Facebook and me

Open letter 

about Facebook, constructive use of time and attentiveness to friends.

After a fair bit of time pondering some barely related items, I have decided to cut a few things out of my life – particularly those that waste time.  Time is an irreplaceable resource – and I have I-don’t-know-how-many hours left (as do you).

It started with a quote that said something like – if it is free, then you are not a customer; you’re a commodity.

I find facebook to be completely unresponsive to my needs (whatever others feel):  they keep resetting my news feed to top stories, even though I set it to most recent every time.  And now I find that, on the most recent setting, they don’t let me see more than a handful of posts, with this blackmail threat: if you want to see more posts, invite more friends.  No I won’t; blackmail has never worked with me.  In spite of all the ways you are supposed to be able to tweak your “experience” on fb, they do as they bloody well like.  I’m not keen on having some snot-nosed functionary’s idea of a selection algorithm make my choices.

So, it’s tata facebook – you have delighted me long enough.

Even if I just spend that hour-or-so I waste on facebook in sleeping, I’ll be making a profit.

I started by thinking about what facebook gives me, and what it takes away.  For me the bottom line is clear:  it takes time, and gives some self-indulgence.

What do I want to do with the time I gain?

Read more books, dead-tree or kindle.  Walk and breathe some fresh air – and, for an evening walk, take the cat along.  Design some really good quiz questions.  Learn to design websites (or maybe not . . .)   Spend lots more time proofreading for Distributed Proofreaders.**

I have nearly eighty fb friends – and I value all of them as real friends.  Now, stopping fb-time-wasting will make a hole in this part of my life.  But, nonetheless, day by day I will unfriend everyone except immediate family.  My email address is shown on facebook, so I am not out of reach.    And you can comment below.  I'll read the comments.

It will take me months to cut the cords – sorry, but please don’t take it personally.

** You can check it out: Distributed Proofreaders