anyone gets the upper hand on FB.

You don't even have to be on FB for them to be collecting info on you.  I use NoScript on Firefox, and when I go to enable scripts, it seems like more sites than not are wanting to run scripts from FB.  Needless to say it stays disabled unless I need something specific.

“they” can “collect” info on me, I don’t give a rat’s ass.

So far, the commercial crap they push toward me is stupid. Hilariously, Wayfair sent to FB a product I was supposed to like. The product was peat logs. But the thing is these logs looked like dog sh+t. I mean really, looked like dog logs.

I WILL say they know me subtly and well if they understand how many piles of dog crap I have combed through looking for bloody stools and for foreign objects  ingested by dogs.


I find it useful, and who cares if they collect my info to market? Target, CVS, and Bed Bath and Beyond do it with their rewards programs, too.

Every company prioritizes profit over people, even homeless non-profit groups (ref https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/04/nyregion/the-homeless-shelter-executive-who-earns-1-million-a-year.html).

The trick to using social media is not to take it seroiusly, not to let it take over your life, and not use it more than it is useful. I check mine a few times a week and use it to share photos with my family. I also am part of a few special interest groups (like MMM, actually) and it's very convenient ot have it all in one place.

The fearmongering of people's data is a bit contrived. If you don't like the service, don't use it. If you do, don't feel guilty about it. That's about it.

Fresh Bread

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #74 on: October 15, 2021, 12:35:31 AM »
Legit question here-- asked earlier and got no response. How have those of you who quit negotiated this if you work somewhere that depends on a Facebook page as part of its "online presence?" can you make a case here for ditching it or doing it differently?

It probably makes most sense having an empty account to link as suggested above. However I use an app called Business Suite. You can create & schedule business page posts and monitor engagement, messages and so on from there without having to access the FB app. I guess technically you should check how the post looks once it's posted though. To respond to comments I think you'd have to click through to the app. I use Business Suite on my phone (mainly to get messages as messenger doesn't work properly for page messages).

I have a small business and supposedly it's necessary to have a presence on the socials but really unless I was to work full time on it, I'd find it hard to get the level of engagement you need for it to work as advertising. People see stories though so if I have an actual notice/ important info like my phone is down I put it there in case someone's trying to reach me.

I definitely need a page as I do get business from it via direct enquiries. I just can't be bothered posting that frequently. My plan is to schedule about 6 generic posts that will get posted over 12 months so people know the business is still operational! At the moment it's ad hoc.

I'm a BN admin too, tbh I haven't even looked into the app yet and figured out if we can migrate. My understanding is that the BN core people/founders/whatever are v keen to leave FB. I just haven't got round to even reading all the info on it. 

Runrooster

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #75 on: October 17, 2021, 04:58:00 PM »
Hah, not only did I never engage with FB, I opted out when my family members started a group text chain that was very FB-y.  At first I tried complaining abut the FB aspects, finally I said I can't be interrupted at work 20 times an hour for minutiae.  I left the conversation or muted other conversations until they gave up sending that stuff to me.  The worst offenders are busy, 50-60 yo, with 6 figure salaries.  I live with my parents and my Dad is still on those text chains, so he shows me the pictures.  I don't know, maybe there's something wrong with me, but I don't need to see all/this many pictures.  I see my brother in real life once a week or two, I don't need to see him standing in front of a waterfall in a nearby park.  Or in front of a random gate in a foreign country like some "proof of life".  My sister once sent me a picture of her coffee table with the heading "today" meaning as opposed to the outdoor table yesterday?  I feel like a bad person, but I do not care. If we're visiting and you want to tell me about a great park, that's one thing, it's a social exchange more than the content.  Sending a picture text message and me clicking like has no social exchange benefit to me.  It's not just pictures, how and why does my sister engage in political diatribes I don't know.  My brother sends dubious nutritional facts - vitamin D and gut bacteria.

readwalksave

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #76 on: October 18, 2021, 11:37:18 AM »
I won't be deleting Facebook until next summer when my term on the nonprofit board that I serve ends. It is the reason I joined again, after having been off it for years because it's how they choose to communicate. I ignore friend requests and delete message requests not related to the board. My husband deleted his account in Aug 2009 and hasn't been back. We don't have FB for our business.

