Personally, I'm not worried, because I don't post anything on my facebook account that I care if other people know about it or not. Why would I put anything online that I didn't want shared? That's really just counterintuitive. And to all the people who are quitting because they're worried about their personal information being shared, just REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. It's not like they're taking your money or anything, who gives a crap if the advertisements you see are tailored to you based on information from your profile, they're not forcing you to click them. For people who have friends that post a lot of game stuff or other applications: you can block the applications from showing on your feed, so if you're too lazy to hit 'Hide' or too stupid to have figured it out, maybe you should just stay off the internet period.
Michael - 14 years ago
There are two types of users of Facebook: (1) People who are using it personally. (2) Professionals, groups, and companies using it as a tool or presence to market to the first type. Type 2 shouldn't be expected to quit. They have to stay on Facebook until enough of Type 1 have left that it no longer makes business sense to maintain a Facebook presence.
In your future surveys, you should ask us to categorize ourselves as Type 1 or Type 2.
Jerome - 14 years ago
Too many vandals, too much mischief, too much risk of worms, malware attacks.
Judy - 14 years ago
As long as it remains free, it allows me to interact with my family out-of-state and seeing photos that they put on of the kids growing up. Also, because I tend to be a nervous person, facebook has allowed me to interact with friends at a pace easier for me than when I am face-to-face real-time, helping me to get to know them better.
Paul - 14 years ago
I had joined Facebook about 2 years ago as an experiment for work. Had about 200 "friends". Just saw the same 6 people or so posting updates and photos over and over again, sprinkled in with the occasional update from someone else. Hated the games and the surveys and all that farmville stuff and mob stuff. Also did not feel safe with my info on their although it was minimal. Had pics of kids and family on there as well. Everything was set to private, but felt nothing was truly private if my "friends" signed up for apps that gave the developers access to all of their "friends" info, including mine. Even if this is not the case, that is how it seemed. Canceled my account two weeks ago.
Molly - 14 years ago
I don't care much for FB. My personal info is fine, since I put minimal info on there and do not have any apps (except for the defaults). The only reason I'm keeping an account is because my two teenagers are on there, and I like to know what's going on in their digital life. I showed them how to set their privacy settings too, and they are quick to share with their friends that knowledge. All in all, FB is what you make it. And since most people's behavior online is beyond idiotic, well, it is what it is.
WebWiseFollower - 14 years ago
Multiple reason - some of the mentioned ones - Facebook is simply too young and early to solve major cultural and social problems that finally draw some attention - it will take more iterations of social platforms
@WebWiseFollower on Twitter
Aaron C. - 14 years ago
Last year, from February to November of 2009, I was trying to determine if facebook was indeed a reasonable social network service, for my business and personal reasons. However, I found that with the continual nonsense surrounding security risks, and the inevitable conflict-of-interest situations that arise with trying to combine multiple business and personal interests with a single account, has cause me to permanently delete my account. For those serious about building a network with other like-minded professionals, LinkedIn is definitely much more professional and less likely to cause undue damage to reputation or credibility.
Ton Lombarts (NL) - 14 years ago
Closed my Facebook account. Too many games and other things who have nothing to do with "connecting people".
I know it is different, but I have good contacts through Twitter.
Itchy - 14 years ago
I only started using Facebook because I knew several people that used it and it was an easy way to view their photos and videos. I think it is a complete waste of time, but the main reason I will close my account is - I don't want any potential employer seeing the crazy stuff that my "friends" might post.
I'm staying with facebook, but it's not that I like it. There just don't seem to be any easy alternatives to keep in touch with people that's as accessible as facebook already is. I came to facebook a long time ago from myspace because I was annoyed with all the games and junk...now it's overridden facebook too.
I am urging everyone to quit. It's not WHAT they're doing as much as it is HOW they're doing it that bothers me. I however, am on the fence simply because I am 100% transparent. I don't use security or privacy on my facebook in the first place. I have nothing to hide. As a proponent of social media I support full transparency and openness. That being said, anyone who wants to be private should leave Facebook because FB and privacy don't mesh.
m - 14 years ago
it's been invaluable in increasing the amount of information flowing to me. I don't play celebrity culture or promote my personal life through it. It's simply an amazing -FREE- tool for increasing my awareness
tranzmitta - 14 years ago
loss of control, lack of self-discipline, no need to play the game of celebrity culture in my circle of friends, no voyeurism, no exhibitionism, just too much pent-up frustration as a result of being on facebook in the first place.
just not for me, really!
