[Closed] Just deleted my facebook account

Nah, just don't log on. PoS in my opinion.

Yay! You've now got more time to spend on here. 😆

Probably a really good idea to spend the time that you have saved by deleting your Facebook account, by talking about deleting your Facebook account on a forum.

Haha, you deleted your Facebook account yet felt compelled to tell the world about it... Oh the ironing.

Edit: Beaten to it 🙁

Erm no.

I just spent five seconds learning how to block all the messages from FarmVille etc instead. (You just hover over it, click the X then it asks if you if you always want to block FarmVille and you click Yes. Job done).

I love FaceBook by the way, despite swearing for years that I'd never join it.

still be there in six months anyway if you want it back.

welcome back to the real world , now go ride your bike!

Nope. Tailor it to how you want it...ignore the asshats.

😆

Get a google+ account instead. Won't get bothered there.

welcome back to the real world ......

This isn't the real world though is it.

It's the Internet.

[s]A bit like[/s] exactly like Facebook.

Yep bored of it "so & so's wife has hung the washing out to dry & Im now having a nice cuppa.."

Seriously, who gives a flying F!

You'll be back...

Good for you. Social media is corrosive and has been shown to shrink your balls. You've done well to escape with your sack intact.

If you find it pointless and boring, your friends are probably pointless and boring(or not on Facebook)... 🙂

Facebook is great for photo sharing, and for keeping in touch with people who I would otherwise lose contact with (because I am lazy).

farmthingy and any of that carp got blocked years ago so don't bother me. I keep my friend list quite small (limited to only people who I am interested in hearing about), have a look fairly regularly (the most frequent being when I'm on the bog 😉 ), but normally I don't go further than the last 2 or 3 notifications.

If you find it is sucking up your time, that is probably a problem with you, not with facebook

Dave

Yeah, it just sounds like you have tedious friends

Facebook is great for fwapping over pics of girls you went to school with [s]photo sharing, and for keeping in touch with people who I would otherwise lose contact with (because I am lazy).

farmthingy and any of that carp got blocked years ago so don't bother me. I keep my friend list quite small (limited to only people who I am interested in hearing about), have a look fairly regularly (the most frequent being when I'm on the bog ), but normally I don't go further than the last 2 or 3 notifications.[/s]

If you find it is sucking up your time, that is probably a problem with you, not with facebook

What's FarmVille? I've got several dozen Fb contacts, a fair number real friends and family, and the rest are bands and artists, and I never, ever, get FarmVille or any other stupid games on my news feed.
You must be doing something wrong, it's all about discriminating who you have on there.
Recent posts from the Smoke Fairies, Shawn Colvin, Metric, Alison Goldfrapp, Kathryn Williams and The Pond are keeping me up to date with album recording and releases, new tours, etc, which never functioned as well on shonky MySpace.

reading rubbish about something farm what's all that about?

I don't get any of that crap. You have full control, just exercise it.

If your family and friends are dull, don't blame facebook 🙂 I love hearing about what my overseas family are up to. Made some friends too from my wife's extended family who I don't actually see in real life.

@teethgrinder, if you'd left in the bit about doing it when on the big, your fix would have been about perfect 😉

Dave

Btw, just got this through Fb via Flipboard:
http://urbanvelo.org/state-bicycle-co-massacre-fgfs-bike-review/
Looks like a fun pub bike...

You have full control

They're only in business for one thing, and that's to make money.
If they want my personal info... they can pay me for it. If friends want to give them my personal info... they can ask me first.

Glad my parents haven't found out about it yet. Email and blog keeps me up to date with their various trips around the country / EU. Twitter keeps me up to date with news.

For what you see maybe, but for security/privacy, no way.

other people tell them 😉

Photo tagging and face recognition is a prime example.
Only control you have is *after* friends have tagged photos. You can say you don't want that displayed, but sorry, too late, FB know what you look like now.

edit: and no clue what gets profiled by the inclusion of those FB apps that appear in many/most websites now. I assume it's a way of getting around blocked 3rd party cookies, and FB profile every site you look at just by having FB cookies (and probably being "logged in").

other people tell them

FB know what you look like now.

Why should I be worried by that.

Genuine question, I couldn't care less who knows what I look like, but maybe I'm missing something ??

No problem if people tag me, and that was the end of it. Bit freaky that they can analyse *any* pic now and determine that "ooh that might be Andy". Worse that instead of then asking me "we think this is you would you like to be tagged?", they ask the photo owner "we think this is Andy, do you want to tag him? (and improve our recognition algorithm)".

My friends know what I look like. They know stuff about me. No need for me (or them) to publish that to a massive corporation as well.

Still not sure why I should care ??

What is the downside, genuinely can't see one.