« Last Edit: October 18, 2021, 06:00:13 PM by readwalksave »

Bateaux

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #77 on: October 18, 2021, 05:48:26 PM »
I love Facebook.  I love having almost all my connections in one place.  MMM isn't as inspiring to me admit once was.  Twitter I've deleted, didn't miss it at all.  TikTok is really growing on me and I probably waste more time there now than on Facebook. 

sui generis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #78 on: October 18, 2021, 06:38:18 PM »
I love Facebook.  I love having almost all my connections in one place.  MMM isn't as inspiring to me admit once was.  Twitter I've deleted, didn't miss it at all.  TikTok is really growing on me and I probably waste more time there now than on Facebook.

Off topic, but can you tell me what you like about TikTok?  I have seen a few videos from TikTok and it didn't draw me in.  But even more so, I think I don't "get it" like what it's for.  It's just like Instagram but for short videos instead of pics?

thesis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #79 on: October 20, 2021, 09:06:27 AM »
Come to think of it, many of my closest friends aren't actually on Facebook. Hmm....

I've whittled my friends list down to less than 100 people, so there are days when only a few things are actually posted, but I find I login when I'm bored, looking for that little rush, almost like visiting various blogs, looking for new content. Something doesn't feel right about that.

I have a few "friends" who feel the need to celebrate how awesome they are every few days. I finally decided to unsubscribe from them so their posts don't appear in my news feed, and my mental health made a small but very noticeable improvement.

I used to think my grandma was this loving, wise old woman, but I've very unfortunately lost some of my respect for her after seeing her plethora of political posts. I'm not saying I want to go through life with idealized views of people, but I had no idea my extended family was so unreasonable :(

Also, there are certain FB friends I simply don't like, but I would feel rude removing them as FB friends. I'm going to put some more thought into this.

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #80 on: October 20, 2021, 09:30:29 AM »
Come to think of it, many of my closest friends aren't actually on Facebook. Hmm....

I've whittled my friends list down to less than 100 people, so there are days when only a few things are actually posted, but I find I login when I'm bored, looking for that little rush, almost like visiting various blogs, looking for new content. Something doesn't feel right about that.

I have a few "friends" who feel the need to celebrate how awesome they are every few days. I finally decided to unsubscribe from them so their posts don't appear in my news feed, and my mental health made a small but very noticeable improvement.

I used to think my grandma was this loving, wise old woman, but I've very unfortunately lost some of my respect for her after seeing her plethora of political posts. I'm not saying I want to go through life with idealized views of people, but I had no idea my extended family was so unreasonable :(

Also, there are certain FB friends I simply don't like, but I would feel rude removing them as FB friends. I'm going to put some more thought into this.

Why would it be rude to remove someone as a FB friend? I think you're an excellent candidate for quitting FB. You don't seem to use it for anything specific. Take it off your phone, log out of it on your computer, and don't go on for a while. See if you miss anything specific. I bet you'll be fine.

thesis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #81 on: October 21, 2021, 08:21:58 AM »
Come to think of it, many of my closest friends aren't actually on Facebook. Hmm....

I've whittled my friends list down to less than 100 people, so there are days when only a few things are actually posted, but I find I login when I'm bored, looking for that little rush, almost like visiting various blogs, looking for new content. Something doesn't feel right about that.

I have a few "friends" who feel the need to celebrate how awesome they are every few days. I finally decided to unsubscribe from them so their posts don't appear in my news feed, and my mental health made a small but very noticeable improvement.

I used to think my grandma was this loving, wise old woman, but I've very unfortunately lost some of my respect for her after seeing her plethora of political posts. I'm not saying I want to go through life with idealized views of people, but I had no idea my extended family was so unreasonable :(

Also, there are certain FB friends I simply don't like, but I would feel rude removing them as FB friends. I'm going to put some more thought into this.

Why would it be rude to remove someone as a FB friend? I think you're an excellent candidate for quitting FB. You don't seem to use it for anything specific. Take it off your phone, log out of it on your computer, and don't go on for a while. See if you miss anything specific. I bet you'll be fine.

