So, I deactivated my fb acct

[Beebs52]

Haven't permanently deleted it yet. Not because of data breaches but I realized if a relative could piss me off so badly in a thread that was just a question, getting all up into a friend's face who actually knows what she's talking about...figured my head would splode during election cycles.

Got tired of shared shit ad nauseum, with many offenders being on my side of political spectrum.

No messenger app either. Now it's just me and potty training and diapers semi unplugged.

[bazodee]

I took a half-step in this direction. I realized that I was getting angry reading political posts (again, mostly of people on my side of the spectrum). Ironically, my responses challenging extreme views and instead encouraging moderation, were getting more vitriolic. I would stew on them for hours.

So step 1 for me is to refrain from responding to anything political on Facebook. My iPhone doesn't have enough storage for Messenger anyway, so that was never a problem.

[Beebs52]

I have made political posts in past, but not accompanied by the bizarre memes, sites, etc. I, too, have been ignoring most of those. What's so stupid is my deciding to exit post was a police procedural question, after watching a Houston car chase. Friend is in law enforcement, yada, and I was wondering why they dint shoot tires out after all were stopped and semi blocked. She answered but relative got all hey homie, thinking she was waffling, psychologising, etc. Just stupid.

[Beebs52]

Oh I know the stewing thing. Such a drain!

[Ritterskoop]

FWIW, I have been content without it.

I flip through my mom's account sometimes and am overwhelmed by all the clutter - not even the polarization that surfaces is the issue - the clutter gets me right off the bat. If there was a cats-only channel I might sign up for that.

I also realized that it is no place for a someone with perfectionist tendencies - I can never get caught up. I suppose that would be about managing the news feed and friends, but it still seems overwhelming.

So yeah, it isn't for everyone, and that's OK. I hope you enjoy the quiet.

[Beebs52]

Skoop, tons of clutter. Also, I permanently deleted it! Takes 14 days, not 90. Even got a confirmation email. Woot.

[BackInTex]

Also, I permanently deleted it!

I'm almost jealous. I know, I could do it, but ....

[Beebs52]

Also, I permanently deleted it!

I'm almost jealous. I know, I could do it, but ....

Hee hee. I was thinking about it for awhile. Stuff will always be floating out there so probably placebo effect.
I had already deleted kid pics.

[mellytu74]

1) We expect pictures here as well, Beebs! Moppet cuteness overload.

And pets.

2) I am involved in a great project on Facebook.

In anticipation of all-time Temple great Aaron McKie taking over as head basketball coach (and venting over the mismanagement of the program by Fran Dunphy), the Temple Owls Basketball Fans page has undertaken a project. Owl of the Day (#owloftd). Post a picture and a little bit about someone involved in the TU program - coach, player, manager, etc.

We are in Day Two. After all-time Temple great Mike Vreewyck led off, he handed off to me. My Owl of the Day (#owlotd) was Huey Futch, fan favorite from the mid-1990s.

i anticipate that -- and family stuff -- will take up most of my FB postings for now on.

3) I used to love the political stuff. But I can no longer handle the sheer volume of it. Life is too short.

I am hiding all posts from certain quarters - and that includes a lot of "Share if you have XXXX that you love" type of thing.

Personal posts from friends and such. TU hoops and football. I AM going to like political posts from Boonie, as support (the man is still angry) but not share.

Did I mention life is too short?

[mellytu74]

Oh, did I mention venting over Gabe the Guru Kapler.

I anticipate lusty boos from the Phillies fans at the home opener this afternoon

[Beebs52]

How bout them Astros!!!

[Spock]

I deleted my FB account on November 13, 2012. I had a firm rule not to do political stuff there which I only broke once. I mainly used it for dry humor with the idea that if Mrs S ever once complained about it I would delete the account that day. I figured if she didn't get the joke, nobody else would either.

Since that time, I have creeped Mrs. Spock's account, however-I am trying to break that habit as well. I logged out of her account on my computer and I don't know the password and so far, in about a week, I have not asked her for the password.

I am trying to focus my computer time more towards writing by eliminating crap like wasting time on FB and cutting down the number of other sites I waste time on as well.

My main negative thought about FB is that you get to know people from real life too well.

[Beebs52]

Spock, that was my reason for pulling the trigger, someone I know...

[Spock]

Spock, that was my reason for pulling the trigger, someone I know...

I think people that post a lot of the meme crap do so without thinking about how it might make another party feel.

I lost a really good high-school friend (and usher in my wedding) to cancer in 2005. Because of that (and other reasons) I reconnected with a female high school classmate who moved to our small-town in 8th Grade and immediately left after graduation and lives in Minneapolis and is married to African-American (not that that matters-but it is part of the story).

We just were always good friends in school and it seemed like something was missing (for both of us, I think) that we weren't friends anymore-we reconnected as good friends right away.

She and her husband and kids came out and rode in the combine and stuff and it just worked for about 10 years. I sold some beef to her family every fall and we would try meet for lunch when they came out and got it and so forth.

