[M_Six]

I reluctantly, at Wifey's urging, joined Facebook about 9 or 10 years ago just to have a place to post vacation pics so we could share them with family. It's worked well for that over the years. I've also joined a few groups that have kept me in touch with former military friends and cycling groups and so on. There is definitely an upside to Facebook.

That said, Facebook the App is insidious. It worms its way into everything. And Facebook itself is sadly a net negative drag on society. Way too many people use it as their sole source of information and believe everything they read on it. And Facebook the Corporation seems to have no qualms about letting pure BS run amok on their system, or about selling the personal data of every member.

So now I'm torn between leaving or staying. I personally don't post much on FB aside from pics and the occasional post in a cycling group. And I do use it occasionally to have a quick chat with folks I normally wouldn't if it weren't for Facebook. But I'm finding it harder to justify to myself continuing to feed it. Sort of like feeding one particularly friendly rodent or raccoon or stray cat. You know all it wants from you is to keep feeding it, but you keep doing it anyway.

My nephew cleared himself of FB years ago and claims it was the best thing he's ever done. Anyone else ever delete a Facebook account or just not start one in the first place? Or, is it a case of using the beast for what you want out of it and accepting the inevitable cost of doing so?

What are your thoughts on Facebook?

[Rmtt]

Never had one. But it seems like everyone else in my family has an account. They will say hit me up on FB.....and I tell them if they want to talk I have a phone number.

I kind of hate technology ....and ironically I make my living from it. So maybe I'm just burnt out after dealing with it all day at work.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by Rmtt

Never had one. But it seems like everyone else in my family has an account. They will say hit me up on FB.....and I tell them if they want to talk I have a phone number.

I kind of hate technology ....and ironically I make my living from it. So maybe I'm just burnt out after dealing with it all day at work.

This is an excellent point. I'm also an IT guy and I know what FB is doing on my machines. I understand how invasive it is. I try as much as possible to block trackers and ads and scripts and so on, and I'm fairly successful. But doing all that while continuing to use FB is like working out everyday and then drinking and smoking heavily. All the preventive stuff is wasted effort if you continue the vices.

[DC X3M40i]

I also joined Facebook 11 years ago when we had our first child. Used it as a way of shoving pics of my newborn down people’s throats. As time went on...I realized how much I despised it. Seeing all your “friends” postin all this amazing stuff... vacations....material goods....cars.... everyone trying to one up each other to see who has a “better life” it’s such a misrepresentation of real life.
Also seeing how everyone obsessed over it. “OMG did you see what so and so posted!?!?!” I couldn’t even talk to my wife abt current events...or a new restaurant I read about “oh yea.... so and so posted it on Facebook...” ok..conversation over I guess.

Just got tired of it...I deleted my account two years ago and I can’t be happier. I don’t feel as if I’m missing out on anything. Anyone that matters to me I am in direct contact with...I don’t need Facebook. To keep in contact with someone I went to,school with in the third grade that I have absolutely nothing in common with. I’m good..

Facebook can suck it.....lol

[G35POPPEDMYCHERRY]

i have no problem in the world dropping messenger. unfortunately messenger is too useful

[hubbahubba]

Never had it, never will.

[premier3is]

Never had one, never will. Don't give a shit about others and what they are up to. Focus on yourself and your close circle of family and friends, avoid social media... it'll be the best thing you ever do.

[minn19]

Originally Posted by premier3is

Never had one, never will. Don't give a shit about others and what they are up to. Focus on yourself and your close circle of family and friends, avoid social media... it'll be the best thing you ever do.

^This and agree. I don’t get Facebook messaging people either, what’s wrong with just texting the person(s) you want to talk to?

[premier3is]

Originally Posted by minn19

^This and agree. I don’t get Facebook messaging people either, what’s wrong with just texting the person(s) you want to talk to?

That's what I'm saying. And if we don't text via phone, then we obviously aren't close enough to be talking via social media lol.

[hubbahubba]

Originally Posted by minn19

^This and agree. I don’t get Facebook messaging people either, what’s wrong with just texting the person(s) you want to talk to?

About 5-1/2 years ago, I left San Diego and moved to the Phoenix area. When I left, I was chatting with the VP at my employer that I had been with for 9 years, and he asked if I was on Facebook. He was absolutely stunned that I was not. He asked how we could keep in touch, and I told him I would still have the same phone number. It was almost as if I was speaking Chinese. Nope, want no part of that cult.