Yeah, good point. I think I'll try a week and see how that goes. I haven't had the app in years, but I'm still in the habit of visiting. Desktop bookmark removed :)

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #82 on: October 21, 2021, 08:47:36 AM »
I deleted my FB over five years ago when the Trump election was coming. Seeing all the political nonsense and arguments was the tipping point -- not to mention all my older relatives (parent, aunts, uncles, etc.) started making accounts and requesting me. It was better during university years when it was the main social media platform for keeping up with friends in distant places. I'm sad that many groups like Buy Nothing and FI Meetups exclusively use FB, but I hope that trend starts to change.

I did however make an Instagram a couple years ago when I moved abroad. In my opinion it's a much better platform for sharing photos, without political nonsense, and allows friends and family members to keep up with my travels.

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #83 on: October 21, 2021, 09:37:05 AM »
I'm sad that many groups like Buy Nothing and FI Meetups exclusively use FB, but I hope that trend starts to change.
Check meetup.com for a frugality / investing / buy nothing in-real-life meetup near you.

Quote
I did however make an Instagram a couple years ago when I moved abroad. In my opinion it's a much better platform for sharing photos, without political nonsense, and allows friends and family members to keep up with my travels.
I wonder how long it will be until the culture on instagram changes. If it doesn't, then I would be interested in learning more about what characteristics of online forums make sharing certain kinds of information more likely than others. E.g. you don't see a lot of photos here on the MMM forum - why is that?

Sibley

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #84 on: October 21, 2021, 09:42:52 AM »
I'm sad that many groups like Buy Nothing and FI Meetups exclusively use FB, but I hope that trend starts to change.
Check meetup.com for a frugality / investing / buy nothing in-real-life meetup near you.

Quote
I did however make an Instagram a couple years ago when I moved abroad. In my opinion it's a much better platform for sharing photos, without political nonsense, and allows friends and family members to keep up with my travels.
I wonder how long it will be until the culture on instagram changes. If it doesn't, then I would be interested in learning more about what characteristics of online forums make sharing certain kinds of information more likely than others. E.g. you don't see a lot of photos here on the MMM forum - why is that?

You don't see a lot of photos here because this is primarily a financial forum for the purpose of reducing environmental impacts. Are you going to put pictures of your bank statements up? Also, while you can upload pictures it isn't easy.

And instagram is a cesspool. Just because it's not the same cesspool that Facebook is doesn't make it good.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #85 on: October 21, 2021, 09:57:25 AM »
Just when you hoped the world was becoming a better place:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-plans-regain-social-media-084522278.html

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The former president’s new enterprise will be in operation by the first quarter of 2022, according to a press release from the Trump Media and Technology Group. It says it plans to start a social media company called Truth Social. The moves, if all goes according to plan, would occur well ahead of the 2022 mid-term elections.

Weisass

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #86 on: October 21, 2021, 10:03:04 AM »
I'm sad that many groups like Buy Nothing and FI Meetups exclusively use FB, but I hope that trend starts to change.
Check meetup.com for a frugality / investing / buy nothing in-real-life meetup near you.

Quote
I did however make an Instagram a couple years ago when I moved abroad. In my opinion it's a much better platform for sharing photos, without political nonsense, and allows friends and family members to keep up with my travels.
I wonder how long it will be until the culture on instagram changes. If it doesn't, then I would be interested in learning more about what characteristics of online forums make sharing certain kinds of information more likely than others. E.g. you don't see a lot of photos here on the MMM forum - why is that?

You don't see a lot of photos here because this is primarily a financial forum for the purpose of reducing environmental impacts. Are you going to put pictures of your bank statements up? Also, while you can upload pictures it isn't easy.

And instagram is a cesspool. Just because it's not the same cesspool that Facebook is doesn't make it good.

Instagram IS Facebook. Same company, same nefarious shit in a slightly different package.

AlanStache

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #87 on: October 22, 2021, 01:47:56 PM »
As others have said, the FB experience can be what you make of it.  Almost from the start I had a special category I could filer some 'friends' into who posted stuff I was not interested in seeing ie overly political or just sharing third party stuff.  I have joined very few groups.  I have very few FB friends I have not known IRL or at least meet first.  FB can be a good way to see what is happening in the area, I have tried meetup but it does not seem to be as active here.

