Fuck Facebook

[Chris]

I'm a tech guy myself. Having been immersed in the world of web design and web development since I was 15 years old, I keep up on things in the tech world. One thing that disheartens me very much is the widespread use of Facebook, and the modern generations massive addiction to it.

I occasionally read a blog called Daring Fireball (a very well written and informative tech blog), and this article today caught my attention because of how accurate and dead on it is. I agree with it whole heartedly.

https://daringfireball.net/2017/06/fuck_facebook

If you take the time to read that, everything he mentions in it is true. Facebook is destroying the open web, they really and truly are.

Are you a member of a Facebook Group? Do you post interesting and informative things on Facebook? Guess what? It can't be found in a search engine. Doesn't that concern you at all? It should... All that potentially valuable information being shared, yet no one can find it in a Google Search (or similar).

That's just one of the ways Facebook is destroying the open web.

Facebook has it's uses, yes. It's a great tool for keeping in touch with family and friends. However, I think people these days are too involved in it, and they're helping Mark Zuckerberg not only increase his stock shares, but also destroy the open web in the process.

Rant over.

 

[StG58]

OK, I read the article @Chris, but to say that the Book of Faces is going to put the open Web out of business might be a bit of hyperbole. Serious authers posting serious material should know that FB isn't the place to post that sort of content. The flip side of the coin is all the snowflakes and idiots are drawn to FB, so most don't post on serious Web sites. It's almost a form of natural selection. .

 

[Chris]

OK, I read the article @Chris, but to say that the Book of Faces is going to put the open Web out of business might be a bit of hyperbole. Serious authers posting serious material should know that FB isn't the place to post that sort of content. The flip side of the coin is all the snowflakes and idiots are drawn to FB, so most don't post on serious Web sites. It's almost a form of natural selection. .

The modern generations can't get themselves off of Facebook. So if you're a serious author and you don't post something on Facebook, you may be missing a large chunk of your audience.

Besides, what constitutes a serious author? What if I do a complete write up on how to do something on my Jeep, but only post it on Facebook? It will never be seen by anyone unless they happen to be on Facebook and happen to be a part of my group or a friend of my page.

That's what I am getting at... ALL content on Facebook is pretty much restricted to Facebook users. Zuckerberg did this for a reason. I've been following this trend for a long time, it's very disturbing to me.

 

[VirtualRussel]

The modern generations can't get themselves off of Facebook. So if you're a serious author and you don't post something on Facebook, you may be missing a large chunk of your audience.

While I agree in your thoughts on Facebook as a whole (can't stand them/it), I can't say I agree with the sentiment that "modern generations can't get themselves off Facebook." I believe they're going to have a potential growth issue on their hands as the current generation of teenagers start to enter into the real world. As the dad of a 17 year old, and due to my being involved in the figure skating world, being around literally a few hundred teenage girls on a weekly basis (long story for a different day), I don't see any of them interacting to any real level of involvement via Facebook. The speed with which they move between social media applications; WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc, is blindingly quick and fleeting. Facebook is viewed as the app that their parents use and they don't want anything to do with it. As a parent I'm very lucky that I work in the IT industry and have been closely tied to Silicon Valley startups and the venture capital market so I've been able to keep one step ahead of my daughter regarding the apps she's been using. If it wasn't for that, I'd be hosed in keeping up.

I'd be interested in seeing the numbers of users based upon age groups and growth in each of those groups over the past few years because my "study" is very un-scientific and just based on local observations.

 

[Chris]

While I agree in your thoughts on Facebook as a whole (can't stand them/it), I can't say I agree with the sentiment that "modern generations can't get themselves off Facebook." I believe they're going to have a potential growth issue on their hands as the current generation of teenagers start to enter into the real world. As the dad of a 17 year old, and due to my being involved in the figure skating world, being around literally a few hundred teenage girls on a weekly basis (long story for a different day), I don't see any of them interacting to any real level of involvement via Facebook. The speed with which they move between social media applications; WhatsApp, Snapchat, etc, is blindingly quick and fleeting. Facebook is viewed as the app that their parents use and they don't want anything to do with it. As a parent I'm very lucky that I work in the IT industry and have been closely tied to Silicon Valley startups and the venture capital market so I've been able to keep one step ahead of my daughter regarding the apps she's been using. If it wasn't for that, I'd be hosed in keeping up.

I'd be interested in seeing the numbers of users based upon age groups and growth in each of those groups over the past few years because my "study" is very un-scientific and just based on local observations.

