Monday, May 17, 2010

Why I Quit Facebook

This past week, while in Germany I finally had it. I was checking facebook as usual and had a friend request from some girl in Germany I had never met. I thought it was quite strange. I've also been seeing auto-postings on my behalf all over the place, such as on various news websites: "Rick Rockhill likes this, or Rick Rockhill likes that" or sharing info I posted to multiple friends of friends. Despite MULTIPLE checks of their privacy settings, it became exceedingly difficult to control all the applications the evil facebook empire has been adding as "active" without permission or review of its user base. I feel this is a gross abuse of its members and our private information. Facebook is not just a social community. All of its members are mere "currency" in a world of information. The more information users enter about themselves, the more valuable they become. Facebook can sell groups of people by their interests, likes, religious beliefs, things they "liked" etc to various groups, organizations and companies for profit- all without its users knowing. It borders on an invasion of privacy. All day long, people unknowingly surrender their private information, innocently sharing things like photos, tagging themselves, and others on where they had been. After reading the current outcry from the public and governments, I decided I had enough. I deactivated Facebook. The first day was a bit of anxiety, not checking it constantly. But by the third day I was so relieved that I had done it. Please take a close look at facebook and what you post there and how you use it.Quit facebook today!

10 comments:

Rhodester said...

Typo alert - After reading reading the current outcry..

Sorry to see you leave it, I have such fun poking you. Or poking fun at you.. whateverrrr...

I have no worries, my entire personae is made up. They're selling fake info on me. There is no "Dave Rhodes," I'm really a 12-y/o Nigerian girl blogging from my parent's hut. I just think a white guy living in the basement of a hundred year old hotel in San Francisco sounds so LUXURIOUS! and he eats like twice a day! Sometimes three times! Amazing!

kenju said...

You make it sound scary, Rick. I'm not quite ready to quit, though I am trying to be careful with what I click.

grace said...

good for you! I have been contemplating this step for about a week now. I get requests all the time, from people I have NO idea, not even in the slightest who they are. And yes, all the other stuff aswell. "currency in the world of information"...I never thought of it that way, but you are right, and you may have helped me to make a very good decision to close the FB. thank you.

KathyA said...

1. It sounds like you were hacked.
2. I spend a little time on FB -- just checking in with my friends and I enjoy that part. I've never been friended by someone I didn't know and would find that very disconcerting.
3. You're right about people giving away too much information.

Anonymous said...

wow, I was thinking the same thing. Someone sent me a message about a friend suggestion... one I personally never sent. Plus, I was spending too much time. Too unhealthy.

Odat said...

I quit too! I had my email hacked and messages were going out to everyone on my contact list that I never sent...and if someone opened them the same thing happened to them.
It's not worth the hassle.
Peace

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness! Rick, that is SCARY!! I've had friends quit FB for those reasons too. I sometimes contemplate quitting, but FB is my lifeline to the outside world. LOL! I live on an island far, far away from my friends and family. It's the best way I can keep in touch with loved ones and for them to keep up to date with my daughter's growth :)

BTW, I have something for you on my blog: http://lifeonmanitoulin.blogspot.com/2010/05/awww.html

Olivia said...

Hi Rick. I know, it's been ages since I was here. Thanks for letting us know what has been going on with your Facebook account, as I thought you were quitting for other reasons, such as to protect your public persona, but now I see it is for more safety-related reasons. Thankfully, I haven't had any of these problems, and it does sound like you've been hacked. Just being little old me, I'm probably much less of a target anyway...best wishes to you and the household...let me know whenever you're in the DC area.

Unknown said...

I am with you! I quit 2 weeks ago. Similarily, I had no control over what my younger family members post and there is sooo much clutter and nonsense to it. The biggest time waster ever. Sooo worthless ..i only used it to see my friends pictures ... oh well..they'll just have to send me something more personal as an email.

WAT said...

Good for you Rick. I often consider doing the same, but I'm a bit addicted, although quite frankly I used to live fine without FACEBOOK at one point right?!

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