Facebook haters

[billvon 2,380]

One thing I don't get about Facebook haters (or haters of any other social media) is their approach to the issue.  They tend to go on and post diatribe after diatribe about how much they hate Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, and all their friends get on and say "me too" "I got a warning for NO REASON" "politicians control Facebook" "it's a liberal propaganda machine" etc etc.  This means that they are spending a lot of time on Facebook, and the advertisers that Facebook uses see those views and pay for advertising space based on those view (and click) numbers.

This is like a guy who hates a local bar who goes to that bar all the time with his friends while shouting "I HATE THIS BAR!" - then buying beers and eating bar food. 

Surely if people really hated Facebook they would ignore it, advertisers would flee, ad revenues would plummet, and they would achieve their goal of ending Facebook?  I mean, if all those people just moved to Trump's new platform, wouldn't that completely solve their problem?

Personally I like Facebook because I can see pictures of other people's kids growing up and keep in touch with friends and family.  It also gives me a little bit of a view - a skewed view, of course - of what other people think about issues of the day.  I get the feeling that some people think it has far more power than it really has.

[JoeWeber 2,294]

1 minute ago, billvon said:

One thing I don't get about Facebook haters (or haters of any other social media) is their approach to the issue.  They tend to go on and post diatribe after diatribe about how much they hate Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, and all their friends get on and say "me too" "I got a warning for NO REASON" "politicians control Facebook" "it's a liberal propaganda machine" etc etc.  This means that they are spending a lot of time on Facebook, and the advertisers that Facebook uses see those views and pay for advertising space based on those view (and click) numbers.

This is like a guy who hates a local bar who goes to that bar all the time with his friends while shouting "I HATE THIS BAR!" - then buying beers and eating bar food. 

Surely if people really hated Facebook they would ignore it, advertisers would flee, ad revenues would plummet, and they would achieve their goal of ending Facebook?  I mean, if all those people just moved to Trump's new platform, wouldn't that completely solve their problem?

Personally I like Facebook because I can see pictures of other people's kids growing up and keep in touch with friends and family.  It also gives me a little bit of a view - a skewed view, of course - of what other people think about issues of the day.  I get the feeling that some people think it has far more power than it really has.

I am not on it personally but benefit from the business pages. Personally, I don't like it for a single reason: it makes "friends" a commodity. Sure, I could relax my definitions but I don't want to. I want it to mean something when someone thinks of me as a friend. Should it ever happen, I suppose.

[kallend 1,620]

I discovered which of my acquaintances are fascists.

[ryoder 1,380]

This is interesting:

Gizmodo: We’re Publishing the Facebook Papers. Here’s What They Say About Donald Trump, the 2020 Election, and Jan. 6.

[airdvr 197]

I enjoy FB.  Great way to keep in touch with old and new friends and as a business platform.  I have to unfollow some occasionally as they post nothing but political crap and that's not what I want from FB.

[JoeWeber 2,294]

16 hours ago, billvon said:

I get the feeling that some people think it has far more power than it really has.

An important distinction to make is you. Truly, how many times, likely beyond the ability of math to keep count, have you been present while the most outrageous and obvious bullshit was being lapped up all around you?

[lippy 764]

9 hours ago, airdvr said:

I enjoy FB.  Great way to keep in touch with old and new friends and as a business platform.  I have to unfollow some occasionally as they post nothing but political crap and that's not what I want from FB.

I first got off FB a few years back.  It used to be a great tool to keep in touch with people all over the world.  When I started to see the politicization, I thought "great, this is valuable to see the perspectives of people from a different political leaning"...I think that was worthwhile, but it quickly devolved into dozens of posts showing two ex-coworkers rant posting memes at each other intertwined with updates on various ex's and ads for hoodies with my last name printed on them.  As fast as I could unfriend the ex-coworkers, they were replaced by angrier ones!

As my Mom has developed health issues, I've gotten back on as a convenient way to keep tabs on all the family stuff back home, then gotten frustrated and suspended my account.  That cycle's gone a few times, with the 3rd account suspension being about 3 months in right now.