Downsides of facebook:
People tell flat out lies on it, and those lies get passed around and take on a life of their own.
There are always these flattering comments, always from men with two first names, and they are always retired military or doctors and they are always widowed, and they want you to send them a friend request. (Yeah, buddy, not born yesterday).
I like the market place stuff but really you can't ever tell what kind of scam you're getting into there. I've learned that you never want to respond to a kitchen aid mixer advertisement.
Facebook is always running 'sponsored' ads, which tend to be companies pretending to be Bed, Bath, and Beyond, or Home Depot or Clark's Shoes or Lego, or something recognizable, like that. But they are not. They are some fly by night company, usually from China and they are trying to rip you off. (Shameful admission: I was ripped off twice by this. Don't ever order from a facebook ad, advice learned the hard way.
You never know who is watching you. Why would I put info out there for people who don't even like me?
Upside of facebook?
I'm going to miss some folks but they can always talk to me on messenger.
Tonight, I deactivated my account.
From what I have heard, a sensible move. I've never been on FB, and frankly haven't missed it. Like so much of social media it is open to abuse and that severely limits its usefulness.
ReplyDeleteI guess the part that bothers me the most is that you simply have no idea what is real and what is bull. That and the fact that people at a keyboard will say the most awful things, things that they wouldn't say to a person's face.
DeleteI am in a couple of community groups that are good, and I don't find much in general that bothers me. I must just skim over the bad stuff. There's good stuff, for it was FB that reminded me of local TG pie sales that are about to happen.
ReplyDeleteIt has its good points. No denying that. It is a life line for some. For me? Not so much.
DeleteI will miss you. We have been friends for many years on here. A lady has to do what she thinks is right for her and I am proud of you for standing up for your beliefs.
ReplyDeleteOh, I will still blog. I am not going to use Facebook.
DeleteI read it wrong and am thankful you made it clear for me. Thank you. I like reading about all you have going on. I only FB with my many cousins around the country.
DeleteOh gosh! You too? I deactivated my Facebook account years ago. I'm forgetting why now. However, there are many times that a certain website will ask me to sign in with my Facebook account and I don't have one anymore. I do miss the friends I used to see on it though.
ReplyDeleteAs the Amish say, "I'm too late smart."
DeleteMy F/B works for me. I have built up a good collection of interesting sites, whether they be archaeology, art or beautiful stuff. Birds flit through and I have a small but good list of friends.
ReplyDeleteAs for weird stories from some people, I may read but never respond, either in action or thought, there are just too many people whingeing away in public.
It just reached a tipping point here. I'm happy with my decision, but I'd sure hate to give up my friendly circle of fellow bloggers! You are all stuck with me, unfortunately.
DeleteI only use FB to keep up with my family across in England, although they don't use it so much now. My account is private so only friends can see my activity and I never respond to requests from anyone. I am a member of our community group page which generally is useful but often gets hijacked by idiots having an illiterate rant, but I ignore those.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, although my facebook is private, a lot of nonsense gets shared by people on my friend/family list. I'd just rather not read it anymore.
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ReplyDeleteI meant to say Debby I see no need to use FB and emails and blogging suffices.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what I will find. This is quite an experiment.
DeleteNot that she could use a computer but several years ago I set up an FB account for my mother. It was handy at times to show her things. I deleted her account yesterday. Gosh, deleting an FB account is hard to find. It is very deeply buried.
ReplyDeleteI found it quite easily. I researched it and just did it.
DeleteI have a facebook account with just 3 children as "friends" but never look at it anyway! Manage perfectly well without it thanks
ReplyDeleteI was surprised at how little I missed it today.
Deletere yesterday's comment and question, I have 5 browsers on my pc which use for different purposes so that google is separated from microsoft and both from my email and banking services. I use Opera for Facebook and miscellaneous one-off things. There is a security setting in Opera and all other browsers under the cookie section - delete all cookies on exit. I woundn't want this for everything because it would, for example, mean having to log into Blogger every time I used it. I have Blogger on Firefox and leave it logged in. Doing all this means having to be fairly disciplined, but I can cope with that having worked with computers in a technical way for many years.