FB can do facial recognition now, so you only need to worry if your friends have taken photos of you having a facial.

And you might need to worry a bit more then...

Still not sure why I should care ??

What is the downside, genuinely can't see one.

Don't forget, Facebook have a habit of changing the privacy 'rules' (as well as the scope of service they offer) - no matter whether there is a downside now, do you really trust there [i]never[/i] to be a downside? That's not to say avoid-avoid-avoid, just use these services with your eyes open.

Never been interested in anything like Facebook; I'd rather lean over the fence and have a yarn with my neighbours.

Never been interested in anything like Facebook; I'd rather lean over the fence and have a yarn with my neighbours.

They're not mutually exclusive.

Don't forget, Facebook have a habit of changing the privacy 'rules' (as well as the scope of service they offer) - no matter whether there is a downside now, do you really trust there never to be a downside? That's not to say avoid-avoid-avoid, just use these services with your eyes open.

That's all fair enough, but I can't see it being a negative [b] whatever[/b] they choose to do with the fact that they know what I look like.

I'm not being difficult, I just honestly can't see a downside to Facebook being able to match my Face to my Name ?

If someone can point out a potential downside, I would be happy to listen.

I've always found the concept that a stranger somewhere may be masturbating over my photo to be a turn-on.

Ah yes, facebook suicide seems to be the latest fad for the "cool" kids.

They just end up emailing you all the time to find out what´s going on, where to meet, what time etc.

deadlydarcy - Member
I've always found the concept that a stranger somewhere may be masturbating over my photo to be a turn-on.

I don't understand the negativity around Facebook.

My friends know what I look like.

I think you are missing the point of tagging. It's not so your friends can go "who is that bloke", *hover* "Oh it's andy" - it so you know when someone posts a photo that you are in and so you (and everyone else) can easily see all the photos you appear in.

not to say avoid-avoid-avoid, just use these services with your eyes open.

Exactly. Like Google, it is just a very useful service that you pay for with little bits of privacy. It's up to you to determine how much you want to spend and control your finances.

That's all fair enough, but I can't see it being a negative whatever they choose to do with the fact that they know what I look like.
I'm not being difficult, I just honestly can't see a downside to Facebook being able to match my Face to my Name ?
If someone can point out a potential downside, I would be happy to listen.

Simples, think if how much more effective a Terminator is now that it doesn't just have the phone book to use!!

They're only in business for one thing, and that's to make money.

Um, that's generally why companies exist in the first place, n'est-ce pas?

Too much information! I'm not sure what is more disturbing..... The fact that you think that or the fact that you actually posted it on a forum.

What's more disturbing is he appears to have realised I'm doing it.

Never been interested in anything like Facebook; I'd rather lean over the fence and have a yarn with my neighbours.

Fencebook 🙂

I binned mine a while ago and it doesn't seem to have made any difference to my life really.

I think it's probably a great tool if you make the effort to update and use it proactively but I could never be bothered so figured it's better to have no account then an account lying dormant.

Please note that I do not think I am really cool or subversive for deleting my account, I'm sure there are plenty doing it and I have nothing against Facebook at all.

I can't imagine having an account or not actually affecting anyone's social life though unless you're 15 or something- nobody I know actually arranges nights out or anything via Facebook and even if they did they would just text or phone me anway.

whats facebook 8)

I can't imagine having an account or not actually affecting anyone's social life though unless you're 15 or something- nobody I know actually arranges nights out or anything via Facebook

Part of the reason I finally relented and got an account was that I realised I was missing out on hearing about stuff that my mates were up to.

They'd posted it all on FB, with photos and videos, so "everyone" knew.

Back in the day we'd send emails. These days I rarely email anyone I know well, it is 90% through Facebook.

And yes, we arrange nights out etc through Facebook - currently planning a get-together at a festival next month in fact.

I'm not 15, I'm 37. 🙂

Fair enough, but surely they weren't excluding you from being invited to stuff purely because you weren't on facebook?!

Too much information! I'm not sure what is more disturbing..... The fact that you think that or the fact that you actually posted it on a forum.

whats disturbing is that you've obviously never received messages from teh ladies informing you that they've been doing it to your photos....

if you'd seen darcy you'd know he's not 'thinking' that, he's knowing that

#toocutetobegay

Fair enough, but surely they weren't excluding you from being invited to stuff purely because you weren't on facebook?!

My mates are all at least a three hour drive away. Some a require a flight.

So no, it wasn't that I was invited down the pub with them on a Friday, more that I didn't know about things happening in their lives that "everyone" else did.