[DocL]

I can see the validity to this and wish I could get off FB. However I need a social media presence for my business and unfortunately FB is the most effective way for marketing these days. I don’t post much personal topics as aforementioned. FB has become a way for everyone to feel special and brag about their materialistic belongings. It even makes it way onto forums like this.

[jimbobiggens]

I work in IT. Working in IT and having an active Facebook account is like studying to be a dietitian while working at McDonalds. I quit Facebook a couple of years ago.

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by DC F97

I also joined Facebook 11 years ago when we had our first child. Used it as a way of shoving pics of my newborn down people’s throats. As time went on...I realized how much I despised it. Seeing all your “friends” postin all this amazing stuff... vacations....material goods....cars.... everyone trying to one up each other to see who has a “better life” it’s such a misrepresentation of real life.
Also seeing how everyone obsessed over it. “OMG did you see what so and so posted!?!?!” I couldn’t even talk to my wife abt current events...or a new restaurant I read about “oh yea.... so and so posted it on Facebook...” ok..conversation over I guess.

Just got tired of it...I deleted my account two years ago and I can’t be happier. I don’t feel as if I’m missing out on anything. Anyone that matters to me I am in direct contact with...I don’t need Facebook. To keep in contact with someone I went to,school with in the third grade that I have absolutely nothing in common with. I’m good..

Facebook can suck it.....lol

Well, it depends how you use FB. It's basically a big feedback loop. You look and interact with a lot of friends posting bs you will see more bs.

Because of my business I need a FB account regardless. That being said I personally find it quite useful. I sell more shit in their marketplace than I do on craigslist of any of the other sites. I'm also a member of several groups about trucks and rvs. Just like this forum, I can pretty much find a fix for anything in my rv on one of those groups. If not I can post my issue and get a ton of people helping.

Since that is the main thing I use FB for (other than work stuff) pretty much all I see in my feed is post from my truck or rv group. There are even some groups who have a lot of whiny people, but I still like to be in the group so I can search it when I have issues, I just silence those groups or whatever and I don't see their posts in my stream.

I really only interact and post stuff to maybe 10 people who are either close friends or family, so occasionally I will see one of their posts in between my rv groups. You can also silence specific people if you don't want to see their shit.

So honestly, aside from the privacy issues, I'm not sure what all the whining is about (in general). If you don't get any value from it then dump it. Not sure why there would be any debate.

[AlpineWhite_SJ]

I had it from 2007 to 2017/2018. Got rid of it after Cambridge analytica since i already kinda hated what was in my feed. It was 1/4 ads, 1/4 political crap, 1/4 annoying thoughts of people I know who I liked better when I didn’t know what they were thinking all day and 1/4 updates from friends/family that were actually useful.

Don’t regret getting rid of it but kinda inconvenient when car clubs and other people post stuff using their platform. BMW CCA uses their platform for article comments, for example.

Won’t sign up for it again and have no need for messenger. Still have Instagram since I like photos, but politics is starting to invade it too. WhatsApp only use for international contacts where it’s easier than phone calls or texts.

[Germanauto]

I've had Facebook since high school, people (at least my age) don't seem to use it much anymore. They've migrated to Instagram. My Facebook "friends" don't post at all. I still log into Fb daily to check up on sports and automotive pages in my feed. The memes after a big game are really entertaining. The messenger app is a great way to keep up with friends informally, and there are local car pages which keep me in the loop for events I otherwise wouldn't have known about. There's a big Porsche event tomorrow morning I'll be going to thanks to Facebook.

Now I resisted Instagram a lot, for years actually. I'd saw a lot of attention whoring and self-promotion that turned me off. However I finally gave in recently and made one and I'm glad I did it. It really just comes down to how you use the platform! I don't follow people who are annoying or self-promoting, nor do I do this myself.

So it's the same thing with Facebook. Delete (or "unfollow") people you don't give a shit about and/or who annoy you and use it for the stuff you enjoy.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dreamingat30fps

Well, it depends how you use FB. It's basically a big feedback loop. You look and interact with a lot of friends posting bs you will see more bs.

Because of my business I need a FB account regardless. That being said I personally find it quite useful. I sell more shit in their marketplace than I do on craigslist of any of the other sites. I'm also a member of several groups about trucks and rvs. Just like this forum, I can pretty much find a fix for anything in my rv on one of those groups. If not I can post my issue and get a ton of people helping.

