LIKE SIX OTHER people I have closely followed for more than a decade, I will also delete Facebook. I suspect the two primary school students in our household will never use it.
Over the New Year's break, I read Mike Cox (in the white shirt) outline why he's leaving. I talked about it on Topgold Audio Clips. Mike explains why he is breaking free.
It used to be great. I reconnected with a lot of old friends from all over the world, and shared a bit about my life and theirs. But it changed over the years. More and more advertisements, more and more crap. Harder to find real updates from people.
I then became aware of the machine manipulating me. Sharing out likes to keep the notifications always red. Once I'd close the app, they'd feed me another to get me back in.
Then the personal data breaches. Cambridge Analyitica and the danger of companies having this much personal data about preferences and connections. Micro targeting. Political manipulation. Polarisation. And then Facebook's reaction to this development.
The last remaining feature which I really enjoyed was the memories from 7 or 8 years ago. I'd log in, see the memory and forward it to my families Whatsapp group. Facebook noticed the practice, changed the app and blocked me from being able to save the photo locally, I could only share it on their platform. Final Straw. Camel Burst.
I'm out.
Love you all. Find me on Twitter, Whatsapp or email. I'm Mixcoke.
I'll delete this account shortly.
[Expect to find Bernie Goldbach on Instagram and WhatsApp, two FB properties and on Topgold Audio Clips. Don't expect to find Facebook Analytics taught in creative media for business modules in the Limerick Institute anymore.]