I'm just going off what I see, everywhere I go, every single day. People glued to their phones, looking at their screens while they walk across the street, pick up their kids, etc. Hell, go to a bar these days and the younger people in it are glued to their phones. I always try to walk behind people and sneak peaks at what they're doing, and I would say 9 out of 10 times they are on Facebook.

I do agree with younger kids not being able to stick to one app and bouncing around to the next. But guess what Facebook is doing? Well, with Instagram, they just bought them right up, and they'll likely continue to do so with some of the others. When you're that big, you can just buy the other app company out. Facebook wants to be involved in EVERYTHING. They're even launching their own streaming service similar to Netflix, and they're getting several A-list celebrities to be involved in creating original content for it.

I just don't like what Facebook is doing as a whole. They're trying to destroy the open web (which I get why they're doing, but I don't agree with it). I'm not saying they'll succeed, but go on any Facebook Group with 10k plus members and ask them, "Why don't you guys post this on a forum?". They're response will be something along the lines of, "It's just easier to post it on Facebook." And sure, it may be easier if you're already on Facebook, but those guys are also the ones who are helping to destroy the open web (though they aren't smart enough to know it).

I realize I'm being quite dramatic, but I've been following the trends for a while. Facebook Groups have been destroying internet forums. Guitar forums, automotive forums, gun forums, etc., and that's just part of it. All that useful content being posted on forums that someone might find in a Google search, it no longer exists. A lot of those guys are now posting it in Facebook Groups, which like I said, can't be found in a search engine. I dislike that, because when I search for something on Google, I like getting results. I don't want to have to attempt to search Facebook.

 

[LeePTI]

Interesting. I've never viewed FB from this angle. I agree with you. In previous generations FB would have probably been deemed a monopoly and Mark's wings would have been clipped. Technology is moving way too fast for the old farts (like me) in DC to keep up. Still like the wild west in the online world. IMO...

Lee - 2005 TJ 4.0 Auto - Las Vegas

 

[Chris]

Interesting. I've never viewed FB from this angle. I agree with you. In previous generations FB would have probably been deemed a monopoly and Mark's wings would have been clipped. Technology is moving way too fast for the old farts (like me) in DC to keep up. Still like the wild west in the online world. IMO...

Lee - 2005 TJ 4.0 Auto - Las Vegas

Yep, and I don't blame Facebook users entirely. Like I said, they simply aren't informed enough to know about this. But what Zuckerberg is ultimately doing is trying to destroy the open web by making sure that all the content posted on Facebook, requires a Facebook account. You can't access it through a Google search, because Facebook doesn't want you using Google, they want you using Facebook.

In the long run, this isn't good. Like I said, all that resourceful information you'd find on a forum or some DIY site... Well, if that's being posted on Facebook now instead of the websites it used to be posted on, people who are searching on Google will never find it.

I've been following this trend for years now, and it's continued to get worse. Most of the laymen have no idea about this, but the guys who are heavily invested in the tech industry (such as myself) have seen it coming for a while.

 

[LeePTI]

Several "IT" friends agree. They say Google's attempt at controlling data is child's play compared to Mark's intentions with FB. "Control" is replacing "Freedom" in every aspect of our lives. Need to fight back. I dropped FB a while ago.

Lee - 2005 TJ 4.0 Auto - Las Vegas

 

[Chris]

Several "IT" friends agree. They say Google's attempt at controlling data is child's play compared to Mark's intentions with FB. "Control" is replacing "Freedom" in every aspect of our lives. Need to fight back. I dropped FB a while ago.

Lee - 2005 TJ 4.0 Auto - Las Vegas

Yes, Google is bad, but Facebook is even worse when it comes to the data the collect. The most amusing (and scary) part of it though, is that people give them information so willingly. They tell them what shows they like, what food they like, where they live... they just give them every single personal detail about themselves willingly! It's a FBI / NSA agents dream come true.

 

[Umbra]

Yep, fuck 'em.
I have an account under an alias and a fake gmail account. I have 8 friends.
I am a member of numerous groups, but under the alias.
I only use it for parts and menus.

I have noticed more and more posts like this in numerous places.
I've noticed many people complaining that they got suspended from FB as well. I'd never heard of that.
And I've noticed more and more people (men mostly) saying they don't use it much anymore, the novelty wore off.

And the teens and tweens have no interest in it. It's for old people, I'm told.

Maybe it's popularity has peaked?

 

[Chris]

Yep, fuck 'em.
I have an account under an alias and a fake gmail account. I have 8 friends.
I am a member of numerous groups, but under the alias.
I only use it for parts and menus.

