I know, I know, I am way too late to this party.
The last time that I posted something on Facebook was March last year, the only reason I still had Facebook installed was to watch what friends and family were up to. Instead of just talking to them like a normal human, I was some creepy voyeur seeing what they had for dinner, or watch them publicly argue with trolls about Covid in comments.
But this week two things happened, two straws that broke the camels back and pushed me away from the platform for the foreseeable.
"They pay you to post? Sounds like a scam"
I recently referred a friend to Leo, he was already aware of cryptocurrency, had a good knowledge of finance and most importantly to this story, knew of Facebooks bullshit. When I told him about Leofinance he simply asked for a link. Easy.
Yesterday I tried the same with someone I work with. The response was: "They pay you to post? Sounds like a scam". This is how brainwashed big tech has people. Despite monumental amounts of money being involved, people can't fathom that some of it belongs in their hands.
This is what decentralised social media has to contend with. The masses are so used to being screwed over that the promise of no censorship and not being treated like digital cattle sounds too good to be true.
Times are tough for Facebook and compensating people for their content, being bombarded with adverts and selling their data to anyone with cash would surely sink the company
The second straw happened today when I realised the valentines gift I ordered for my girlfriend last month was never going to arrive, and the website had been removed from the face of the Internet.
Yep. The baby yoda craze claims another victim. Yes, I feel ashamed.
What does that have to do with Facebook? Well it was a Facebook advert that I bought it through.
One of the data points they must have on me is that I've watched the Mandalorian as I've been getting several targeted ads. And weeks ago I could overlook the creepiness and think of it as useful.
Something existed that I would be interested in buying and had they not used my data maybe I would have never found it by myself.
But selling my data to someone that would use that data to scam me? Unforgivable. After the Cambridge Analytica scandal I knew that they were selling my data to scum, but somehow it wasn't personal enough. I felt like I wasn't susceptible to having my mindset changed by propaganda so shrugged it off.
Using that data to outright steal my money has finally opened my eyes. I may have lost $27 but I have a feeling that my absence will cost them a lot more.
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When you delete your account they keep all your data, but you can no longer see it. I think it's best to just stop using it.
I'm not able to cut all ties with them thanks to my jobs dependency on Whatsapp. I'm hopeful that they collect less data on me through that.
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Welcome to the club, I closed my facebook down a while ago, although still use messenger to keep in touch with friends, although will eventually be closing that down too.
Yeah I've still got messenger but it feels like people have been using it less and less. It seems like it only gets used when people want to send a message but don't have my number saved 😂
Good for you. I've done that four years ago. I wish I found about Hive about the same time, but happy with what I got.
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Not everyone can write, many on Facebook are there to boast about this and that. Here you can do the same, but don't expect to be 'paid' much for it. The correct term is rewarded. You seem quite able... welcome!
Haha I do like the cover photo and nice one on deleting fb. I am probably going to remove my personal profile or at least deactivate it but keep my fb page for music and post sharing, same with twitter. But the whole targeted ads when you've just had a conversation with someone about that thing, even in person is creepy af!
The argument of "if you have nothing to hide then what's the problem" is another classic. I've got nothing to hide, but it's like having someone watch over you or be in the same room as you in a private setting! That's not on in my book, but for those on Facebook, they're fine with it lol
Using it for business/hobbies is a necessity until the masses move onto something else.
I had been planning on leaving since Cambridge Analytica, I'd say its a lot more serious than having someone watching over your shoulder. They're not just watching but also building a database on your beliefs and values.
Scary how people are OK with that.
Oh wow, didn't know about the belief and value database. I just thought it was the ads but that's a deeper level of privacy invasion. I'm going to have to catalyse my exit!
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/8/24/12621784/facebook-political-preferences-ads
They use your activity to gauge your political alignment. Beyond creepy
My wife and I had something like that list bit happen to us as well. It was camping chairs and luckily we were only out about $20. It ended up being a total scam and the site doesn't even exist anymore. I really should have known better when the price was just too good to be true. I still use Facebook occasionally, but not nearly as much as I used to. I maybe check it once per day if I actually remember. I am the member of some groups on there that are pretty cool, so I wouldn't want to lose those.
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I am ashamed to say my Facebook is still open - until the localgardenening group and local marketplace moves to HIVE, I need it, I have to say. I never get fooled by ads though - I'm too savvy for that haha. Although - did I really need forest green bedsheets, and how did i even know they existed? Ah... the tentacles of Facebook also reach to instagram... but again, until the Landrover communities of the world move to Instagram, @wildtrackdreaming on Insta is there to stay. Yep. They've hooked us.
Yeah man I'm trying to get people off Facebook and bring them to Hive seems like people don't listen or just don't do it
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I haven't completely closed myself off from Facebook because I use it as a tool to plant seeds of liberty, but I am weaning myself off of it more and more. Closing group memberships, dropping follows...
The only reason I am still using Fb is cos of my VR headset
Posted Using LeoFinance Beta