To my friends on Facebook

I’m deleting my Facebook account soon. Its a hard choice to make as I have such a wonderful collection of FB friends from all over the planet, and I can ‘like’ the Dalai Lama! (I’m a peace-nick☮)

But I’m afraid I’m not comfortable using the service anymore…

I joined last April and enjoyed Facebook in blissful ignorance for a few weeks. Catching up with old friends, thought I might try clicking a few cows… Then they arbitrarily removed the ‘become a fan’ button. It became like. Like?

I’m sure I would have gotten over it, but in my fruitless quest to find facebook to give them some Feedback I learned of their f8 developers conference. Our fate was to have our info linked to public pages apparently, and for groups to be deprecated. Then there was the automatic opt in to Instant Personalization, the removal of tabs, boxes and text fields…

It put my missing ‘become a fan’ button in perspective really, so I joined Petition: Facebook, respect my privacy!, MILLIONS AGAINST FACEBOOK’s PRIVACY POLICIES AND LAYOUT REDESIGN, Facebook Privacy Control – NOW! and People Wanting Greater Control, Privacy, Communication & Choice.

I’ve also strongly supported the #BillOfRights for social network users initiative.

But the fact is, I’ve come to the conclusion that Facebook is either creepy and dystopian(‘evil’), or being run by a bunch of monkeys, in either case I can’t in good conscience continue to support it by my participation.

Best to all.

Darryl Barnes

email: lyrradarryl@gmail.com

Twitter: @ lyrradarryl

Website: lyrradarryl.com

 

Helen Mikhail
so we wont talk no more no thats not right how we can stay friends if you live :(((((
May 4, 2011 at 17:49

Darryl Barnes
Yes, that’s what’s hard about closing my account :( I have lots of awesome FB friends… My email is on the note, I’m sure you’ll find me elsewhere on the internet. And I’m not going straight away, I’m co-admin of quite a few old groups and will stay until FB removes them (soon)
May 4, 2011 at 17:53

Helen Mikhail
ok good but plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz come to imvu 3D chat so we can be friends and talk and have hun plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
May 4, 2011 at 18:11

Darryl Barnes
I’ll probably try quite a few other things on the net if I’m not using FB. Anyway, I’m not going just yet and I’ll make sure I exchange contact details with my FB friends first…
May 4, 2011 at 18:17

Helen Mikhail
but way ?????
May 4, 2011 at 18:18

Helen Mikhail
why
May 4, 2011 at 18:18

Darryl Barnes
Its a long story Helen. One reason is that I’m stubborn, I’ve been protesting, and things have reached the stage where the only option for me is to go. Or to just give up and ‘like’ it… Another reason is that given what I know about Facebook(the company) I feel most uncomfortable interacting with others on their service.
May 4, 2011 at 18:26

Helen Mikhail
ok you now best anyway you always told everybody the they should beaver of the face book but if you know so much about sits so way dont you open one like face book but better then fb and you now all the rung doing so you make it better and believe it they will follow you i will be the first :)
May 4, 2011 at 18:35

Darryl Barnes
Well, I doubt I’ll be starting my own social network, but I will be looking out for one thats 100% USER(community) focused, and preferably run by a not for profit company.
May 4, 2011 at 18:41

Helen Mikhail
good do it and you have me 100%
May 4, 2011 at 18:44

Nita Noor
:'(
May 4, 2011 at 18:55

Darryl Barnes
I haven’t gone yet Nita ;) As a matter of fact I published this unfinished note accidentally, I was just writing a farewell notice to have in reserve… Oh well, I’ve done it now.
May 4, 2011 at 19:05

Nita Noor
You’ve been away from flackvook for awhile, and the first thing I saw today from you is this. So I was a bit ??? Anyway, you have my other accesses, Mr Barnes!
2May 4, 2011 at 19:07

