Bit Bucket

Crosspost from my Faceyspaces

So here’s the thing. I’m quitting Facebook.

I said this morning that Friday is my last day on Facebook, and I meant it. I’ve had several discussions today that all start with the same question: Why?

It’s come down to a conversation:

What Value is Facebook Providing You?

Facebook serves as a platform to maintain a quasi-public internet presence. It allows me to share links, status updates and pictures. It allows me to receive invitations to events. It allows me to discuss all of the above with family and friends alike.

It’s not a bad tool in this regard. It’s brought me back in touch with some people I’d lost touch with in the 10 years (oh god…) since I left Denison and the 15 years since I left California (queue oh god, part eight, the revenge.) both of which have been fun. It doesn’t make up for lost time, it doesn’t make up for grand distances. It’s a way to casually be involved in the lives of the people I hung out with and called friends over a decade ago.

Okay, that sounds cool and all, but why leave then?

Because none of it means anything. Okay, okay, that’s super emo. What do I really mean to say here? Being on Facebook is pretending to be involved in the lives of your old acquaintances. It’s not the same as being at home in California, or being at Denison with them, it’s some pale ghost of remembrance of those things, and that’s not fun for me. But it’s not just about that; this is just part of my complaint.

I’m much more involved in my current friends’ lives through my Twitter & Tumblr, and I don’t have to worry about the constant state of flux of the platform like I do with Facebook. If I put something in Facebook today, and mark it private-ish, or share with my friends only, who’s to say that it will be that way tomorrow? Lord knows they’ve had enough problems. So I’m going to stick with services that don’t bother with the fake pretense.

There’s also another piece here that my friend Lisa mentioned while we were driving to the farm on Saturday: if you rethink your relationship with Facebook, making yourself the product that they sell to their advertisers, it makes a lot more sense. And it does. And it’s not a place I want to be anymore. Look at the ads on your Facebook page right now. I’ve had some deeply weird shit in that advertising screen, from the weird DC-based ads to an Ashley Madison clone site. It’s been pretty shitty in that space. I shouldn’t have to pay for some joker’s private island just because I want to keep in touch with my friends.

So what now, then?

I’m going to delete my Facebook account on Friday afternoon. I’m sorry if this is the only way we’ve kept in touch, but you can find me other places online. I’m tbridge on Twitter and Foursquare, I’ve got a Tumblr Blog and We Love DC so you can keep reading my writing. If we’re playing on Words with Friends, I hope that will continue after my account disappears, I think it should, but you never know.

Any last thoughts?

Yeah. Facebook means well, but it’s fucking up badly right now. Their management structure is so thoroughly tainted with stupidity and greed that you really should consider finding another way to stay in touch. Leave now. Seriously.

You can message me til Friday, and thereafter, I’m easy to find if you want to catch up. Let’s get a beer.