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> I think it's reasonable to assume that if 50k people tweeted about it, a far larger number probably took action I don't really think it's reasonable to make

> I think it's reasonable to assume that if 50k people tweeted about it, a far larger number probably took action I don't really think it's reasonable to make any extrapolation, as there are also opposite arguments. A brief search on the hashtag shows that most of it's typical "social stuff" - sarcastic remarks, jokes, pictures etc. Also, I also wouldn't take what social users says as action. There's always been the meme of "I'M GOING TO LEAVE FACEBOOK...!!!", yet Facebook kept growing. Rather, I'd assume it's very typical rage venting.

0xCMP 9y ago
Exactly. How many articles have I, and others on this site, written with the same words. Even if we had written and published it, many of us would have simply deactivated it or decided to stop visiting. Few actually follow through and delete.
ballenf 9y ago
Some recent hard data is the analysis of the #deleteUber campaign and market share in NYC of rideshare services. The data showed a dip that was swallowed (erased) by broad, gradual shifts within a few months. It was a recent front page HN story, but don't remember the title. I think it will take no more than a few million in a nationwide ad campaign running on TV to more than erase any #deleteFB campaign. That is, these campaigns cost the targets $$, but don't really fundamentally alter their trajectory (regulation could be a different story entirely). The other thing in FB's favor here is how incredibly difficult it is for an average user to actually delete, vs. suspend, their FB account. I helped a non-techie friend with it recently and it took about 45 minutes. It wouldn't accept the user's password for deletion even though it worked to login. After 2-3 password changes, it finally worked. (As most here know the actual account deletion page is hidden behind a barely visible link in ... a locked filing cabinet in the basement, guarded by a venomous snake...)

0xCMP 9y ago

Exactly. How many articles have I, and others on this site, written with the same words. Even if we had written and published it, many of us would have simply deactivated it or decided to stop visiting. Few actually follow through and delete.

ballenf 9y ago

Some recent hard data is the analysis of the #deleteUber campaign and market share in NYC of rideshare services. The data showed a dip that was swallowed (erased) by broad, gradual shifts within a few months. It was a recent front page HN story, but don't remember the title. I think it will take no more than a few million in a nationwide ad campaign running on TV to more than erase any #deleteFB campaign. That is, these campaigns cost the targets $$, but don't really fundamentally alter their trajectory (regulation could be a different story entirely). The other thing in FB's favor here is how incredibly difficult it is for an average user to actually delete, vs. suspend, their FB account. I helped a non-techie friend with it recently and it took about 45 minutes. It wouldn't accept the user's password for deletion even though it worked to login. After 2-3 password changes, it finally worked. (As most here know the actual account deletion page is hidden behind a barely visible link in ... a locked filing cabinet in the basement, guarded by a venomous snake...)