President Donald Trump

[Sour Masher]

I never joined FB either, and I'm glad for it. My wife has a mostly dormant account. She used it a lot for awhile, deleted it, because it annoyed her (then learned it is never really gone and activated it again, just to very occasionally post pics and vids of our young sons for our close family and her friends). Once in a blue moon I go on to check some on some people, but I have never been tempted to join myself, and each year that passes and the more I learn about it and its overall affects on one's psyche, I'm am more and more glad I never did.

[Kevin Seitzer]

JJ, if you are claiming that there is no good that comes of Facebook, maybe that's true for you, but it's not true for me. I can see clearly that there is both good and bad that comes from me being on Facebook. It's not so clear to me which way the balance leans. If it were clear, I wouldn't have to ask for advice.

I had a long and deep conversation with a friend on Facebook a few months ago, whom I probably would never see or contact in real life. We haven't seen each other physically in 15 years. But that interaction was profound and I will treasure it forever. I was able to be an encouragement to him and it's possible that I helped save his life, and in that same conversation he was able to be a great encouragement to me in some parenting difficulties I was having. And then a week or so ago, that same friend, who had been unemployed for many months, reached out to tell me that he had gotten a new job. That wasn't nearly as profound but was still cool to know. Facebook can be both very good and very evil. It's not simply banal (though it can be that, too, and maybe is that most of the time).

With Twitter, I figured out how to get to 80% of the content I want to see and remove 80% of the content I didn't. The other 20% is maybe annoying, but not soul-sucking (at least for me). On Facebook, it feels like 20% of the content is what I want and 80% isn't, and I don't know how to curate. But I'm also loathe to give up that 20% because some of it can be really special.

Edit to add: I have curated some on Facebook by muting friends that are consistently annoying. And that has helped some and kept it from being a total cesspool, but it doesn't feel like I have nearly the control over that that I do on Twitter.

[Judge Jude]

ME, literally the start of my post:

"I never joined Facebook, for a variety of reasons.

I have a large family, and there is significant downside to not being on it."

SEITZER:

"JJ, if you are claiming that there is no good that comes of Facebook, maybe that's true for you, but it's not true for me."

...............

I don't even know where to begin, at this point.

[madducks]

[chancellor]

It's not simply banal (though it can be that, too, and maybe is that most of the time).

Good wording - that's exactly what I was looking for, just didn't work out.

[Judge Jude]

now even "banal" has been credited to someone other than me! (see post 9011)

[GwynnInTheHall]

I use FB for quite a bit--right now most of my artist friends stream their work so we can enjoy it and they can create. To gather information allowing me to vet it elsewhere before coming to a opinion about it. I have whittled FB down from 700+ friends to about 150, I only keep those who are active in my life and aren't Dbags around. I'm sure others have i cut me loose as I'm as vitriolic if not more, there, than I can be here. During the Pandemic it's been very nice to have as an outlet as my other social venues are still closed. No Twitter, Instagram or any other S media. I do miss MySpace, that was fun.....

[madducks]

now even "banal" has been credited to someone other than me! (see post 9011)

We've always credited "b-anal" to you.

[Mithrandir]

The main reason that I have a FB account is to share information about library- related activities and events.

[madducks]

The main reason that I have a Rotojunkie account is to share information about library- related activities and events.

Fixed that for you.

[umjewman]

I use Facebook a lot. It’s addictive for sure, probably on it more than I should be, but not really a net negative. I use it mostly for kid pictures and the hilarious things my kids say. Helps me remember them, especially when there’s a “memories from this day in history” function. I don’t have any other social media.

[madducks]

The app has already been removed from the google app store.

And now removed from Apple.

Apple and orange supporters just couldn't reconcile their differences.

[madducks]

The app has already been removed from the google app store.

And now removed from Apple.

Apple and orange supporters just couldn't reconcile their differences.

And now removed from Amazon, effectively shutting it down until a new platform can be found.

[Judge Jude]

And now removed from Apple.

Apple and orange supporters just couldn't reconcile their differences.

I'll credit a good line, no matter who says it.....

[chancellor]

And now removed from Amazon, effectively shutting it down until a new platform can be found.

Good lesson for media - leave yourself at the mercy of tech oligarchs and your shutdown can come at any time.