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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?

#281
post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I missed my friend's 50th birthday party because I wasn't on Facebook Hate to break it to you, but he's not really your friend. You would have known about it directly or through someone else if so. Facebook is for finding out about events / people who aren't close to you, but you're still interested in. That's its value.

I’m not sure why you’re being downvoted. I feel the same way. I’ve been invited to multiple social events that were largely organized on Facebook since deleting my own account. I was always informed either directly or indirectly through mutual friends, usually by phone or SMS/iMessage. I’ve also been made aware of multiple events I did not attend because I do not consider myself close friends with those hosts and I’m…

>I was always informed either directly or indirectly through mutual friends, usually by phone or SMS/iMessage.

Precisely this. A type of thinking which includes Facebook being a persons only means of communication is very simplistic. While there are some unusual user cases -- such as my coworker who had to use wi-fi for Messenger -- and they pop up in certain circumstances, I do not think this is as widespread as some make it out to be. To explain my standing, it comes from my observation of hearing people say using Messenger is "easier" and they're able to stay in contact with people they may not want to on a more personal level (i.e. SMS, voice calls) or they are international.

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

#282
Facebook is one of those things I learn about what long tail really meant. There are still regions and countries just getting on or Facebook being a hot new item. People are using it for all sort of things. In the west, the social circle might have moved to IG for youngsters years ago, for many Facebook is still the king.

Facebook is also informational ( Problem of Fake News ). Those hipster who like Sanpchat? Where were they now? The so call next gen didn't like WhatsApp and Facebook? What do they use when they are finally out of college? The thing I love about working is that it these people will have to adopt to OUR way of working ( Gosh that sounds old, as if like I was forced to use Lotus Notes for email ) but seriously Snapchat and IG just cant be used much for work because information density is too low. It might be good for entertainment. Twitter and Facebook is still king.

So I didn't delete my Facebook. It is still useful without replacement. I am waiting to see if deleting Facebook is still a Silicon Valley / nerds movement or actual real world movement.

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

#283
Yes.

And since then I've been stuck in a loop of reactivating/deactivating because I do use facebook messenger and logging in from a new device seems to magically turn my account back on. I finally just gave up a month ago and just left it on. However, I did completely break the habit of mindlessly opening facebook when I'm bored. I'm really glad I quashed that habit - once it's gone facebook feels like a pretty lifeless experience when you open it.

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

#286
I quit using Facebook in early 2014. I asked them to delete my account. Later, in 2017, I logged into Spotify for the first time ever, using the same email I had registered with Facebook in the past. Magically my account was restored and linked to Spotify.

After that I was sort of at a loss, but I did delete my account again this year after seeing a link on a thread here that claimed it would “really” allow me to delete my account. I still don’t trust it.

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

#287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are many systemic wrongs that are worth fighting to change, and a single person can't possibly fight them all at the same time. You can't expect everyone to be deeply invested in the privacy cause; some people care more about, say, feminism, or veganism, or homelessness, or something else. That's okay, too.

Oh, I 100% agree. We all choose our own battles and our own hills to die on. And deep down, I suspect many of us (or at the very least "me") choose those battles and hills for not entirely rational or "for the greater good" reasons. Having said that, if your battle is feminism you don't remain engaged with and support "locker room talk". If your battle is veganism you don't remain engaged with groups of butchers or h…

This was well-articulated, and your example was good. I'm not vegan, but I dislike the vitriolic 'jokes' that many of them are subjected to -- voicing your beliefs is certainly an admirable trait to me.

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

#290

People have commented that they have missed out on friends 50th parties and even their death due to not being on Facebook. And therefore not being on Facebook is a big decision with consequences for your life. However I think if you are not on FB, and you don't want to miss out, you need to do some old fashion stuff, like call your friends on the phone if they are long distance, or meet with them in person if they ar…

It goes both ways, too. If you have people in your life who are more than surface relationships then they and you will both make the effort to maintain it—Facebook isn’t going to enhance that to any real degree. The moment it becomes more than just a tool is the moment I’m OUT.
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