4 ms·

Like apple, facebook has very successfully created an ecosystem which makes it very very hard for you to escape and remain sane. I used 4 products from facebook

Like apple, facebook has very successfully created an ecosystem which makes it very very hard for you to escape and remain sane. I used 4 products from facebook - the website(deleted), instagram, messenger(deleted), whatsapp because all of my contacts are on either of them. I do not have an alternative currently where I can be assured of finding any of my contact to connect and share stuff with.

tfha 9y ago
I lost a lot of friends quitting Facebook. All of the events we coordinated were over Facebook. I was no longer able to invite people to my events, and they no longer were notifying me of their events. I was off the radar. Took me more than two years to build up a new set of friends who could coordinate apart from Facebook after that. Not fun, but Facebook was definitely unhealthy.
- superquest 9y ago
  That's the only reason I won't delete. So many friends from traveling that would be lost ...
  - steaknsteak 9y ago
    Same. As much as I would like to move off Facebook, my friends are worth more to me than that. I could still communicate with them if I didn't have it, but it would take much more effort and I'm not the type to reach out that often. For people in my age range, we often make a facebook event, invite all the relevant friends, and it's done. If you don't have Facebook or don't check it, I won't remember to text you an invite. Maybe it makes me a shitty friend but I just assume everyone will see it on Facebook
  - confounded 9y ago
    Badger people for contact details (phone, email, etc.). It’s a good excuse to catch-up with people, and it’s a good thing to do, even if you won’t be deleting you’re account. Even if this whole thing blows over in a week, Facebook will eventually go out of style for the usual reasons that social platforms do. Your connections are more important than an ad surveillance network. Backup your relationships!
slantyyz 9y ago
>> facebook has very successfully created an ecosystem which makes it very very hard for you to escape and remain sane. Really? Ok granted, I'm probably "old" for an HN user, but to me Facebook is a system that creates an artificial sense of connectedness. I don't consider that an essential service. Do we all need to be connected to everyone and know what they're doing at all times? I've drifted away from friends I had 20, 30, 40 years ago, and that's perfectly OK. If people are important to you, you will find a way to stay connected. It's not the end of the world if you lose touch. It was a perfectly normal phenomena before social media, and it will be after social media as well. As I've gotten older, I've noticed that I prefer fewer, deeper relationships than having a large number of shallow relationships. That's why I tend to use email/instant messaging with only my close friends/family. I have a Facebook presence, but it's only there to maintain weaker connections to people outside of my core social circle.
- sidyapa 9y ago
  There is something greater than a social circle, the economic circle. It might not be for you but lot my contacts have transactional relationships with me, i.e., they have my details because they know I can offer something they have availed in the past and might someday need in the future, they trust me. And same goes for me, if someday I need my friend Tushaar's video and audio skills for some project I should be able to look him up instantly and message him rather than asking around helplessly within my social circle for his contact.
gkya 9y ago
They have bought instagram and whatsapp, neither of which require you to have a facebook account.
- sidyapa 9y ago
  But I am pretty sure they have their data extraction and storage machinery hooked up to instagram and whatsapp (I see related ads on instagram)
  - gkya 9y ago
    I only use whatsapp, it's end to end encrypted and data's kept on the device. I'm fairly sure my whatsapp messages are private enough, although I'd be happy if I was informed should that not be the actual case.

tfha 9y ago

I lost a lot of friends quitting Facebook. All of the events we coordinated were over Facebook. I was no longer able to invite people to my events, and they no longer were notifying me of their events. I was off the radar. Took me more than two years to build up a new set of friends who could coordinate apart from Facebook after that. Not fun, but Facebook was definitely unhealthy.

superquest 9y ago
That's the only reason I won't delete. So many friends from traveling that would be lost ...
- steaknsteak 9y ago
  Same. As much as I would like to move off Facebook, my friends are worth more to me than that. I could still communicate with them if I didn't have it, but it would take much more effort and I'm not the type to reach out that often. For people in my age range, we often make a facebook event, invite all the relevant friends, and it's done. If you don't have Facebook or don't check it, I won't remember to text you an invite. Maybe it makes me a shitty friend but I just assume everyone will see it on Facebook
- confounded 9y ago
  Badger people for contact details (phone, email, etc.). It’s a good excuse to catch-up with people, and it’s a good thing to do, even if you won’t be deleting you’re account. Even if this whole thing blows over in a week, Facebook will eventually go out of style for the usual reasons that social platforms do. Your connections are more important than an ad surveillance network. Backup your relationships!

slantyyz 9y ago

>> facebook has very successfully created an ecosystem which makes it very very hard for you to escape and remain sane. Really? Ok granted, I'm probably "old" for an HN user, but to me Facebook is a system that creates an artificial sense of connectedness. I don't consider that an essential service. Do we all need to be connected to everyone and know what they're doing at all times? I've drifted away from friends I had 20, 30, 40 years ago, and that's perfectly OK. If people are important to you, you will find a way to stay connected. It's not the end of the world if you lose touch. It was a perfectly normal phenomena before social media, and it will be after social media as well. As I've gotten older, I've noticed that I prefer fewer, deeper relationships than having a large number of shallow relationships. That's why I tend to use email/instant messaging with only my close friends/family. I have a Facebook presence, but it's only there to maintain weaker connections to people outside of my core social circle.

sidyapa 9y ago
There is something greater than a social circle, the economic circle. It might not be for you but lot my contacts have transactional relationships with me, i.e., they have my details because they know I can offer something they have availed in the past and might someday need in the future, they trust me. And same goes for me, if someday I need my friend Tushaar's video and audio skills for some project I should be able to look him up instantly and message him rather than asking around helplessly within my social circle for his contact.

gkya 9y ago

They have bought instagram and whatsapp, neither of which require you to have a facebook account.

sidyapa 9y ago
But I am pretty sure they have their data extraction and storage machinery hooked up to instagram and whatsapp (I see related ads on instagram)
- gkya 9y ago
  I only use whatsapp, it's end to end encrypted and data's kept on the device. I'm fairly sure my whatsapp messages are private enough, although I'd be happy if I was informed should that not be the actual case.