The best time to delete all your accounts in Zuckerbergs Meta-verse (Facebook, instagram, threads, WhatsApp etc) was years ago. The second best time is NOW. #LifeHack
I deleted my Facebook account 10+ years ago. Instagram 4 years ago. Never had threads. Deleted my Twitter account 2 years ago. This is not meant as bragging. More a nudge. Don’t worry. You can leave all that behind. Your life is better when you focus on the real life and real connections with real people in the physical world. Give it a try. For a few weeks at least. You don’t have to delete all accounts immediately, just delete the apps on your phone and the tabs in your browser.
Of course, I’m almost 55, so I have a different view on technology (not in that way. My job is Evangelist at Red Hat, I’m at the forefront of tech, which gives me a maybe better informed view). Your real friends will call, install Signal and come over for a coffee or you’ll meet them in the beer garden. Join a political party and participate in local politics. Ask your local library if you can help. Your local soup kitchen. The place where seniors meet. Your local community needs you :)
I’m a born and bred optimist. I think that with the #fediverse we are collectively building solutions that replace money with empathy and real connections as the main motivation. For this to work, decentralisation is key. Decentralisation works and grows with open standards and open source. But it’s more about de-egoing than about demonetisation. Open standards and open source DO allow for making a good living of serving your community. Ego kills community. Beware of the psychopaths. Sermon over
This is what I like about people like @Gargron and @evan. Of course they both have ego. Of course they are proud of what they helped create. But they also have a deep respect for community over ego as the leading principle. With that they are part of a community of practice (it’s a scientific term, look it up!) that has been growing over many years. Stoically. Slowly. But, IMHO, unstoppable towards a better way to connect people instead of advertisers and influencers ;)
@jwildeboer Same. FB is gone at least 7-8 years. Never even bothered with Insta or Threads. Left #shitter as soon as Musk showed on the horizon. No WhatsApp either. It means some people lost touch. But those that cared enough now discovered Signal.
Haven’t looked back.
@jwildeboer So you think they will kick Meta out of the Social Web Foundation?
@jwildeboer Thank you! Kind words.
@jwildeboer I am reforming islam on facebook, 47k of my followers literally live in Afghanistan.
https://www.facebook.com/AlternativeQuran
@jwildeboer I appreciate the nudge. I justify my use of instagram because it has served as a good platform for spreading info about local Palestine solidarity actions, but I definitely also fall into its algorithm traps too.
Haven't had FB on my phone in years. only there because a few relatives refuse to be anywhere else. Might go back to physical mail though. I've really had it with Zuck's nonsense. I use Social Fixer to even make FB tolerable at all.
@jwildeboer Wise words with reason. I once started with WhatsApp followed by Facebook and Instagram, Twitter as well. It is possible and takes some time but there are less shitty waste-of-timers the whole day and although I often have to justify why I left this „elitary“ clubs, life is better now in terms of Social Media. And yes, there are people following you to alternatives.
@jwildeboer A few questions!
1. Did you make backups?
2. If you did, did you re-publish your content, images, etc. on the Web?
3. How has it affected your real-life relationships?
@evan 1. No 2: No 3. Not at all. I had a few thousand "friends" on Facebook but I don't miss them and they don't seem to miss me. Those that care know how to find me and I know how to stay in touch with those I care about :)