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Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

bradfrost.com

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Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#241

Post by thirdsun »

tomcam wrote: post #174
hasbroslasher wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Up until last year, I chalked up the "I deleted my Facebook" phenomenon to hipsterdom or some pathology where people think the can "cure" "addiction" by quitting whatever unhealthy behavior pattern they exhibit for a week or month and then coming back. Last month I deactivated my Facebook and have yet to turn it back on. In the months prior I started finding alternative sources of news: NYT, Pitchfork, HN, various su…

Wait, Bandcamp is a news source?

If you're into music absolutely.

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#242

Post by cm2187 »

paulie_a wrote: post #240
mbillie1 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. I initially only uninstalled messenger (which intolerably presented me with a popup asking me to enable notifications EVERY TIME I OPENED THE APP ), then got rid of the FB app. Now even on my laptop facebook.com is pointing at localhost in /etc/hosts, which makes me edit a root file to look at it. I'm much, much happier. If it works for you, cool, but if you're dissatisfied and considering abandoning it anyway,…

I am honestly wondering if there is an inside joke for tech companies attempting to make the worst possible messaging app. Facebook messenger is god awful ugly, same with snapchat. Google Hangouts is ok at best (I personally have not used Google's other dozen or so messaging apps they have)

....and Microsoft' stellar success with Skype

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#243

Post by smcl »

paulie_a wrote: post #240
mbillie1 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. I initially only uninstalled messenger (which intolerably presented me with a popup asking me to enable notifications EVERY TIME I OPENED THE APP ), then got rid of the FB app. Now even on my laptop facebook.com is pointing at localhost in /etc/hosts, which makes me edit a root file to look at it. I'm much, much happier. If it works for you, cool, but if you're dissatisfied and considering abandoning it anyway,…

I am honestly wondering if there is an inside joke for tech companies attempting to make the worst possible messaging app. Facebook messenger is god awful ugly, same with snapchat. Google Hangouts is ok at best (I personally have not used Google's other dozen or so messaging apps they have)

GChat used to be great - it was simple, relatively lightweight and quick. Then it was rebranded Hangouts and became a little muddled and unwieldy for a brief period when Whatsapp was ascendent which nearly overnight caused my entire group of friends to switch.

You're right about the IM apps being not great. This and the poor state of desktop email clients on Windows and Linux are my pet hates

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#244

Post by watwut »

lamby wrote: post #33
taylodl wrote: post #2

The best thing I ever did was delete the Facebook app from my phone. I had already disabled all the notifications, but that didn't change things like deleting the app. Not being able to get to Facebook wherever you are. As silly as it sounds it was liberating. I still access Facebook from my laptop - but now that it's off of my phone, I'm accessing Facebook less and less frequently and I'm find I'm happier as a resul…

> Less Facebook == more happy More productive, less distracted, etc., sure but was FB really getting you down that much? Am I just using Facebook "wrong" in that it's not upsetting me the same way it upsets others?

Nope, you are using it the right way. Apparently it is not for everybody, but some can use it without being distracted.

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#245

Post by rahoulb »

Hasknewbie wrote: post #111
tucif wrote: post #41

"I’m likely not going to delete Facebook entirely since I do genuinely enjoy staying in touch with the people in my life, and for better or worse Facebook is where those people hang out" Is it likely that most people are willing to move and the only problem is there are no compelling options?

I facepalmed when I read that "not going to delete FB because" sentence. How about that thing called e-mail? If keeping someone's e-mail address and firing a message every now and then is too much hassle, then that person was not worth keeping in touch with in the first place. FB has turned people into needy Rolodex hoarders.

I know a lot of people who only check their email when they have signed up for a service. Beyond that "email is for spam". Admittedly these people aren't on Facebook either (they have an account because "you have to").

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#246

Post by pvdebbe »

Hasknewbie wrote: post #111
tucif wrote: post #41

"I’m likely not going to delete Facebook entirely since I do genuinely enjoy staying in touch with the people in my life, and for better or worse Facebook is where those people hang out" Is it likely that most people are willing to move and the only problem is there are no compelling options?

I facepalmed when I read that "not going to delete FB because" sentence. How about that thing called e-mail? If keeping someone's e-mail address and firing a message every now and then is too much hassle, then that person was not worth keeping in touch with in the first place. FB has turned people into needy Rolodex hoarders.

If/when I move a bit farther from my immediate family, I'll consider setting up a WP blog for catchups and family chat. That way you get to share stati and pics, comment on them, discuss, on top of all, you get RSS and other niceties.

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#247

Post by quadrangle »

Everyone needs to understand one simple fact:

The PRIMARY use of Facebook should be to post about stuff like this, explaining all the ways Facebook is unethical.

Note: write something like "I saw this article that really made me think… and you should get in touch with offline to learn more about what's going on in my life" and no link. Then you can link to this article in the comments. Facebook has decided that links that get people to leave Facebook are bad, so you have to pretend your post is about something personal.

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#248

Post by fldrog »

taylodl wrote: post #2

The best thing I ever did was delete the Facebook app from my phone. I had already disabled all the notifications, but that didn't change things like deleting the app. Not being able to get to Facebook wherever you are. As silly as it sounds it was liberating. I still access Facebook from my laptop - but now that it's off of my phone, I'm accessing Facebook less and less frequently and I'm find I'm happier as a resul…

The 2nd best thing after uninstalling the fb app from the phone was to log out from it in my laptop's browser, make sure my password is a generated one (so I can't enter it manually) and also make sure it won't autocomplete when I go to facebook.com.

Now if I want to access it I have to open the Password Manager, copy the password and then paste it ... which are too many steps for me to take in order to check it out :)

So, in the past 1-2 months I think I spent in total 1-2 hours on facebook.

Re: Facebook, You Needy Sonofabitch

#250

Post by bambax »

I've never been on Facebook but I have a few fake accounts. Those accounts don't have photos, never posted anything, never friended anyone, never even connected to anybody, etc. Yet they constantly get new "friends requests" and pokes and whatnot.

Why would any real person want to be friend with a ghost fake account?

Facebook is not only "needy", it's a big bullshit engine.

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