My case against Facebook
For many years I refused to join Facebook. In the age of hyper-connectivity, that made me something of a freak.
"Why aren't you on Facebook? What are you hiding?"
"What you are running away from? You're not a criminal, are you?"
No, I'm not a criminal. And I'm certainly not hiding anything. There's plenty of information about me out there. Check out these sources:
Obviously, I'm not opposed to sharing some information about myself online. Still, some may not understand my desire to live in the real world. That's fine. I have other reasons for avoiding Facebook.
"Why aren't you on Facebook? What are you hiding?"
"What you are running away from? You're not a criminal, are you?"
No, I'm not a criminal. And I'm certainly not hiding anything. There's plenty of information about me out there. Check out these sources:
- Google (be sure to search for "Lance R Curtis" to avoid confusing me with one of over 14 other guys who share my name)
- My LinkedIn profile
- Nanowrimo (watch my word count each November by connecting with the handle fireholder)
- Goodreads (I post many book reviews on my blog, but on Goodreads you can read books I read and reviewed before I created this site)
- This very website
Obviously, I'm not opposed to sharing some information about myself online. Still, some may not understand my desire to live in the real world. That's fine. I have other reasons for avoiding Facebook.
The Facebook business model
Facebook connects businesses with customers by collecting data on user connections and interactions. Facebook gets its money from businesses, who get targeted advertising. Targeted ads deliver more bang for the buck. But in order for that advertising to have targets, Facebook needs to attract as many users as possible and collect data on how they interface with their environment and with whom they connect.
In order to attract those users, Facebook does not charge anyone to establish a profile and use the platform. In exchange, users get “candy” in the form of convenience with keeping up on social connections and interacting with other in a virtual world. There's more to Facebook, like games and apps, but that's the general idea.
There is (at least) one very big problem with this model. The customer is not the end user! That means Facebook doesn't have to care one wit about its users, because there is no financial incentive to do so.
In order to attract those users, Facebook does not charge anyone to establish a profile and use the platform. In exchange, users get “candy” in the form of convenience with keeping up on social connections and interacting with other in a virtual world. There's more to Facebook, like games and apps, but that's the general idea.
There is (at least) one very big problem with this model. The customer is not the end user! That means Facebook doesn't have to care one wit about its users, because there is no financial incentive to do so.
A little Facebook history
That may be just fine for you as long as you get most if not all of what you want from Facebook and little or nothing that you don't want. That's just not the picture that I see. I see a lot more of what I don't want.
Facebook has constantly changed its user interface and platform without regard for what users want. And they provide little if any transition or warning. Users often find out after the changes have been implemented; they log into their accounts and see that things have changed and they can't go back or opt out. (I have scaled back my use of Google products for much the same reason.)
Because users do not pay to use Facebook, Facebook provides no resource other than online help pages to address problems. In addition, Facebook can and has locked multiple users out of their accounts for “violations” of user policy when those same users did nothing to break the rules.
Facebook has constantly changed its user interface and platform without regard for what users want. And they provide little if any transition or warning. Users often find out after the changes have been implemented; they log into their accounts and see that things have changed and they can't go back or opt out. (I have scaled back my use of Google products for much the same reason.)
Because users do not pay to use Facebook, Facebook provides no resource other than online help pages to address problems. In addition, Facebook can and has locked multiple users out of their accounts for “violations” of user policy when those same users did nothing to break the rules.
Privacy settings keep changing
Facebook insists that people surrender their personal data when it hasn't proven itself worthy of trust. Its history with privacy settings really concerns me.
Facebook has constantly changed its privacy settings. Not only do the number of settings keep changing but also do the location of icons/links to access the interface to change those settings. Numerous cases of Facebook changing privacy settings against the wishes of users have been documented.
So I'm supposed to hand over my personal data that could be shared with someone both against my wishes and unbeknownst to me? Am I really a freak for caring about privacy?
Facebook has constantly changed its privacy settings. Not only do the number of settings keep changing but also do the location of icons/links to access the interface to change those settings. Numerous cases of Facebook changing privacy settings against the wishes of users have been documented.
So I'm supposed to hand over my personal data that could be shared with someone both against my wishes and unbeknownst to me? Am I really a freak for caring about privacy?
Too many settings need monitoring
Have you seen how many individual settings there are in Facebook? User customization is great, but given Facebook's history of untrustworthy behavior, how do I know all of these settings will stay the way I want them? And how do I know that they are working?
Not trusting Facebook means having to monitor all of these settings if I use Facebook. I don't want to have to monitor all that. This is way too much hassle for someone who values simplicity (not to mention over half of my other top 10 values which Facebook use threatens). I want to live in the real world.
