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Odd that "Stop using Facebook and products it owns" wasn't listed. While I understand that at this point it will probably take some regulatory action to fully

Odd that "Stop using Facebook and products it owns" wasn't listed. While I understand that at this point it will probably take some regulatory action to fully deal with Facebook and its abuses, there's a huge cognitive dissonance among many people when it comes to Facebook. Lots of the people who complain about how evil the company's behavior is use the company's products frequently. Lots of criticism of Facebook is published on websites that have Facebook Like and follow buttons, and use Facebook tracking pixels. Stop feeding the beast.

jqpabc123 5y ago
Facebook is an addiction. "Just say no", is wonderful advice but the reality is somewhat more complicated.
- swsieber 5y ago
  > "Just say no", is wonderful advice Which is why we're surprised it's not in the article. Applying that advice is complicated, but we should still push for it, and there's is a very strong network effect. If in reaction to new a lot of people stopped using Facebook, then Facebook would be that much easier for others to stop using.
- aww_dang 5y ago
  It might be easier said than done, but at some point you have to stop indulging your addiction if you want to stop indulging your addiction.
  - wpietri 5y ago
    Maybe, but that's now how addictions are generally fixed. Even for simple physical ones, like caffeine, kicking the habit is a complicated process, and is best done with careful preparation and a nuanced understanding of how the addict benefits from the addiction. That's even more true for more serious addictions. There are always reasons somebody became an addict, and preventing relapse often requires solving those problems first before any real headway is made. Generally, the "just say no" advice is much more fun to say than it is useful to the addict.
- LurkingPenguin 5y ago
  People deal with their addictions. If people can overcome alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction, etc., people who are genuinely addicted to Facebook can do more than say "I'm addicted."
Nextgrid 5y ago
If Facebook wasn't behaving anti-competitively by preventing interoperability this might work, but as of right now an individual may not always have a choice in using Facebook. A lot of businesses, social clubs, schools/daycare centers, etc use Facebook as their primary online presence. Your option is to either sign up or not participate.
- varelse 5y ago
  I'm consciously uncoupling from Facebook over time. I'm down to a couple of groups, well one actually, before I disengage entirely in a month or two. You are correct that a lot of organizations make use of Facebook but somebody has to push back so why not you? It has to start somewhere...
- mikro2nd 5y ago
  In all such cases (and there certainly are a few) I decline to participate. Yes, Virginia, it really is just that simple.
- ryandrake 5y ago
  1. Don't participate 2. Communicate with the business through some other means (all local businesses I deal with have a phone), and if they don't provide one, then stop doing business there, too, and find a way to tell them why. 3. If your friends won't communicate with you simply because you won't use a Facebook-owned communication channel, then I have bad news for you: They might not really be great friends. Sorry to be rude, but this idea that "you don't have a choice to use Facebook properties" is ridiculous. We all have a choice. I haven't used Facebook for close to 10 years now, and I never signed up for any of their other properties like Instagram and WhatsApp. I had an Oculus and stopped using it when the Facebook purchase happened. You do have a choice.
  - wpietri 5y ago
    I get that this advice works for you. What makes you so confident that you understand the situations of everybody else on the planet?
  - 5y ago
fortran77 5y ago
It's _much_ easier to stop using Facebook than, say, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, etc.
wpietri 5y ago
It's not like "stop using Facebook and products it owns" is novel advice. But it doesn't seem to be constraining Facebook much. At this point, I don't think it's a realistic way to have impact on the problem. The people who are thoughtful and aware and dedicated enough to do that have taken some action. But Facebook clearly doesn't need those people to make a lot of money.

jqpabc123 5y ago

Facebook is an addiction. "Just say no", is wonderful advice but the reality is somewhat more complicated.

swsieber 5y ago
> "Just say no", is wonderful advice Which is why we're surprised it's not in the article. Applying that advice is complicated, but we should still push for it, and there's is a very strong network effect. If in reaction to new a lot of people stopped using Facebook, then Facebook would be that much easier for others to stop using.
aww_dang 5y ago
It might be easier said than done, but at some point you have to stop indulging your addiction if you want to stop indulging your addiction.
- wpietri 5y ago
  Maybe, but that's now how addictions are generally fixed. Even for simple physical ones, like caffeine, kicking the habit is a complicated process, and is best done with careful preparation and a nuanced understanding of how the addict benefits from the addiction. That's even more true for more serious addictions. There are always reasons somebody became an addict, and preventing relapse often requires solving those problems first before any real headway is made. Generally, the "just say no" advice is much more fun to say than it is useful to the addict.
LurkingPenguin 5y ago
People deal with their addictions. If people can overcome alcoholism, drug addiction, sex addiction, etc., people who are genuinely addicted to Facebook can do more than say "I'm addicted."

Nextgrid 5y ago

If Facebook wasn't behaving anti-competitively by preventing interoperability this might work, but as of right now an individual may not always have a choice in using Facebook. A lot of businesses, social clubs, schools/daycare centers, etc use Facebook as their primary online presence. Your option is to either sign up or not participate.

varelse 5y ago
I'm consciously uncoupling from Facebook over time. I'm down to a couple of groups, well one actually, before I disengage entirely in a month or two. You are correct that a lot of organizations make use of Facebook but somebody has to push back so why not you? It has to start somewhere...
mikro2nd 5y ago
In all such cases (and there certainly are a few) I decline to participate. Yes, Virginia, it really is just that simple.
ryandrake 5y ago
1. Don't participate 2. Communicate with the business through some other means (all local businesses I deal with have a phone), and if they don't provide one, then stop doing business there, too, and find a way to tell them why. 3. If your friends won't communicate with you simply because you won't use a Facebook-owned communication channel, then I have bad news for you: They might not really be great friends. Sorry to be rude, but this idea that "you don't have a choice to use Facebook properties" is ridiculous. We all have a choice. I haven't used Facebook for close to 10 years now, and I never signed up for any of their other properties like Instagram and WhatsApp. I had an Oculus and stopped using it when the Facebook purchase happened. You do have a choice.
- wpietri 5y ago
  I get that this advice works for you. What makes you so confident that you understand the situations of everybody else on the planet?
- 5y ago

fortran77 5y ago

It's _much_ easier to stop using Facebook than, say, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, etc.

wpietri 5y ago

It's not like "stop using Facebook and products it owns" is novel advice. But it doesn't seem to be constraining Facebook much. At this point, I don't think it's a realistic way to have impact on the problem. The people who are thoughtful and aware and dedicated enough to do that have taken some action. But Facebook clearly doesn't need those people to make a lot of money.