Just dont like the wayfacebook behave these days
Personally, I'm not worried, because I don't post anything on my facebook account that I care if other people know about it or not. Why would I put anything online that I didn't want shared? That's really just counterintuitive. And to all the people who are quitting because they're worried about their personal information being shared, just REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. It's not like they're taking your money or anything, who gives a crap if the advertisements you see are tailored to you based on information from your profile, they're not forcing you to click them. For people who have friends that post a lot of game stuff or other applications: you can block the applications from showing on your feed, so if you're too lazy to hit 'Hide' or too stupid to have figured it out, maybe you should just stay off the internet period.
There are two types of users of Facebook: (1) People who are using it personally. (2) Professionals, groups, and companies using it as a tool or presence to market to the first type. Type 2 shouldn't be expected to quit. They have to stay on Facebook until enough of Type 1 have left that it no longer makes business sense to maintain a Facebook presence.
In your future surveys, you should ask us to categorize ourselves as Type 1 or Type 2.
Too many vandals, too much mischief, too much risk of worms, malware attacks.
As long as it remains free, it allows me to interact with my family out-of-state and seeing photos that they put on of the kids growing up. Also, because I tend to be a nervous person, facebook has allowed me to interact with friends at a pace easier for me than when I am face-to-face real-time, helping me to get to know them better.
I had joined Facebook about 2 years ago as an experiment for work. Had about 200 "friends". Just saw the same 6 people or so posting updates and photos over and over again, sprinkled in with the occasional update from someone else. Hated the games and the surveys and all that farmville stuff and mob stuff. Also did not feel safe with my info on their although it was minimal. Had pics of kids and family on there as well. Everything was set to private, but felt nothing was truly private if my "friends" signed up for apps that gave the developers access to all of their "friends" info, including mine. Even if this is not the case, that is how it seemed. Canceled my account two weeks ago.
I don't care much for FB. My personal info is fine, since I put minimal info on there and do not have any apps (except for the defaults). The only reason I'm keeping an account is because my two teenagers are on there, and I like to know what's going on in their digital life. I showed them how to set their privacy settings too, and they are quick to share with their friends that knowledge. All in all, FB is what you make it. And since most people's behavior online is beyond idiotic, well, it is what it is.
Multiple reason - some of the mentioned ones - Facebook is simply too young and early to solve major cultural and social problems that finally draw some attention - it will take more iterations of social platforms
@WebWiseFollower on Twitter
Last year, from February to November of 2009, I was trying to determine if facebook was indeed a reasonable social network service, for my business and personal reasons. However, I found that with the continual nonsense surrounding security risks, and the inevitable conflict-of-interest situations that arise with trying to combine multiple business and personal interests with a single account, has cause me to permanently delete my account. For those serious about building a network with other like-minded professionals, LinkedIn is definitely much more professional and less likely to cause undue damage to reputation or credibility.
Closed my Facebook account. Too many games and other things who have nothing to do with "connecting people".
I know it is different, but I have good contacts through Twitter.
I only started using Facebook because I knew several people that used it and it was an easy way to view their photos and videos. I think it is a complete waste of time, but the main reason I will close my account is - I don't want any potential employer seeing the crazy stuff that my "friends" might post.
I'm staying with facebook, but it's not that I like it. There just don't seem to be any easy alternatives to keep in touch with people that's as accessible as facebook already is. I came to facebook a long time ago from myspace because I was annoyed with all the games and junk...now it's overridden facebook too.
I am urging everyone to quit. It's not WHAT they're doing as much as it is HOW they're doing it that bothers me. I however, am on the fence simply because I am 100% transparent. I don't use security or privacy on my facebook in the first place. I have nothing to hide. As a proponent of social media I support full transparency and openness. That being said, anyone who wants to be private should leave Facebook because FB and privacy don't mesh.
it's been invaluable in increasing the amount of information flowing to me. I don't play celebrity culture or promote my personal life through it. It's simply an amazing -FREE- tool for increasing my awareness
loss of control, lack of self-discipline, no need to play the game of celebrity culture in my circle of friends, no voyeurism, no exhibitionism, just too much pent-up frustration as a result of being on facebook in the first place.
just not for me, really!