Since that is the main thing I use FB for (other than work stuff) pretty much all I see in my feed is post from my truck or rv group. There are even some groups who have a lot of whiny people, but I still like to be in the group so I can search it when I have issues, I just silence those groups or whatever and I don't see their posts in my stream.

I really only interact and post stuff to maybe 10 people who are either close friends or family, so occasionally I will see one of their posts in between my rv groups. You can also silence specific people if you don't want to see their shit.

So honestly, aside from the privacy issues, I'm not sure what all the whining is about (in general). If you don't get any value from it then dump it. Not sure why there would be any debate.

Finally a positive note. I feel the same in many ways. It can be useful for me and I know how to silence the voices I don't want to hear. My current aversion issue is more a protest than a security concern. Normally I would hate what FB is as a corporate entity, but its usefulness is just not replicated elsewhere.

[QUiKSR20]

I also like you guys work in IT, Partially hate it but still have it due to family from afar etc. I dont use it much outside of sharing a pic here or there or some of the usefull car groups etc. What I will say is ill always prefer the quality of car content on a forum like this vs the lazy people on the Facebook groups for say F30s etc.

I would love to share what I have done to make it more tolerable and less evasive :

1 - I dont have it on my phone, I use when im on the computer only.
2 - In my browser I use the following plugins which are a godsend :

- FB Purity - https://www.fbpurity.com/ ( filters all the junk you dont want to see )
- FB Container - Dont let facebook talk outside of its browser window - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ook-container/

Other noteworthy apps that make the web a much better place, Ublock Origin ( ad blocker ) and the best PiHole a DNS based adblocker for my whole home network. Every device including smart appliances.

Ublock - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ublock-origin/
Pi-Hole -https://pi-hole.net/

Cant escape it all but can fine tune it a little...

[pennsiveguy]

I was on FB early on, maybe 2007. Deleted my account after about a year. More for boredom reasons than anything else. It's since turned into a shit-show, and I want no part of it.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by QUiKSR20

I also like you guys work in IT, Partially hate it but still have it due to family from afar etc. I dont use it much outside of sharing a pic here or there or some of the usefull car groups etc. What I will say is ill always prefer the quality of car content on a forum like this vs the lazy people on the Facebook groups for say F30s etc.

I would love to share what I have done to make it more tolerable and less evasive :

1 - I dont have it on my phone, I use when im on the computer only.
2 - In my browser I use the following plugins which are a godsend :

- FB Purity - https://www.fbpurity.com/ ( filters all the junk you dont want to see )
- FB Container - Dont let facebook talk outside of its browser window - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ook-container/

Other noteworthy apps that make the web a much better place, Ublock Origin ( ad blocker ) and the best PiHole a DNS based adblocker for my whole home network. Every device including smart appliances.

Ublock - https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/fir...ublock-origin/
Pi-Hole -https://pi-hole.net/

Cant escape it all but can fine tune it a little...

pi-hole is interesting. I may look into that. Have you done any research on it? Turning over DNS duties to an app is no small step. I run a Raspberry Pi VPN box and route through it all day long. Adding this piece might be an interesting bonus.

[tuco44]

Originally Posted by premier3is

Never had one, never will. Don't give a shit about others and what they are up to. Focus on yourself and your close circle of family and friends, avoid social media... it'll be the best thing you ever do.

I share your feelings exactly. I am not on any social media, and never will be.

[premier3is]

Originally Posted by tuco44

I share your feelings exactly. I am not on any social media, and never will be.

I have an Instagram, but that's because I gave in after years of not having any social media... I only use it for seeing the latest news and sports. The only 'followers' I have are people who have my phone number and can text me directly, and anyone else who adds me that I don't know or haven't talked to in years (since Instagram gives follow suggestions to others), gets ignored. No need for followers, couldn't give a crap about it. And I don't post anything ever either.

[QUiKSR20]

Originally Posted by M_Six

pi-hole is interesting. I may look into that. Have you done any research on it? Turning over DNS duties to an app is no small step. I run a Raspberry Pi VPN box and route through it all day long. Adding this piece might be an interesting bonus.

I work in enterprise IT, me and lots of my colleagues have been running them forever.. What you do is setup the program in a VM or on a pi.. Then you just tell it who you want your outgoing DNS to be, cloudfare / google or your isp.

Then just tell your router that your DNS ip is the pi-hole, Its one of the best network applications I have added and I self host a bunch of stuff.

Please let me know if you have any questions, Theres a great reddit forum too - https://www.reddit.com/r/pihole/