Miles Renatus
See you on Diaspora Darryl. I won’t be far behind you. This place is just too creepy now. And you have my email addy too. Darryl you’re one of the greatest I’ve met here, and that’s the silver lining on this cloud of blood sucking doom. Xxx
May 4, 2011 at 21:38

Erik Fantome
If someone would be kind enough to advise me when the train is leaving, just so I don’t resemble Bogart in Casablanca at the rail station in the rain reading a soggy note…
May 4, 2011 at 21:49

Martin Childs
Well, we’ve had this discussion before. I understand. Speaking of which, I think it’s time I moved again. :-D
May 4, 2011 at 22:19

Kàbiela Dicava
i’ve thought about leaving facebook too, but i’ve gotta keep our legacy going- fighting for what we want on facebook, even though no matter how many groups/petitions are created it probably won’t change anything, but if anyone’s gonna keep that going, it’s gonna be me. See you on Diaspora
May 5, 2011 at 16:52

Pamela Jaye Ashworth
if you manage to get Diaspora up, let me know (last i saw, people were supposed to start their own “pods”?)
Let me know if you don’t have my email address and also —
can you recreate this note on a blog somewhere? (even Miles’ perhaps, if you don’t wish to start your own)
It’s impossible to save (bullzip PDF printer is only grabbing one page worth lately) and too good to lose. (and when you are gone, it will be, too)
May 30, 2011 at 4:31

Pamela Jaye Ashworth
PS thanks for all the people you introduced me to. and the help. I’ve determined that people who have jobs should not be on facebook – they don’t have the time to follow FB around and catch all its droppings… er, keep up with the changes.
May 30, 2011 at 4:33

Pamela Jaye Ashworth
and speaking of all the exciting people you can be friends with, led me recommend Twitter. Privacy on Twitter has two settings – On and Off.
The most complicated things you can do are @someone – which is a message to or about them, which anyone may or may not be able to see (depending on what interface they are using), and d someone (direct message) which nobody can see but the two of you – though you both have to be following each other. Following is generally simpler than friending as it doesn’t have to be approved OR mutual (though people CAN block you). The rest is all How can I fit this in 140 characters?
At the moment I’m following local weather, 6 TV Critics, and the creators of two of my favorite shows (one of whom is following me, and noticed last week when I posted something on my website, and tweeted me with the answer. Cool!) and some other people.It’s not facebook, but then, it’s not facebook.
May 30, 2011 at 9:59

Darryl Barnes
I’m on twitter, but I haven’t used it yet. My username is @ lyrradarryl
Not that I’m going anywhere soon.. I’m planning to leave FB when all my old groups are gone, I still have 84 left (out of about 90) and none of mine even have the upgrade or archival link yet.
May 30, 2011 at 13:25

Darryl Barnes
An update. One of the groups linked in my note has now gone. The rest are still there, that’s why I’m still here.
August 11, 2011 at 17:30

Pamela Jaye Ashworth
I see you have a boring blog. Is there any chance that you could copy this Note to there? It;s really too good not to share. (and maybe people can contact you via the Comments. I don’t publish comments on my blog, but I do read them. I think.)
August 13, 2011 at 12:18

Darryl Barnes
I’m glad you like my note. By the way, the missing group is Petition: Facebook, respect my privacy!
Respect? From Facebook? What were we thinking… I had a lot of input there, now its all been sent to digital limbo. Oh well, maybe some future digital archeologist will unearth it one day.
August 13, 2011 at 13:50

Kàbiela Dicava
i think we shud have an event called “Deactivation Day”, in which ALL users (or at least the ones who decide to attend) will deactivate their accounts for just a day. the more people who participate, the more we will get across our message to facebook- LISTEN TO US OR GO DOWN!
August 13, 2011 at 14:42

Pamela Jaye Ashworth
some day Facebook will go the way of AOL. won’t it? We all stayed there longer than we wanted as it was the only place we could be in a “chat” room with our internet illiterate friends (and IRC was always iffy when I was on it. 7 minutenet lag is ridiculous)
August 14, 2011 at 4:47