Not trusting Facebook means having to monitor all of these settings if I use Facebook. I don't want to have to monitor all that. This is way too much hassle for someone who values simplicity (not to mention over half of my other top 10 values which Facebook use threatens). I want to live in the real world.
I'm not the only one who feels this way.
I don't agree with everything I read or hear other people say. I consider what they have to offer and make my own judgements about what I believe. And I believe that more voices are always better than less. Here are some other voices that have arisen against Facebook.
- Zrya.org strikes me as at least a little paranoid, but there is a good collection of links to Facebook criticisms.
- Wikipedia has a rather comprehensive article summarizing criticisms against Facebook.
- Slashdot.org has posted an interesting discussion thread which claims that Facebook is hated more than Bank of America and other corporate giants. While I don't agree with all the comments, I find the thread interesting reading.
- Social media columnist Jeff Gibbard, who uses Facebook, posted an excellent, very balanced article making a case against using Facebook. The comment thread connected with the article is also enlightening.
Forming a new conclusion
In the past, I didn’t use Facebook simply because I didn't trust Facebook. I saw no reason to surrender my personal data to a business with a history of being untrustworthy and snubbing its users. I also didn’t want to support a business with a model that separates the customer from the user, especially when the user is essentially the product sold to the customer.
And I just preferred living in the real world.
But that all began to change as I considered the contribution that I want to make with my life. I want to use the written word to share joy and goodness with a world that is growing ever more discouraging and dark. How do I do that without engaging with the world?
By refusing to join Facebook, I elected the equivalent of a Middle Ages monastic oath, vowing to isolate myself from the tainted world lest I become tainted myself. In so doing I also chose to limit my sphere of influence and accordingly the contribution that only I can make.
I believe in being in the world but not of the world. To be in the world means engaging with it, and much of the world of the early 21st century is on Facebook. If I truly believe what I say I do, then I must engage the world. The world will be worse if those who have goodness do not share the goodness that they have. I must share my goodness with others in order to make the world around me better. That’s part of what being not of the world means to me.
And I just preferred living in the real world.
But that all began to change as I considered the contribution that I want to make with my life. I want to use the written word to share joy and goodness with a world that is growing ever more discouraging and dark. How do I do that without engaging with the world?
By refusing to join Facebook, I elected the equivalent of a Middle Ages monastic oath, vowing to isolate myself from the tainted world lest I become tainted myself. In so doing I also chose to limit my sphere of influence and accordingly the contribution that only I can make.
I believe in being in the world but not of the world. To be in the world means engaging with it, and much of the world of the early 21st century is on Facebook. If I truly believe what I say I do, then I must engage the world. The world will be worse if those who have goodness do not share the goodness that they have. I must share my goodness with others in order to make the world around me better. That’s part of what being not of the world means to me.
The dance continues
I still prefer living in the real world. I still don’t trust Facebook. And I still think that privacy matters. But I am willing to trade a limited use of the Facebook platform for the opportunity to make my unique contribution, because the alternative means limiting my sphere of influence and with that the contribution that only I can make.
I really do intend to emphasize the word limited. After all, sometimes two or three weeks will pass between log-ins. I don't have the Facebook app on my phone, and I probably never will. When friends invite me to events, I place on my calendar the ones I want to attend and never indicate via Facebook whether or not I will attend. I hardly ever upload photos, and I don't list on my profile movies or music or books that I like. Simply put, I understand that anything I give to Facebook can never be taken back. And so if I think it's none of Facebook's business to have the information, I typically don't provide it.
When I do use Facebook, and especially with posts, I try to make my contribution meaningful. That means if someone were to come back to what I left 5, 10, or 50 years after the fact, that person could still feel something real and worth caring about in what I left. I don't know that I always make that mark, but it is my aspiration to do so while at the same time not surrendering what I believe really is none of their business to know. And thus the dance continues . . . .
I really do intend to emphasize the word limited. After all, sometimes two or three weeks will pass between log-ins. I don't have the Facebook app on my phone, and I probably never will. When friends invite me to events, I place on my calendar the ones I want to attend and never indicate via Facebook whether or not I will attend. I hardly ever upload photos, and I don't list on my profile movies or music or books that I like. Simply put, I understand that anything I give to Facebook can never be taken back. And so if I think it's none of Facebook's business to have the information, I typically don't provide it.
When I do use Facebook, and especially with posts, I try to make my contribution meaningful. That means if someone were to come back to what I left 5, 10, or 50 years after the fact, that person could still feel something real and worth caring about in what I left. I don't know that I always make that mark, but it is my aspiration to do so while at the same time not surrendering what I believe really is none of their business to know. And thus the dance continues . . . .
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