So when we did manage to meet up the conversation would go:

Mate 1: [i]"Hey, saw the video and photos of your trip to Islay. Looked great."[/i]

Mate 2: [i]"Yeah thanks. It was a great trip."[/i]

Me: [i]"You were in Islay?"[/i]

Mate 1: [i]"I was pissing myself at that bit where you nearly stacked your road bike into a sheep"[/i]

Me: [i]"You have a road bike now??"[/i]

Mate 1: [i]"And your wife was looking quite merry at that distillery!"[/i]

Me: [i]"Wait. You got married??"[/i]

etc etc

So when we did manage to meet up the conversation would go:

Mate 1: "Hey, saw the video and photos of your trip to Islay. Looked great."

Mate 2: "Yeah thanks. It was a great trip."

Me: "You were in Islay?"

Mate 1: "I was pissing myself at that bit where you nearly stacked your road bike into a sheep"

Me: "You have a road bike now??"

Mate 1: "And your wife was looking quite merry at that distillery!"

Me: "Wait. You got married??"

etc etc

On the subject of privacy, anyone who's interested in this stuff (and if not, why not?) may benefit from completing my mate's [url= http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/favour-requested ]survey[/url] I posted a few days back. It tells you a few interesting things that you probably didn't know about Facebook and data.

I've looked into this at length and am coming to the conclusion that, from an informed point of view, I really don't care all that much. Facebook (arguably) provides a useful service, and its users 'pay' for that service by allowing FB to build a profile of you for things like targeted advertising. If I'm going to see adverts, it seems sensible to see ones that might be vaguely relevant to my interests.

I'm not a big fan of FB, truth be told, but I find it useful to have an account as it's often a common denominator when organising things involving disparate groups of people.

Its games and apps are annoying, but once blocked they do stay blocked. I find as well that the bulk of the twaddle comes from a minority of prolific, uh, twaddlers, so it's sometimes more effective to deal with that at source. So what I'm trying to say I think is, it's not the tool iteself which is inherently faulty, it's the tools on your 'friends' lists who are using it.

IMHO, etc.

Your friends are still posting photos of you on Facebook. They're still tagging them as you. They're still mentioning you in status updates.

But now you have no control or knowledge of it. Well done.

On the subject of privacy, anyone who's interested in this stuff (and if not, why not?) may benefit from completing my mate's survey I posted a few days back.

Just did it. Decent survey that.

I find as well that the bulk of the twaddle comes from a minority of prolific, uh, twaddlers

I blocked my cousin a few year ago for that reason. She's now 19 and a lot more interesting, so she's unblocked 🙂 Her brother otoh is 15 and very funny in a cool way, and doesn't spam.

The "Acquaintances" list is quite useful for people you don't want completely block but don't want to hear from every day either.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/252348/use_facebooks_acquaintance_list_suggestions_to_simplify_your_antisocial_friendsorting.html

Your friends are still posting photos of you on Facebook. They're still tagging them as you. They're still mentioning you in status updates.

But now you have no control or knowledge of it. Well done.

And I haven't deleted my Facebook account, but rarely log in... What's the difference?

Your friends are still posting photos of you on Facebook. They're still tagging them as you. They're still mentioning you in status updates.

But now you have no control or knowledge of it. Well done.

Your friends could do all of these things in real life when you're not there without Facebook. I.e they may talk about you in the pub when you're not there, you get mentioned in stories and anecdotes when you're not present. What's the difference?

Plus it would be a bizarre reason to have a fb account based purely on the fact you're worried what your friends may say or do when you can't see.

Dezinald, i'm going to find you on facebook and touch you in places you didnt know existed

they may talk about you in the pub when you're not there... What's the difference?

The landlord of the pub isn't recording it all so he can show it to your other friends and family (and their friends) and sell it on to advertisers and other interested parties?

Well at least not in my local anyway. yours might be different.

The landlord of the pub isn't recording it all so he can show it to your other friends and family (and their friends) and sell it on to advertisers and other interested parties?

Well at least not in my local anyway. yours might be different

I suspect the landlord in my local probably is into recording stuff but that's another story.

It's a fair point but if you're worried about privacy and Facebook, surely it is essentially counterproductive to actually have an account only to keep track of what is being said/posted about you because you're so worried about said privacy. Seems contradictory.

Seems paranoid.

I never bothered with Twit book, or whatever its all called.

[img] [/img]

What am I missing for not having twitterface ?.

What am I missing for not having twitterface ?.

If you are not interested in what your friends, family and other people or organisations you like are up to, then not much really. 🙂

Graham_S.

I genuinely appreciate the answer / explaination.
Believe it or not, I never really knew what all that pullarva was about and in one sentence you've wrapped it up for me brilliantly.

And you're correct, I need not apply.
Cheers.
😀

The other aspect may be that Facebook is quickly becoming the "Internet Login"

i.e. rather than having their own login system many sites now require you to log in with a facebook account (or Google+ or OpenID).