I did on a few occasions engage after someone posted political stuff but it was only a very polite comment that fact checking there post showed it to be wrong and asking if they had a source for it, took a few tires but over time she learned and stopped posting out right false stuff or maybe she just filtered me (shrugs). 

Going back a few years I have only logged in on the weekend.  I have never had the FB app.  I think I have posted maybe once/twice this year. 

I have used it to connect to more distant family when traveling and got to see them for the first time in decades; similar with old friends I would not otherwise have lost touch with. 

Closing my account will not stop them from tracking me around the interwebs.  In an ethical level I actively give money to oil and gas companies when I drive and probably buy Nestlé products on occasion.  Closing the account might be the moral thing to do but maybe I am just to lazy or stuck with it to stop. 

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #88 on: October 25, 2021, 09:17:38 AM »
After deactivating my FB accounts for about a month I've decided to permanently delete them. Annoyingly, pushing the "delete" button doesn't actually delete the account, rather it schedules it for a month later. They *really* don't want people deleting their accounts. So I wait.

The private blog setup is working exactly as planned. It looks great, much nicer for authoring posts with pictures/media with longer form text. The small handful of people who genuinely care about what we're up to have created user accounts and we comment back and forth.

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #89 on: October 25, 2021, 09:39:52 AM »
After deactivating my FB accounts for about a month I've decided to permanently delete them. Annoyingly, pushing the "delete" button doesn't actually delete the account, rather it schedules it for a month later. They *really* don't want people deleting their accounts. So I wait.

I'd be more tempted to just put an impossibly complex password on my FB account and then let it languish forever. The risk of deleting your account is that someone else, or a bot, could come along and recreate "FINate Lastname" with your photo and everything. Then they basically own your reputation and no one could guess otherwise. Good luck with FB customer service if you ever found out.

Paranoid? Perhaps. But if there's one thing I've learned it's that social media is a scam that is best used for scamming people.

FINate

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #90 on: October 25, 2021, 11:15:27 AM »
After deactivating my FB accounts for about a month I've decided to permanently delete them. Annoyingly, pushing the "delete" button doesn't actually delete the account, rather it schedules it for a month later. They *really* don't want people deleting their accounts. So I wait.

I'd be more tempted to just put an impossibly complex password on my FB account and then let it languish forever. The risk of deleting your account is that someone else, or a bot, could come along and recreate "FINate Lastname" with your photo and everything. Then they basically own your reputation and no one could guess otherwise. Good luck with FB customer service if you ever found out.

Paranoid? Perhaps. But if there's one thing I've learned it's that social media is a scam that is best used for scamming people.

That risk already exists with or without an account. Firstname-Lastname is not unique on FB, look at the number of John Smith accounts. The only way to prevent this scenario is to actively monitor FB ... not gonna happen.

Sibley

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #91 on: October 25, 2021, 08:06:41 PM »
After deactivating my FB accounts for about a month I've decided to permanently delete them. Annoyingly, pushing the "delete" button doesn't actually delete the account, rather it schedules it for a month later. They *really* don't want people deleting their accounts. So I wait.

I'd be more tempted to just put an impossibly complex password on my FB account and then let it languish forever. The risk of deleting your account is that someone else, or a bot, could come along and recreate "FINate Lastname" with your photo and everything. Then they basically own your reputation and no one could guess otherwise. Good luck with FB customer service if you ever found out.

Paranoid? Perhaps. But if there's one thing I've learned it's that social media is a scam that is best used for scamming people.

That risk already exists with or without an account. Firstname-Lastname is not unique on FB, look at the number of John Smith accounts. The only way to prevent this scenario is to actively monitor FB ... not gonna happen.

Not only does that risk exist, it is an active scam that happens. I can't tell you how many times I've come across cloned accounts.

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #92 on: October 25, 2021, 08:42:23 PM »
I’m a semi-public figure so I feel like I have to be on FB. And on LinkedIn. The bragging elements of both have gotten to me, and the politics are ridiculous. Nothing reasonable spreads, only nonsense. On Facebook, I tried unfollowing the drama queens and crazy political types, but then I didn’t realize how off the deep end they were.