I have noticed more and more posts like this in numerous places.
I've noticed many people complaining that they got suspended from FB as well. I'd never heard of that.
And I've noticed more and more people (men mostly) saying they don't use it much anymore, the novelty wore off.

And the teens and tweens have no interest in it. It's for old people, I'm told.

Maybe it's popularity has peaked?

I hope so... I root for the downfall of Facebook, I truly do. It's ruined the Internet in so many ways.

Yes, I understand it has it's place for keeping in touch via social networking, but Facebook Groups and Facebook pages have ruined many things.

 

[Reign Mack]

Don't be fooled, if a service/product is "free" then you are not the customer you are the product. The customer are the companies who pay Facebook to advertise and gather your personal data.

 

[Umbra]

Good luck to them.
That account is the one I use that gets all the junk mail and is connected to the fake phone #.

I guess you'd call that one my e-me.

My (then girlfriend) wife was one of the early FB users way back when FB and MySpace were still neck and neck as the go-to social site. I was tempted then but didn't care enough (and paranoid enough) that I didn't sign up.
Over the years, stuff she told me convinced me that I was right to avoid it.
Then many of the businesses/groups I was interested in started FB pages and dropped their web page.
That's when the first e-me appeared. I think I've had 3 e-mes since then.

I'm also nutty and paranoid enough that I clear cookies daily and only use my laptop. It's funny to watch the ads/"suggested page" change on FB as a result.

My silly little system ain't perfect, but I does make it a little harder for folks to stick their noses into my business.

 

[Chris]

That's another issue I see as well (and I see this since my primary job is running my own web design business). More and more small businesses are ditching websites altogether, in favor of just having a Facebook page. Sure, it's free, it's easy to setup, etc.

It's also not very professional, and again, it's destroying the open web, one website at a time. People just don't look at the bigger picture.

 

[Reign Mack]

That's another issue I see as well (and I see this since my primary job is running my own web design business). More and more small businesses are ditching websites altogether, in favor of just having a Facebook page. Sure, it's free, it's easy to setup, etc.

It's also not very professional, and again, it's destroying the open web, one website at a time. People just don't look at the bigger picture.

A lot of business don't understand how mug Facebook filters and limits their posts to their subscribers. Small businesses especially should have both a webpage and social media. Facebook could change their terms and shut them down at any given time.

 

[Chris]

A lot of business don't understand how mug Facebook filters and limits their posts to their subscribers. Small businesses especially should have both a webpage and social media. Facebook could change their terms and shut them down at any given time.

Yep, that as well. You really have to pay attention to all the privacy settings, or you risk alienating some of (or all) of your potential customers.

 

[Umbra]

There are 2 businesses in particular that I know of that have kinda screwed themselves by dropping or ignoring their web pages in favor of FB.
I personally know a few folks that don't use FB, either never did or quit. They quit doing business with both. Not because they were mad or anything, just didn't have quick access.
I think owners of small local businesses are really screwing themselves out of bucks because they believe that EVERYBODY uses FB.
Like I said before, more and more people I know are just slowly dropping off of it.

 

[Chris]

I remember when MySpace was the thing. Every kid out there was using MySpace, and every business had their own MySpace page. And just like that, it was gone. MySpace fell, and people moved onto the next "trend". I keep hoping people will do that with Facebook as well, mostly just because they are ruining the Internet as we speak.

At least MySpace--as childish as it was--was indexable by search engines. That guy who made MySpace sold it to Rupert Murdoch for 510 million and bounced. Smart move on his part, he's set for life.

 

[LCL-Dead]

I once got accused by a gentleman at a bar of being on facebook..

..when I was actually reading a book on my phone while waiting for my bartender friend to get off work.

Facebook was great 12 years ago. These days its just a cesspool. I have friends who get upset with me for not being up-to-date on their current events and issues and when I ask, "Well, how the hell was I supposed to know about it?!" they point at Facebook. Some of them don't really get it when I tell them that I use Facebook almost exclusively for a select few reasons: To argue with my liberal and conservative friends, to give quick access to pictures of my daughters to immediate family (grandparents/parents) and to occasionally go troll the shit out of someone's page.

Anything else.. you have my phone number and know where I live.

 

[Reign Mack]

At least MySpace--as childish as it was--was indexable by search engines.

And if somebody followed you on myspace they would pick up everything you posted on your timeline, Facebook and Twitter manipulate how much exposure your actual posts get among your followers/subscribers unless they go out of their way to view your timeline. It got a lot worse on facebook pages when they started limiting reach for money