Facebook currently seems to be winning this battle hands down (shame cos [url= http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/2010/11/your-internet-drivers-license.html ]OpenID is "better"/less corporate[/url])

So for [u]some[/u] people it might be worth having a bare bones facebook account just for that. (No idea if that applies to you Solo, prob not by the sounds of it).

The other aspect may be that Facebook is quickly becoming the "Internet Login"

[i]many sites now require you to log in with a facebook account[/i]
😯

Sounds a bit risky to me.
surely there will be folk who might want to purchase an item or a service and will not take kindly to being forced to create an F/B acc ?.

My initial, perhaps unenlightened, reaction would be to say " Stuff you " Mr whoever you are forcing me to have an F/B acc.
I'll go else where.
😐

surely there will be folk who might want to purchase an item or a service and will not take kindly to being forced to create an F/B acc ?.

My initial, perhaps unenlightened, reaction would be to say " Stuff you " Mr whoever you are forcing me to have an F/B acc.
I'll go else where.

whilst i've never been asked to log in using facebook to buy anything, i do feel the same... if i'm asked to log in via facebook or download a facebook app to read a news item for example, i'll shut it down and go elsewhere. no you can't have access to my profile information, you dont need it.

surely there will be folk who might want to purchase an item or a service and will not take kindly to being forced to create an F/B acc ?.

True, but for every one of them there are another ten who like that they can just press "Login with Facebook" instead of creating yet another website account, filling out yet another set of users details, and remember yet another username and password.

Some example sites off the top of my head: Endomondo, Strava, Stack Overflow/Exchange, Khan Academy, Get Satisfaction, Gizmodo, LifeHacker..

Apps too are doing this: e.g. Draw Something and Infinity Blade II both use Facebook to authenticate and find your friends.

if i'm asked to log in via facebook or download a facebook app to read a news item for example, i'll shut it down and go elsewhere.

Yeah, some companies don't quite get it yet...

[img] [/img]
- from http://theoatmeal.com/comics/state_web_spring

True, but for every one of them there are another ten who like that they can just press "Login with Facebook" instead of creating yet another website account, filling out yet another set of users details, and remember yet another username and password.

And this may well become the societal norm. Which will make my visiting of 'fringe' websites which allow anonymity the societal equivalent of living in a tent in the woods.
I'm going to be "that guy" aren't I?

Most(?) sites that offer a FB login do just that - [i]offer [/i]a FB login. I can't offhand think of any where it's mandatory.

no you can't have access to my profile information, you dont need it.

It's the other way around, actually. What the site sees is (theoretically) strictly controlled, the flow of information is [i]to [/i]Facebook, not from it.

LOL at GrahamS. That's exactly what I do with linked pages from various sites....

Arguably, security through FB isn't wholly a bad thing, certainly compared to other sites' practices.

As an example, I got an email from a website the other day trying to get me to revisit their site. Included in the email, in plain text and unsolicited by me, were my user ID and password. Now, the fact that this is even possible is Very Bad, stored passwords should be held with one-way encryption, but then choosing to send them to me on a whim in about the most insecure method possible? Suddenly, having Facebook know I bought some brake pads last week doesn't seem all bad.

Wow !.

It strikes me now that the gloves are really coming off, with companies turning the internet to their business centred will.

Seems a bit dark.

Don't like.

Most(?) sites that offer a FB login do just that - offer a FB login. I can't offhand think of any where it's mandatory.

It's coming. [url= http://news.slashdot.org/story/12/03/29/1641258/gawker-media-to-require-commenters-facebook-twitter-or-google-logins ]Gawker Media (Lifehacker, Gizmodo, Jezebel, io9, Deadspin, Kotaku etc) recently made it compulsory for commenters to log in with a Facebook, Google or Twitter account.[/url]

It's coming.

One company trying it does not mean anything is 'coming'. It's been tried before and people vote with their feet.

Matters not a jot in the grand scheme of things though, it'd take me less time than writing this post to create an alternate disposable Twitter or Facebook account.

Thinking about it, I might do that anyway. Then I can use their convenient SSO facilities without any privacy concerns at all.

One company trying it does not mean anything is 'coming'. It's been tried before and people vote with their feet.

One massive media company with a family of popular websites.

There are plenty of others too, plus as I said, phone apps etc that need facebook (or similar) to be activate functionality or play aspects of the game.

Thinking about it, I might do that anyway. Then I can use their convenient SSO facilities without any privacy concerns at all.

Yep not a bad plan. OpenID is an much better system too. Vote with your feet by favouring that over Facebook when you are given a choice. If you are a proper geek (and I know you are Cougar) you can even run your own OpenID server so you know exactly where your data is.

EDIT: (Post deleted cos I'm talking nonsense)

Yes, FB log-in from other sites is optional for convenience, not mandatory.