In 2014, Lori and I, met them and showed our Africa book and stuff. She has a strong photography interest and her bucket list trip is to go to Kenya.

Then 2015 and Cecil happened and she went way overboard on the memes. OK, that's fine-but it never dawned on her to ask what I thought/knew about it, but also remember I am on the other side of those memes and I pulled away some-I decided I am not going sell her any more beef-if she wants to, she can take a picture of the damn steer, but I am not going to have her eat any of it.

Then Trump won, and again she went way overboard on the memes. The one (of an endless series) that broke the camel's back was something like "I have probably lost a lot of Trump-voting friends since the election, but I don't care because I have gained more Hillary-voting friends."

Ok, fine-I can take a hint.

But the sad part is she probably posts all these memes without even thinking about them. You just see too much of people on FB-There is not any mystery anymore.

[CarShark]

Then Trump won, and again she went way overboard on the memes. The one (of an endless series) that broke the camel's back was something like "I have probably lost a lot of Trump-voting friends since the election, but I don't care because I have gained more Hillary-voting friends."

Ok, fine-I can take a hint.

This is what gets me. These social media algorithms point us towards what we already want to believe and the people who already believe it, because it wants to make us "happy." Little thought is put into what the algos are pointing away from. Some trolling? Sure. A lot of trolling? Possibly, but also some real arguments from real people who have different experiences. We don't care about that, though. We want the affirmation from like-minded people. Everything else can go by the wayside. The internet has made everything disposable, even relationships. The years you've spent as an acquaintance of that woman now isn't worth as much as the few lines of supportive text from someone across the country.

There are a couple of books that I have been meaning to read since the election: Bowling Alone and The Big Sort. BA is about the decline of interaction within communities. TBS is about people self-segregating between communities. The main criticism of both books is that their cases are overstated, and I think the missing piece is the internet. It used to be that if you wanted social interaction, you had to go out to the bowling alley or arcade or library to do it, risking an awkward interaction because you can't control who goes there. The internet has eliminated the risk. You now don't have to see the opinion of anyone you disagree with. You can mute them. You can block them. You can even report them to get them banned, so they won't sully your timeline with more posts you can't even see. Now Texas liberals can converse with California and New York liberals on Media Matters while California conservatives can talk to Texas and Florida conservatives on Red State. Never the 'twain shall meet.

I stopped using my Facebook account after I figured out that 95% of the time I was watching Tasty videos or playing online games. I subscribed to Tasty on YouTube, downloaded all my games from the Play Store and kept-a-truckin'.

[Beebs52]

What's unfortunate is that non political posts become political, sorta like here, only waaaay worse.

[ghostjmf]

Spock, are you telling us you & like-minded people bought pieces of Cecil to eat?

Like your former friend wanted to do with (name-unreported) steer?

I was hoping some of you right-wingers had quit Facebook because some of your friends' stuff was too right-wing even for you, but no.

[ghostjmf]

Actually, Beeb52's' post up there says exactly that, disagreement about police procedure with the actual police:

Beebs52: says re policeperson:


"She answered but relative got all hey homie, thinking she was waffling, psychologising, etc. Just stupid."

I was hoping of disowning of the blatantly fascist stuff I know you get, but hey.

I know you get it because *I* get it, circulated mostly by people I was told I had to "friend" in support of a cause we all did agree on. And occasionally by an actual friend, which is sad.

edited to put the "l" back in "blatantly".

[BackInTex]

Spock, are you telling us you & like-minded people bought pieces of Cecil to eat?

Where (please quote it) are you finding anything remotely saying that?

[Beebs52]

Spock, are you telling us you & like-minded people bought pieces of Cecil to eat?

Where (please quote it) are you finding anything remotely saying that?

When did you stop beating your wife...

[ghostjmf]

BiT:

A: sarcasm alert.

B: Spock *did* say:

"I decided I am not going to sell her any more beef-if she wants to, she can take a picture of the damn steer, but I am not going to have her eat any of it."

Most people who eat steers want meat, not pictures of the steer.

Most people who kill lions, including lions protected by decrees those people disregard, don't want any lion meat. They want pictures of themself with their foot on the dead lion, & maybe lion skin &/or head to bring home.

Exemptions from this are people who kill lions that are actually marauding among their livestock &/or family. I read they don't much want lion meat either.

[Bob Juch]

BiT:

A: sarcasm alert.

B: Spock *did* say:

"I decided I am not going to sell her any more beef-if she wants to, she can take a picture of the damn steer, but I am not going to have her eat any of it."

Most people who eat steers want meat, not pictures of the steer.

Most people who kill lions, including lions protected by decrees those people disregard, don't want any lion meat. They want pictures of themself with their foot on the dead lion, & maybe lion skin &/or head to bring home.

Exemptions from this are people who kill lions that are actually marauding among their livestock &/or family. I read they don't much want lion meat either.

It tastes like rhinoceros.