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Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

wsj.com

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Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#51

Post by c_r_w »

techsupporter wrote: post #40
Fnoord wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know of a way to automatically delete all my likes and posts? I'd like to not delete my Facebook account because my Spotify account is linked to it.

Spotify will happily unlink your Spotify account from Facebook and has gotten a lot better (and faster) about it in recent days. Several posts on /r/spotify have experience: https://www.reddit.com/r/spotify/search?q=facebook&restrict_...

I deleted all of my Facebook data about a year ago and I actually had to create a new Spotify account to disconnect it from Facebook. Glad to hear they are improving this process.

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#53

Post by prklmn »

sokoloff wrote: post #49
WhitneyLand wrote: post #46

Cox, a major cable operator, allows you to sign up and add any services you want online. However, partially removing or cancelling services online is expressly forbidden. For example, if you wish to keep Internet service but cancel cable TV, a call is required. I know it’s a different process, but wanted to reilluminate the some of the measures taken against disconnecting a service in general. Once you do call, which…

Blue Apron is the same way (easy sign-up online, cancellation on the website tells you to call this phone number). So for the last year, I've been typing in "Blue Apron" to google every couple of weeks, clicking on their paid ad, and skipping the next 5 weeks of deliveries. :)

We need single click online cancellation legislation at the federal level. If you can sign up online, you should be able to just as easily cancel online.

https://techcrunch.com/2016/03/30/tech-blogger-makes-good/

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#54

Post by aetherspawn »

If you want to avoid logging in accidentally, you can just make a garbage (that is, no-garbage?) account that you use only for family or something and then log into that instead.

Rename your old account to John Smith or something, change the password to sign everything out, delete it and then only re-sign into your new account (which you intend to barely/not use).

Nowadays I only use Facebook to reach family that don’t use Instagram and I keep my Instagram network private-only and small (<80). There is automatic cross-posting so it doesn’t cost me any effort in this regard.

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#55

Post by briandear »

sokoloff wrote: post #49
WhitneyLand wrote: post #46

Cox, a major cable operator, allows you to sign up and add any services you want online. However, partially removing or cancelling services online is expressly forbidden. For example, if you wish to keep Internet service but cancel cable TV, a call is required. I know it’s a different process, but wanted to reilluminate the some of the measures taken against disconnecting a service in general. Once you do call, which…

Blue Apron is the same way (easy sign-up online, cancellation on the website tells you to call this phone number). So for the last year, I've been typing in "Blue Apron" to google every couple of weeks, clicking on their paid ad, and skipping the next 5 weeks of deliveries. :)

The New York Times uses this cancellation process as well. I don’t feel bad about violating their paywall now after being forced to actually talk to a person to do something that should be enabled with a single click.

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#56

Post by idle_processor »

WhitneyLand wrote: post #46

Cox, a major cable operator, allows you to sign up and add any services you want online. However, partially removing or cancelling services online is expressly forbidden. For example, if you wish to keep Internet service but cancel cable TV, a call is required. I know it’s a different process, but wanted to reilluminate the some of the measures taken against disconnecting a service in general. Once you do call, which…

Time Warner didn't respect the choice to not disclose a reason. They went in circles a few times, instead of dropping the question and advancing the script.

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#57

Post by briandear »

ino wrote: post #10

If you're in Europe and want to delete your fb account, wouldn't it be better to wait until GDPR activates, so your data actually gets erased instead of hidden? I'm going to erase quite a few accounts I'm no longer using on various services, I really hope they won't cheat.

Any proof anything is actually deleted?

Also, what’s the process for proving that you are the legitimate owner of the record?

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#58

Post by nkantar »

xefer wrote: post #31
hkeide wrote: post #22

I've been using this Chrome extension [0] for many years which simply hides the news feed. After installing it, I never looked back. I haven't disabled it once. If everyone stopped using the news feed, Facebook would be dead. It's the heart of the addiction machine. [0] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/kill-news-feed/hjo...

This is sort of bizarre to me. I say this because I use uBlock to remove everything but the newsfeed. The screen shots shown on that extension page is basically the inverse of what I have... How do you engage with Facebook at all?

My guess is they engage with other Facebook users in a more direct and deliberate manner.

I'd wager that's a far less addictive way to use Facebook overall.

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#59

Post by Fnoord »

techsupporter wrote: post #40
Fnoord wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you know of a way to automatically delete all my likes and posts? I'd like to not delete my Facebook account because my Spotify account is linked to it.

Spotify will happily unlink your Spotify account from Facebook and has gotten a lot better (and faster) about it in recent days. Several posts on /r/spotify have experience: https://www.reddit.com/r/spotify/search?q=facebook&restrict_...

Believe me I tried, it doesn't work in my specific case because the account was initialised via Facebook. They gotta make a new account and copy over my old data. That works, and the Spotify helpdesk is excellent.

Problem is, I use Premium via a voucher from my ISP. My ISP no longer gives these vouchers, and its claimed. So for a new account, I cannot get Premium for "free".

I should feel lucky my ISP hasn't disabled the existing vouchers (the main branch of the ISP did).

Re: Extra Technical Obstacles for Facebook Quitters

#60

Post by imron »

aetherspawn wrote: post #54

If you want to avoid logging in accidentally, you can just make a garbage (that is, no-garbage?) account that you use only for family or something and then log into that instead. Rename your old account to John Smith or something, change the password to sign everything out, delete it and then only re-sign into your new account (which you intend to barely/not use). Nowadays I only use Facebook to reach family that don…

Don't worry, Facebook keeps track of devices, so they'll still know it's really you.
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