Top Ten Reasons You Should Quit Facebook

[onehandle]

I'm having Nothing to do with Facebook. Ever.
________________________________________

Facebook privacy policies keep going down the drain. That's enough reason for many to abandon it. Here you will find nine more:

After some reflection, I've decided to delete my account on Facebook. I'd like to encourage you to do the same. This is part altruism and part selfish. The altruism part is that I think Facebook, as a company, is unethical. The selfish part is that I'd like my own social network to migrate away from Facebook so that I'm not missing anything. In any event, here's my "Top Ten" reasons for why you should join me and many others and delete your account.

10. Facebook's Terms Of Service are completely one-sided
Let's start with the basics. Facebook's Terms Of Service state that not only do they own your data (section 2.1), but if you don't keep it up to date and accurate (section 4.6), they can terminate your account (section 14). You could argue that the terms are just protecting Facebook's interests, and are not in practice enforced, but in the context of their other activities, this defense is pretty weak. As you'll see, there's no reason to give them the benefit of the doubt. Essentially, they see their customers as unpaid employees for crowd-sourcing ad-targeting data.

9. Facebook's CEO has a documented history of unethical behavior
From the very beginning of Facebook's existence, there are questions about Zuckerberg's ethics. According to BusinessInsider.com, he used Facebook user data to guess email passwords and read personal email in order to discredit his rivals. These allegations, albeit unproven and somewhat dated, nonetheless raise troubling questions about the ethics of the CEO of the world's largest social network. They're particularly compelling given that Facebook chose to fork over $65M to settle a related lawsuit alleging that Zuckerberg had actually stolen the idea for Facebook.

8. Facebook has flat out declared war on privacy...

more...

http://gizmodo.com/5530178/top-ten-reasons-you-should-quit-facebook

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I came to two reasons. Facebook is a waste of time. And it is boring.

so after joining it to be able to view my daughter's non profit project postings, and letting it expand to encompass friends from work, life and family, the other night I shut it down and am so, so happy. It just became a way to see how petty, nasty, and boring many people are!

[CommonSensePLZ]

53. Here here.

I didn't like the original FB out of privacy concerns as well, they used to store and own your information, fuck that. But when a later version laxed up I started to love how interactive it was.

But no matter how good the website, nothing can replace being among other human beings. With Facebook, Myspace, probably Twitter (never tried it, see the link below though) and the rest soon the old 'out of sight, out of mind' thing takes effect, friends start taking each for granted and start neglecting each other, meanwhile social networking sites explode with people adding just about everyone or everyone they find attractive to feel popular. This is what I've found on every social networking site I've tried in vain to use to keep relationships going.

I deleted my FB a couple of weeks ago and felt great relief detaching myself from that negativity and phoniness and swore off all social networking sites. If people wanna be my friend they gotta do it the old-fashion way: With honest, verbal communication and hanging out.

Still, I get bored at times, I miss liking stuff and posting my status.. But it needed to be done.

And I don't need employers trolling my info for fireable stuff or having someone keep tabs on me or steal my info or sell it for statistics, if you'll forgive the paranoia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN2HAroA12w

[hlthe2b]

2. I've been ridiculed here and by some of my friends for my

extreme wariness towards FB. I have always thought it inherently risky and thus passed--even though it has annoyed those who kept bombarding me with FB "friend" requests by email. I love the internet, but am increasingly cautious.

[Whisp]

8. I've been trying to convince my daughter to get off it.

It may be working. I hope.

To me its just a huge voyeuristic creepy crappy junior high.

[shanti]

61. you nailed it

n/t

[paulsby]

43. it's only risky or wary if you post stupid shit in it, etc.

god knows i see a lot of people doing that.

my favorite is young girls who will post stuff like "parents out of town, home alone, so bored..."

SERIOUSLY.

and stuff like that.

treat facebook for what it is. but i don't put ANYTHING in facebook that could compromise me if it "got out"

[azmouse]

3. I've never understood the fuss over that site.

I never have and never will join it. I like being unique. :)

[HughMoran]

6. I keep up with old friends there. It's not a lot of fun, but I don't get the big fuss either

:shrug:

[gratuitous]

4. I'm still waiting for my parents' permission

And since Mom's been gone for 28 years, and Dad's been gone for 19, I ain't waiting up nights.

[Raejeanowl]

5. Thanks for the article

I've shared it on my Facebook profile. I'm sure my days are numbered, which is fine by me.

[XemaSab]

7. I won a $1200 product today

by becoming a fan of a company on FB.

I'm feeling the FB love at the moment. :D

[inna]

14. Oh yeah? What product, since you're effectively advertising for FB right now?

:eyes:

nm

[XemaSab]

17. I would prefer not to say

since anyone looking at this could figure out my name from it.

