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Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

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Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#91

Post by chriswarbo »

procinct wrote: post #76
chriswarbo wrote: post #72

No, I've never used it. Or MySpace, Instagram, SnapChat, LinkedIn, FourSquare, etc. I did install Android on my 'phone when it was first released, but at the time its keyboard was hard-coded to specific hardware (the G1 had a physical "jump" button that my 'phone doesn't have, and this was required for typing punctuation). I uninstalled it and went back to Debian, haven't looked back :)

Just to clarify, are you saying you run Debian on your phone? If so how does that all work? What sort of phone do you use?

> Just to clarify, are you saying you run Debian on your phone?

Yep.

> If so how does that all work?

I just installed QtMoko ( http://qtmoko.sourceforge.net )

> What sort of phone do you use?

An OpenMoko Freerunner ( http://wiki.openmoko.org/wiki/Neo_FreeRunner )

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#92

Post by m0zg »

Nope, but I did kick the habit of visiting it multiple times daily. Now I login once a month or so (in incognito), check the updates from my real, actual friends of family, and close it until next time. I also don't post anything there. I do use Instagram, however.

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#93

Post by Iknown0thing »

I deleted Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, twitter, uber. I have stopped using chrome on my computer and device. I dont use google for most searches on my personal computer. I have gone back to relying on a RSS feed to keep up with the news. And have disabled all personalisation features on my google pixel 2.

It is impressive how truly evil companies are becoming in silicon valley.

I was recently at a Kent Beck talk (yow 2018). Where he went in great lengths to tell us how people can use facebook to elect fascists. I assume he means Trump. On the other hand, he also said that from the inside Facebook does not feel like it is doing anything nasty.

As a complete outsider to silicon valley - has valley basically become group think and finding it difficult to have discussions around morality and collective responsibility. Purely relying on "thought leaders", usually tech-journalists to drive these discussions?

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#94

Post by unicornporn »

zenexer wrote: post #7

Almost. I started the process—downloaded all my data, etc. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go through with it for reasons I’m embarrassed to admit: 1. One entire side of my extended family relies on it for all familial communications. I was forced to use Facebook Messenger recently to help with wedding planning, for example. These people are addicted to it an have invested everything in it—Facebook knows their entire lives…

> I couldn’t go through with it for reasons I’m embarrassed to admit

Quitting Facebook may not a choice without severe consequences. I'm lucky enough to be able to stay away from Facebook, but I know everyone isn't in the same position. It's important to acknowledge that Facebook is inextricably intertwined with many peoples professional and social lives.

Your workplace may require you to Workplace by Facebook for collaboration. The parents group at your childs school may only communicate via Facebook. Perhaps the bachelors party of a dear friend may be planned via Facebook.

Embarrassment is the last thing you should feel for being trapped by this tyrant.

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#95

Post by newman8r »

I deleted it several years ago, then re-opened it briefly this year, then almost immediately closed it again.

I needed to buy FB ads for a project I was working on, so I signed up with a brand new email address. Immediately after signing up, it was messaging people in my old network that I had joined facebook and suggesting they add me as a friend. Really creeped me out. I just wanted to join so I could buy ads and have zero contact with other people.

So I immediately deleted it and decided I was going to live without facebook ads.

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#96

Post by whatshisface »

basitmakine wrote: post #68
chrisper wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are right. Nothing better than a company using your private messages for targeted ads!

I don't know man. I'm just perfectly ok with them sneak peeking into my conversation trends and extracting key phrases for targeted ads.. I mean, what is the alternative? You can pay subscription fees(noone would), or see generic ads(no company would advertise due to next to zero CR).. Either way, facebook is dead. What makes companies like Facebook, Google etc unique is that, their ability to appease to both sides o…

An alternative would be to have contextual ads that were based on the present state of the page, but none of your history. This is how it always was, only a few years ago.

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#97

Post by nickwalton00 »

atemerev wrote: post #55

I just unfollowed all my friends (back in 2015). They still see me as a friend, I can read their posts individually, I can use FB to communicate with my family — but there is nothing interesting now in my feed, so I am free from addiction. Highly recommended. I don't care much about ethics, Facebook is free to topple governments or play with the very fabric or democracy or whatever — cool stuff to do, I'd join them i…

I did the same thing. Unfollowed everyone but super close family and friends. It does wonders to clear addiction. Now I check it for maybe 5-10 minutes once a week and that's it.

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#98

Post by echelon »

zenexer wrote: post #7

Almost. I started the process—downloaded all my data, etc. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go through with it for reasons I’m embarrassed to admit: 1. One entire side of my extended family relies on it for all familial communications. I was forced to use Facebook Messenger recently to help with wedding planning, for example. These people are addicted to it an have invested everything in it—Facebook knows their entire lives…

> People post pictures of me on Facebook despite my objections.

We need to make legislation against this. I know taking pictures in public places is fair game. I also know celebrities are subject to having this information published due to the public nature of their lives. But for those wanting to live private lives, we should be able to ban tagging or indexing and sue those parties that enable this to happen without consent.

Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?

#100

Post by whatshisface »

basitmakine wrote: post #51

I actually, in a strange way, don't really care about all this privacy stuff. A for-profit company looking into my personal preferences just to show me better targeted ads, instead of boring, generic ones? What's better than that? They're either going to charge me monthly subscription fees, which would kill the whole business in an instant, or find a way to make a profit off ads.

You are suffering from one cut in the thousand cut death mechanism. Each corporation will take away a little of what everyone used to have by default, in exchange for something worth just a little less than what they're taking away. Once every corporation, government office and secret agency has taken their cut you will no longer be a free person. Some time down the line, someone will notice that you are not a free person, and then they will do something that could impact your happiness.
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