Why I deleted my Facebook account • Hacker News Board

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#221

Post by ikeyany » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 1:51 PM UTC

chinathrow wrote: post #29

em3rgent0rdr wrote: post #7

"Facebook tracks posts and comments even before you post them...sending form data surreptitiously is morally wrong, and everyone knows it..." protip: you can access FB without javascript via https://mbasic.facebook.com/ and you don't have to worry about such concerns. (I learned this from a Stallman video.)

And you can even write and read messages on mbasic.facebook.com opposed to m.facebook.com which just re-directs you to the app store in order to install their messenger app.

It's not coercive, you see, Zuckerberg is just empowering users to make meaningful connections.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#222

Post by _lbaq » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:00 PM UTC

bogomipz wrote: post #220

The author states: >"Here’s the thing. You won’t be as outcast and lonely as you think. Your friends—and I know this is hard to believe—are still your friends in real life. You just won’t get notifications of what they ate on their lunch break." This is so true and you might even find that you interact with your real friends more in real life after quitting Facebook. "Facebook friends" is really a misnomer that has k…

Problem with quitting Facebook has nothing to do with your (real) friends, at least not for me, but for one or two communities (retro computers in this case), 10 years ago they would have been on a forum-like platform, but are now on Facebook instead.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#223

Post by thearn4 » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:02 PM UTC

whiddershins wrote: post #216

The one greatest internet life hack I discovered in the last couple of years is to delete browser autocompletes (cmd + shift + delete or similar). Once I became aware of the "slot machine" effect of websites I deleted the default autocompletes for Facebook and Hacker News, for example. Prior to doing this, if I typed "F" into chrome I went to my Facebook news feed, and "N" in chrome took me to HN. I deleted those def…

This is a great idea for FB and Reddit. For HN, it's a tougher call for me, I value the topics and discussions a lot more than I do most other sites. But it is probably a giant distraction when taken as a whole.

Slack is another one I've found myself trying to stop compulsively checking. I've been collecting a lot of public slack teams lately.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#224

Post by petraeus » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:03 PM UTC

Look at all you facebook haters lol, its just a tool, its YOUR problem if you cant control it. Its like swearing never to use a hammer again because you missed a nail once.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#225

Post by smokeyj » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:03 PM UTC

whiddershins wrote: post #216

The one greatest internet life hack I discovered in the last couple of years is to delete browser autocompletes (cmd + shift + delete or similar). Once I became aware of the "slot machine" effect of websites I deleted the default autocompletes for Facebook and Hacker News, for example. Prior to doing this, if I typed "F" into chrome I went to my Facebook news feed, and "N" in chrome took me to HN. I deleted those def…

I use this app to block websites when I'm trying to work: https://github.com/SelfControlApp/selfcontrol

It's amazing how reflexive opening a tab and going to your favorite distraction is.

I also make sure to put my phone silenced and out of arms reach.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#226

Post by tyfon » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:04 PM UTC

qwepoiru wrote: post #55

timrichard wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good point... for this, I'm still using Google+. One circle for immediate family, another for wider family... I don't think I bother sharing photos to any wider circles than that at the moment.

except nobody has any family on google+! the whole world uses whatsapp exactly for that use case you describe. Sadly both options are awful.

I have all of my family on g+ actually. In the beginning, we just said "if you want to see baby pictures, sign up here and add us to your family circle".

Blackmail works :)

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#227

Post by lmm » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:07 PM UTC

lloeki wrote: post #195

lmm wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're talking about dopamine you're already /inside/ what makes up someone's personality. "Dopamine hits" are called being happy .

Dopamine triggers satisfaction, not happiness. Otherwise we just fond the magic recipe for the whole world to be extremely happy! Instead it turns out that just makes everyone feel miserable.

> Otherwise we just fond the magic recipe for the whole world to be extremely happy! Instead it turns out that just makes everyone feel miserable.

What is it you're saying makes everyone feel miserable? AIUI the artificial substitute for dopamine is cocaine, which only makes people miserable when they run out (and more generally as tolerance kicks in)? Social media seems to make some people miserable, but despite how much people love to throw around "dopamine" in Internet arguments ("skinner box" is another good one) there's no scientifically demonstrated connection AFAIK.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#228

Post by ivm » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:08 PM UTC

whiddershins wrote: post #216

The one greatest internet life hack I discovered in the last couple of years is to delete browser autocompletes (cmd + shift + delete or similar). Once I became aware of the "slot machine" effect of websites I deleted the default autocompletes for Facebook and Hacker News, for example. Prior to doing this, if I typed "F" into chrome I went to my Facebook news feed, and "N" in chrome took me to HN. I deleted those def…

Yes, I have a separate laptop for all the distracting sites including HN. My main machine is for work.

But why do you need Facebook app on your iPhone at all? Messenger is enough.

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#229

Post by bogomipz » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:09 PM UTC

_lbaq wrote: post #222

bogomipz wrote: post #220

The author states: >"Here’s the thing. You won’t be as outcast and lonely as you think. Your friends—and I know this is hard to believe—are still your friends in real life. You just won’t get notifications of what they ate on their lunch break." This is so true and you might even find that you interact with your real friends more in real life after quitting Facebook. "Facebook friends" is really a misnomer that has k…

Problem with quitting Facebook has nothing to do with your (real) friends, at least not for me, but for one or two communities (retro computers in this case), 10 years ago they would have been on a forum-like platform, but are now on Facebook instead.

Well FB is also a "forum-like" platform. What does that mean?

What does FB provide your two communities that wouldn't be available via a Slack Channel/Blog/mailing list/subreddit etc?

Re: Why I deleted my Facebook account

#230

Post by DerfNet » Fri, Jul 07, 2017, 2:11 PM UTC

jhasse wrote: post #190

The one thing keeping me on Facebook are events / RSVP. I don't know any good alternative. For example it's still missing in Diaspora: https://github.com/diaspora/diaspora/issues/1359

I recently deleted my 10 year old Facebook account and opened a new locked down one that I use only for events. No pictures, no connections to anything else I use, no facebook app on my phone. it's unfortunate but it's basically a necessity.