But I'm pretty happy with FB.

[Shell Beau]

20. Congrats on your big prize!!

HEy are you a fan of Starbucks by any chance on FB??

They had a major faux pas today! lol. They posted a thing about Gossip Girl and creating your own frap promotional thingy, but they started it with OMFG! It pissed off some people. Granted, Starbucks shouldn't be posting OMFG. It was deleted quickly. I bet someone got fired over it. There were at least a 1000 posts of pissed off people. And that was only a minute or so after the post.

[XemaSab]

37. Awesome!

:D

[arcadian]

55. Starbucks sucks at social media.

They started an official Starbucks group on flickr and were promptly flooded with photographers telling their stories about how they were thrown out of Starbucks for taking pictures. They launched the group with a photo contest telling people to go out and take pictures of Starbucks. Somebody didn't do their research.

http://www.flickr.com/groups/starbuckscoffeecompany/discuss/72157622351418443/

they got so much negative feedback the admin for the group came out with this:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/starbuckscoffeecompany/discuss/72157623065905521/

[inna]

25. that's totally fine, and congrats on your big win btw.

sorry, didn't mean to be a bitch.

[Shell Beau]

18. Why the eye roll?

Sarcastic like saying she is advertising for FB?

OR like you really think she should have to explain?

[inna]

22. Why the fuck not?

[Shell Beau]

24. Why do you answer a civil question like that?

[inna]

28. oh, i swear like a sailor IRL, nothing to take personally.

[Book Lover]

29. You did? Cool!

I'm glad to know those schemes *do* work (seriously; no sarcasm here). Good on you!

[XemaSab]

38. It's a company that I have purchased stuff from before

but yeah, I'm happy about it. :)

[onehandle]

31. Cool. I won a $20 piece of shareware last week by 're-tweeting' a specific tweet.

Whee!

:)

[Brickbat]

9. *shrug* The vast majority of my info on Facebook is easily findable elsewhere, and if it's not, it's

not something I'm ashamed of. I know what I'm involved in, and so far the payoff is worth it.

[Shell Beau]

10. The positive of FB is that you can reconnect with people

you would likely never see again (or hear from again, including DU friends). That means more to me.

[tonysam]

12. +1,000

I like the site for that reason.

[provis99]

16. it's also a good way to stalk your ex-girlfriends, too.

or ex-boyfriends. Whatever.

[Shell Beau]

23. Good luck with that.

Not everyone is a psycho.

I have also been on the local news and in the newspaper. No biggie. I think if people really want to stalk you, they will find a way no matter what. Thankfully, I have had no issues with such.

[cliffordu]

11. I lied about everything.

I'm a famous sitcom actor, who is also a 30 year old hotty with a picture that looks like me with a real bad hangover.

[complain jane]

13. For one, Facebook should have a breathalyzer option.

If you want the option.

If you blow over a certain BAC level your keyboard shuts down.

I'm astonished by the drunken drama I've seen on Facebook.

[Shell Beau]

15. Hello??? The DU lounge?

Just sayin!!

[complain jane]

30. LOL ok true

Maybe the somebody should invent an optional breathalyzer accessory for the computer in general... :party:

[sendero]

19. I would find the article a lot more compelling..

... if it didn't mention Twitter in every other paragraph.

Only a moron would put any useful information on their FaceBook page, IMHO.

[depakid]

21. And there are oh so many morons...

Facebook and myspace are the greatest inventions for outing the stupid since the advent of the printing press.

[Control-Z]

36. Frankly, myspace makes FB

look almost reputable, imo. I'm not involved in either, other than a FB account I set up a long time ago for the sole purpose of looking at some photos my daughter put up for me to see. (At this point, I have no idea what my username or password is).

I have a (real life) friend who actually got pissed at me for not accepting some kind of friend invitation she sent to me. "All you have to do is click "accept", she scolded. And I mean scolded. She was angry. But I have no desire to develop a friends list or participate in the FB game, so I haven't gone back to look up my account, nor do I plan to. Why would I want another obligation - this one to pretend I'm interested in something she is posting to every single person on earth she knows? She calls me almost daily as it is (and gets pissed if I miss the call - accuses me of purposely not answering - as if I carry my phone with me to the shower and ignore only her). Argh.

[paulsby]

44. cops (myself included) have used it for intelligence gathering and solving cases

and if people are going to confess to crimes etc. in facebook, hook up with undercover cops on myspace in conspiracies etc. then they deserve to get caught

seriously.

we had a case recently where some IDIOT posted pictures of himself with stuff he stole in a burglary. stuff that was pretty easily identifiable as coming from that house

[depakid]

46. There are also companies out there who scour these pages for employers

and potential employers.

Seems like every week or so I hear about some idiot being busted or called to task for one dumbass thing or another, the latest being the New Hampshire high school principal.