Now I’ve become an avid user of the “snooze for 30 days” feature. More political nonsense? Snooze. More MLM posts? Snooze.  More photos of cute kids?  Cool. Travel photos? Yes!  Woe is me? Snooze. Old Far Side comics? Oh, give me some more. The funny thing is that the same people keep posting the same nonsense and keep getting snoozed. But sometimes I get a useful update or wedding photos from a distant cousin or something worthwhile before they get snoozed again.

I also report ads and posts as in appropriate, offensive, etc. I got unfriended and blocked by a “friend” for one of those. Oh well. At least I know for sure now that they are nuts.

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #93 on: October 26, 2021, 01:07:35 AM »
.. useful update or wedding photos ..
Among my Facebook connections, for useful updates, someone usually shares those in a group Facebook Messenger chat. People know that not everyone checks their Facebook timeline often, but a chat notification will get checked on by an active participant. I participate multiple times a day in some very active group Facebook Messenger chats that are important to me- different groups of family members, different groups of friends, but I haven't posted in my timeline, nor posted a comment in someone's timeline, since 2013

Aside from the people I know, I use Facebook to follow / keep up, on particular interests / organizations. I suppose these days, it's easier than updating websites  / don't use RSS. Like, not many know about West Papua. https://www.facebook.com/ilpscommission10/posts/184073337239762 Glad that https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/recent/?start=90 can be accessed through https://www.inoreader.com

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #94 on: October 30, 2021, 04:23:45 PM »
I'm super early in my FI journey so I'm pretty stoked to find a Throw Down the Gauntlet post I can participate in! I deleted my Facebook in July and haven't looked back. I was never a power user in the first place, so maybe that's why it was easy for me to unplug.

I won't pretend that deleting my Facebook was a life-changing event, but I do feel better. It seems like I participate in the world more actively, savoring each interaction/life event a little bit more instead of wondering how many likes I'd get for posting about it. I'm tempted to delete my Strava and my LinkedIn now. It feels good to live your life without meaningless external validation metrics ("Did anyone like my post?") breathing down your neck.

The ironic thing is, I just picked up a second job managing the social media for one of the departments at my university, despite only having a LinkedIn that I never use. Hoping I can do a good job without becoming a scrolling, brain-dead zombie.

Taran Wanderer

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #95 on: October 30, 2021, 08:06:00 PM »
Okay, I deleted Facebook from my phone. If I want to see it, I’ll have to use a different device, and I don’t keep other devices always within arm’s reach. That’s a start…

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #96 on: October 31, 2021, 03:58:37 AM »
Okay, I deleted Facebook from my phone. If I want to see it, I’ll have to use a different device, and I don’t keep other devices always within arm’s reach. That’s a start…

I did exactly the same thing - I got rid of Facebook and Instagram apps on my phone but did not delete the accounts. On rare occasions, I do use Facebook marketplace to get rid of stuff from our house.

Weisass

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #97 on: October 31, 2021, 04:42:59 AM »
Okay, I deleted Facebook from my phone. If I want to see it, I’ll have to use a different device, and I don’t keep other devices always within arm’s reach. That’s a start…

I did this over a year ago. What a game changer it was!

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #98 on: October 31, 2021, 12:50:51 PM »
I'm tempted to delete my Strava and my LinkedIn now. It feels good to live your life without meaningless external validation metrics ("Did anyone like my post?") breathing down your neck.

I deleted strava, I really didn't like the social media aspect. There were super users posting crazy runs / bikes constantly, making me feel inadequate. I stressed about recording everything I did and pushed myself to put up fast times for no good reason. It's so nice to turn the phone off, be present, and just enjoy the ride instead.

sui generis

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Re: Delete Facebook
« Reply #99 on: October 31, 2021, 01:31:56 PM »
So Buy Nothing rolled out their app. I didn't get notified even though I signed up for their wait-list, but just heard about it and downloaded. Unfortunately, my Buy Nothing group is right now sprouting into 3 groups and it would have been a perfect time to encourage people to get off FB and onto the app, but the admins didn't even mention it. Huh. Anyway, one step closer to deleting Facebook. I think mostly I'd miss the hiking groups I get valuable Intel from now.

I am wondering how much of a distinction it makes to actually delete one's account vs just basically eliminate any activity. I saw in one of the Facebook Papers articles this week that Facebook is worried that, although their user number is still increasing, there's been a sharp decrease in rate of posting content.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!