I deleted my fb account in 2015. I was a heavy user until the day I quit. One of my best decisions, never looked back!
Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
161–170 of 408 posts
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#162No. I actually created a Facebook account in 2018. The problem is that without Facebook you will miss out. Sure, close friends and family will invite you to their social events, but more distant acquaintances will not; you know, the bloke you met at the pub last week and had a 20 minute chat with, or that cute girl you talked to but then she suddenly she was dragged off to a birthday party by her friends. By missing…
The reason your friend suggestions were still there is because your email or phone number is in your friends contact list on their phone, and that data is shared with Facebook. This indirect information about you is called a shadow profile, deleting your FB account does not delete the shadow profile because the data belongs to your friends, not you.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#163I didn't deleted it yet, but I still didn't accept the GDPR terms.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#164Deleted my account permanently two months ago. In the beginning it was interesting too see how it had become a habit to write the url almost without thinking, and for three weeks I found myself opening a new tab and writing the Facebook.com address every time my mind started wandering. Also deleted my Instagram account at the same time and currently in the process of deleting WhatsApp as well, as soon as some project…
> Deleted my account permanently two months ago. In the beginning it was interesting too see how it had become a habit to write the url almost without thinking, and for three weeks I found myself opening a new tab and writing the Facebook.com address every time my mind started wandering.
I've deleted my account in 2017 when I realized that I only care about ~10 of my ~1,000 friends. The behavior you described also happened to me -- a lot. It was quite scary to realize how often I absentmindedly type in Facebook's url every day.
The hardest part about deleting my account was that I had a few deceased people in my friend list. That held me back for a good while (years actually) – because it was a terrifying thought that, no matter if I change my mind and come back, they could never accept a new friend request by me and I would never be able browse their profile again.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#165Yes. I did it for the privacy issues, and for being personally opposed to advertising in all forms. But I also did it because social networks are harmful even beside that. They are attention suckers, they distract, and they also depress and mislead you. All in all, I feel measurably worse for having them in my life. I feel it was doing me harm, to my mental health, my free time, my overall well-being. The (small) benefits, which I can mostly replace with messaging via other services, do not outweigh this harm. That's why all the posts about "an open-source/distributed/decentralised facebook substitute" don't really appeal to me either.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#166Nope. Definitely use it a bit less because I've realized that there aren't that really any benefits of using it for anything other than messaging/events. Despite the shitstorm against them from NYT/HN I really couldn't care less about what they do with the data I willingly share on their platform
What about the data you unknowingly share from other browser tabs, your cache, your other apps on your phone if you're a mobile user, etc?
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#167No, I deleted it in 2017 and I don't regret it.
In 2018 I got rid of whats app and the smartphone. This one involved a sacrifice, being farther away from my friends. But I got so much in exchange. Time, presence, big reduction in anxiety, contact with people, compassion. Got my life back.
I get to call and visit my friends and really enjoy talking to them.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#168Almost. 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 co…
> Quitting Facebook may not a choice without severe consequences
You know you're living in a time of peace when not having Facebook is considered to have severe consequences.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#169yes already in January. Deleted twitter last month. Next up will be Linkedin (before the year ends). As of Jan 2019 I've decided to no longer carry a mobile phone (it will be switched off with batteries removed in a drawer for at least 1 year then I'll decide if I want to keep using it or not). Babysteps ...
> Next up will be Linkedin
Linkedin is a tough one for me. Although I can't say its social networking has ever provided a lick of value, the Easy Apply and One-Click Apply feature for job postings is incredibly nice and has been pretty effective for me. Maybe I'll get rid of my account once I land my next gig soon.
Re: Ask HN: Did you delete your Facebook account in 2018?
#170Yep. I used https://deletefacebook.com/ which made it straightforward and easy.