This one's got to be the best one ever, though:

Wife blows MI6 chief’s cover on Facebook

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article6639521.ece

[paulsby]

48. it's hurt cops who say dumb shit

there was a case where a cop (cops tend to have a dark sense of humour and use sarcasm a lot. just like nurses, trauma surgeons, etc.) posted on his facebook page that he had just rented training day (btw imo one of the worst movies i have ever seen and stunningly overrated. it just sux. and i;m not averse to "bad cop" movies, if they are done well. training day was awful) and was watching it as a refresher in how to violate people's civil rights, plant evidence, etc.

it was pretty clear he was joking, but...

he was testifying in a case where he had found a gun (stolen iirc) etc. on a suspect and the defense attorney subp'd the facebook stuff and used it to impeach him with the jury, painting him as a rogue cop etc. not based on any stuff he had DONE on duty, but based on those sarcastic joking posts. the jury acquitted.

even if obviously joking, you can still create a lot of negative repercussions with stuff you post in these social networks

[Robb]

65. Yup.

And any newsroom worth its salt has spare FB and MySpace accounts as well, for general snooping if not out-and-out honeypot stuff.

I was about to tell a story, but decided not to. See? Even on DU it's a good idea to self-censor from time to time. :D

[SoxFan]

59. The author is involved in a start-up that wants to compete with FB

Of course, the weasel buries that little nugget at the end of the story, after he floats his vague and unsubstantiated smears.

[nickinSTL]

26. I'm careful about what I put on there

none of the info is anything that isn't publicly available info, for anyone who cared to look.

For instance, I don't have my phone number on there, at all. I only have a cell phone, and only want people who I know well to have it, so I've never added it. My address isn't on there, either, though if someone was diligent enough, finding my address wouldn't be that hard - seeing as housing sales are published publicly.

I also try to keep up on opting out of a lot of the sharing that FB pushes you into.

That said, I don't like FB's policies.

However, as I've been able to use it to stay in touch with some people I wouldn't otherwise have much contact with (and one good friend in particular, who I might otherwise be in touch with, but it might be a bit less convenient), I'm not leaving. At least not until I find that the privacy issues overcome the utility for me.

[harun]

57. Same here. Just put up minimal info, works as a good roladex for

me since most people have their updated email addr's there.

[KonaKane]

27. I don't see the big deal.

I use it to stay connected to friends and family several thousands of miles away. I do not post anything that I do not want the rest of the world to see, it's that simple. That is the way to approach being online, period. Nothing will safeguard your privacy perfectly.

The only way to achieve 100% privacy is to use discretion.

[left coaster]

51. Same here. nt

[Silent3]

62. I'd like to feel free to express political views on Facebook...

...to friends and family without having those views and other personal opinions and info becoming available to someone who might be checking over my resume for a new job.

Yes, I can choose to stick to posting to FB only about the weather and family events and uncontroversial books, movies, and TV shows, but I'd rather have a better privacy policy that doesn't make me have to choose between blandness on one hand and possible employment discrimination on the other.

[flamingdem]

32. You should use a fake name or version of your name for any heavy FB usage nt

[Quantess]

49. And register with a fake year of birth.

None of your friends ever have to see what year you were born or what fake year you registered as being born.

[Lyric]

33. Facebook is fine for those who are wary.

If you don't put the information there, then there's no way they can share it without your permission. I deleted everything from my Info section except for the things I don't care if people know. Just don't GIVE them your info. Then you have nothing to worry about.

[iris27]

34. Want to permanently delete your Facebook account?

Go here:

http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=delete_account

(link found at group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=16929680703)


Otherwise, the only thing FB makes easily available on your profile is a way to "deactivate" your account. It disappears you from everyone else's friend lists, but your account is still there with all its information and connections intact; all you have to do is sign back in and your profile is right there like you never left.

I deleted my account back when they made profile pages available on a Google search of a person's name.

[Duer 157099]

35. I keep getting those email reminders

"So-and-so has invited you to join Facebook"

And I say to my computer, so fucking what?

[Atman]

39. If you're online, you're out there. Don't try to demonize FB for it.

I'm not a defender, but I'll defend 'er (hehe, wasn't that clever wordplay?). I have an FB account, with about 300 "friends," almost entirely real live people I actually know. I can see how people with thousands of "friends" they've never even heard of might run into more privacy issues, but that doesn't change the underlying fact: If you're posting your shit on the web, anywhere, for any reason, you're shit is out there. Even here on DU.

The answer isn't boycotting Facebook, because you're already online anyway. If you choose to use the service, post the minimal amount of information required; use FB's <ACOUNT> settings to further restrict access to your information; and most importantly, don't share stupid personal shit about yourself, and photos of you experiencing it, and also expect a modicum of 'privacy'.