ReplyDeleteWow. I don't even know five browsers! I'd have to look that up. But you are disciplined. Me? Not so much. I have a new computer in a box sitting on the floor right next to me. I have not gotten around to setting it up yet. I'm not sure my boggy old one would handle five browsers. It takes forever to get it fired up in the morning.
DeleteLike Tasker, although not as fastidious, I use 5 browsers for different things and so far, it seems to have served me well enough. FB is a pain with so much irrelevant garbage but it is very useful in our relatively small community for getting information on what is going on and whose sheep have escaped and are trying to destroy my garden and will they came and get them!
ReplyDeleteLOL. I enjoyed your 'moving pictures' You live in such a wonderful part of the world, sheep and all!
DeleteThank you, Debby.
DeleteWell, you did it! I should too. But I probably won't.
ReplyDeleteMeh. If you don't feel the need, don't do it!
DeleteI keep in touch with friends and family through Facebook. I just keep it private and never click on people or groups I don't know. I block the ads I don't want to see.
ReplyDeleteI blocked them too. Every single day. But every single day, there were more! Ack!
DeleteExcellent info. I am always skeptical about face book. My son deactivated his account a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteThe idea of giving up facebook was a lot more difficult than actually giving it up!
DeleteYeah, I get it. I'm still on Facebook but I use it less and less. It just seems less essential as I get older. I never click the ads and they seem to have realized I'm not a likely customer!
ReplyDeleteI never click on them, but still, I am inundated.
DeleteI do not know what those friendly, flattering men, nearly always in uniform or holding a dog, expect get out of it. Are they hoping for a friend to give them money?
ReplyDeleteBam! You hit that nail right on the head. They try to establish a relationship, and then they start sharing hard luck stories.
DeleteI enjoy using FB, but have decided to be more cautious about the things I 'like'...and have a few friends that I would never have had contacts with otherwise. We have fun, also private sharing. I did get a scam yesterday and had to shut things down, and fortunately have a good virus protection so wasn't worried. I have bought some shoes through an animal support site, and things went well. I even share my blogs over there, so those friends who don't do blogs can see what's going on here (my own of course.)
ReplyDeleteBut I also have family members who never use FB, and I didn't mean to say that you should do other than what you've decided. Glad you'll still be here, and I don't think we were ever FB friends anyway!
ReplyDeleteOh gees, Barbara, you stated an opinion and that's perfectly fine. You should always feel free to have an opinion here. Goodness knows, I have enough of them myself!
DeleteFacebook has a lot of value for me. It is the primary way I can stay in touch with my scattered and limited family. Second, it is my primary source of local news which out here in rural America is in very short supply in any other form. But it certainly has its share of drawbacks. Like stated by someone else above, I have learned to be very selective on who I "Friend" on their platform. That eliminates about 90% of the problems right there.
ReplyDeleteMy problem is that most of my family are trumpers. They are the ones sharing the questionable posts. It gets to be a real quandary. In the end, I think iwill be better to me to see them at family events. In person, people tend not to say half the shit they say when they are at a keyboard. In person, we don't discuss these things.
DeleteIt is just too useful, linking circles of family and friends in cycling, ceramics, printing, all around the world...I couldn't keep up with so many any other way so quickly. I wish there was another way....it takes enough time as it is, any other way would eat up even more!!
ReplyDeleteIt is a tool, and can be a useful one. Perhaps I have poor self control. I have gotten quite a bit more accomplished than usual today.
DeleteLike gz, I enjoy Facebook and can keep up with family and friends. I have lots of really interesting groups that I follow too, and although they sometimes have people making bullying posts, most are just followed by ordinary folk who enjoy the content. I'm following several history and archaeology groups, a wonderful Mudlarking one, Between the Ears (view when on horseback), Church visiting sites (the older the church the better) - all sorts. There are even ones for houses with Wriggly Tin rooves, old gates and old tin baths! I know - you couldn't make it up. Most of the folk on these are really lovely too.
ReplyDeleteLots of friends quit FB, many come back after a brief hiatus. I have made it work for me by removing people, unfollowing others, reporting posts, etc. I am in several groups that I find to be valuable resources and nice people. And I can keep up with my family, flung as far away as Australia. Those scam posts, I let the poster know and then move on. No sense worrying about that any more than worrying over so many other world problems I cannot fix.
ReplyDelete