Just sayin.

.

[iris27]

52. Nowhere else online did I go by anything but a screen name, with few identifying details.

You cannot Google search by my real name and find my screen name, or any of my DU posts, or other message boards that I post at. Googling me gets you my address, how much I paid for the house, and a few online petitions that I've signed. That's it. But before I deleted my FB account, searching my name also got you my FB profile page that, although I had it locked down as much as possible, still showed more info than I wanted. This public profile also showed the real names of several of my friends - as well as access to their MUCH less locked-down profiles that included political beliefs I didn't agree with and drunken escapades I was never a part of.

Just sayin'.

[MercutioATC]

40. For many businesses, Facebook is a must.

They may be evil, but they're one of the top social media outlets right now. Some of us HAVE to use them.

Hell, I'm even on Twitter (something I swore I'd never do).

[Warren DeMontague]

41. I'm emailing facebook RIGHT FUCKING NOW and DEMANDING MY MONEY BACK!

Oh, wait, it's free.

[RedCappedBandit]

42. It is the most convenient way for me to keep in contact with all of my friends.

If you're worried about privacy, simply refrain from posting information that you feel is too personal.

The apps are all a waste of time anyway - no biggie to ignore them.

[starroute]

45. I set up a Facebook account but I never use it

I figured it would be probably be good for something, so I set it up and it immediately wanted to put me in touch with someone I knew in kindergarten and someone I took a pantomime class with when I was 10. Which would be fine if I wanted to reminisce about elementary school -- but I don't.

I can see the point in it if you have an extended network of acquaintances or family members, many of whom also know each other, so that you can carry on group conversations, share news and photos, etc. But I don't. I don't have much small talk, and when I have a conversation with someone, it's generally very one-on-one.

So the privacy issues just sort of confirm my feeling that it's not for me. Even when I want to hivemind, there are better ways to do it.

[PSzymeczek]

68. I have one.

I just don't go there much.

[Hippo_Tron]

47. I honestly don't put any info there that I'm not comfortable sharing with people

Advertisers get this data anyway from other means anyway. The exception I guess is pictures, but since other people are uploading those I don't really have a whole lot of control over that. Better to be on facebook and keep an eye on what is being uploaded so I can ask somebody to take a picture off if it is really objectionable.

[Tailormyst]

50. Facebook is a positive part of my life.

Keeps me up to date with family and friends and gives me one central place to connect with everyone. As a single parent that is a definite plus. I keep my info private and don't post anything I wouldn't want the world to see.

[MilesColtrane]

54. "I'd like to encourage you to do the same." (delete your FB account)

Done, four months ago.

[TwilightGardener]

56. Never started it, never will.

[SoxFan]

58. The author runs a competing social media company

He fails to mention that at the outset, choosing to bury it at the end of the article.

This is an unprofessional smear job.

[MilesColtrane]

63. Border Stylo doesn't appear to be in competition with Facebook.

They don't run a social networking web site. It doesn't even look like they have any software for sale yet.

The only thing I found worthy of the smear label was his bringing up allegations of theft against Zuckerberg.

All the rest of the piece seemed based on sound opinion.

[SoxFan]

64. Read his own day late/dollar short disclaimer

Dan Yoder is a serial entrepreneur and the VP of Engineering at Border Stylo, a Hollywood-based social media startup. He can be reached on Twitter as @dyoder.

So he buries it at the end of the story, where 98% ofr eaders will never see it.

Sounds like someone approached Facebook and was turned down.

[Uzybone]

67. dishonesty and gullibility are all over the internet

the guy places the fact that he is into social media on his own article (albeit buried at the end) and people still refuse to believe it. Geez.

[Silent3]

60. My only serious privacy concern with info I've put on FB...

...is that I don't shy away from expressing my political and other philosophical views, and if I were job hunting I wouldn't want prospective employers looking me up and judging me based on any of that.

Even if I'm personally affected or not, however, Facebook's policies have become pretty odious and I might drop it if things don't change soon.

[underpants]

66. 1. viruses 2. complete lack of discussion between posts (like DU)

3. I really didn't have much to do with most of the people I went to high school with for 15 years so why now?

...still I do post on there from time to time

[pipi_k]

69. I must be the most fucking boring person in the world...

I've been on FaceBook about a year now...have been a member of LOTS of online discussion groups, including DU.

I Google myself, and there is zero real information on me anywhere.


And "bullied"? Please...like someone upthread wrote, I'm gonna write to FaceBook and demand a refund of all the money I've paid them, which comes to...er....

never mind.


Never felt bullied. Don't worry about privacy...again, as someone upthread pointed out, if you are worried about lack of privacy, don't be an idiot and post stuff you wouldn't want put on a billboard on a public highway.

It's up to people to not be idiots.