[Update May 17: If you read this post before today, you might notice that the title now has changed with the addition of one extra character: the question mark. Reaction and comments since I published this post on May 15 have given me some pause to think, with one potential attractive-sounding alternative to a complete exit from Facebook. See the additional content at the end of the post.]
[Update May 30: Final decision – I decided to implement a pretty measured way to keep a Facebook presence on terms that I’m happier with. It’s more ‘hasta luego‘ than ‘goodbye.’ Details at end of post.]
I just deleted my Facebook account.
After being with the social network for some years (I forget when I joined: either 2007 or 2006, invited by Philip Young), I’ve concluded that it simply isn’t a place for me any more that I want to spend time in.
I have no major issues with Facebook. Never had any problems with my account, with privacy, with spammers or trolls, none of that. And while Facebook privacy concerns is a pretty hot topic for discussion these days, that’s not a primary reason why I decided to quit the service.
It’s just not a place where I really spend any meaningful time. I don’t really engage with anyone there; every time I do check in, I encounter conversations galore of which I’m purely an onlooker. About the only activity I have there is automatically piped-in tweets from Twitter. (Every time I look at my Facebook presence, all those tweets look like so much spam to me.)
I don’t use many of the apps. Those I do use, I wonder why as I can easily live without them. I’ve become fans of many companies and brands. But no one’s world will stop spinning just because I’m no longer part of those communities in Facebook: in many cases, there are other places, notably Twitter.
Which brings me to note the place that I do spend most time online in a social network sense. It’s Twitter. I joined Twitter in 2006, so it’s a place I’ve been hanging out in for a while.
For me, Twitter is the place I like the most. I like the people there, many of whom are also in Facebook. But it’s a different environment there and I like it better than Facebook.
What about the business aspects of Facebook? Will I miss out on connecting with business people? Miss out on engaging with companies, etc, via fan pages? Will others miss me no longer being there?
Well, I can’t answer the latter question. For the first two, though, yes, certainly on Facebook if I’m no longer there. But many of the business people I connect with in some way are also elsewhere, maybe in some of the other places I visit from time to time if not on Twitter.
I had considered locking down my Facebook account rather than deleting it entirely. But it’s difficult to understand exactly how to do that in a way that makes you feel sure it is locked down, ie, being an online presence how you want it to be and not only how Facebook wants it to be.
So I guess I am influenced by the online talk about privacy concerns.
Anyway, I’m gone from Facebook. Or, according to the weirdly-formatted confirmation email I received, I will be in 14 days time::
Hi Neville,<br/><br/>We have received a request to permanently delete your account. Your account has been deactivated from the site and will be permanently deleted within 14 days. <br/><br/>If you did not request to permanently delete your account, follow this link to cancel this request:<br/><br/>Thanks,The">Thanks,The">Thanks,The">Thanks,The">http://www.facebook.com/ account_delete.php <br/><br/><br/>Thanks,<br/>The Facebook Team
That’s if I don’t log in to my account again, so there is grace if I change my mind within this time.
I followed WikiHow’s How to Permanently Delete a Facebook Account, a pretty good guide on the steps to take to delete a Facebook account as it includes some things you might not have thought about, eg, cancelling any Facebook Connect logins you’ve created elsewhere before you make the move within Facebook itself.
So these are my reasons for leaving Facebook. I would stress I have no personal issues with the service and recognize that many people gain huge value out of being part of the communities there. It’s just not for me any more.
As for my own 400+ Facebook friends – which includes some family members – I will miss you but hope to still connect with you elsewhere.
[Update May 17] Since writing this post two days ago, there have been some terrific comments and opinion, notably via Twitter, on the wisdom or otherwise on what I’ve done. Others have commented here in this post, below, with similar and other thoughts. Thanks, everyone, for adding to the debate.
According to my server logs, this is the most popular post by far over the past 30 days. And, just two days after publishing, PostRank ranks it already at 10.0 out of 10.0. So clearly, the subject of quitting Facebook is a pretty hot one for many people who are looking for information about it and, obviously for some, how to actually do it.
So I’ve done it and, if I sit quietly and ignore Facebook for the next 14 days (well, now 12 days), my account will vanish into the ether and nothing will remain to show I was ever there. Not quite sure about that last bit, but basically I understand it would mean that if you search for me on Facebook next month, you’ll find nothing.
When I wrote the post, one thought remained in my mind – it could be good if somehow I could still remain a member of Facebook but not discoverable or visible at all to anyone unless I chose to be discoverable or visible. If I wanted to see what such and such a company was doing or accept an invitation to something taking place only in or via Facebook that I would like to take part in, I could just log in to do that and not suddenly pop up on some radar page or other showing the world my status and visibility (and tools like the Openbook search engine that lets anyone search Facebook Updates adds hugely to my sense of unease from the Facebook user’s privacy point of view).
This would mean that I could keep current on what’s going on with Facebook from first-hand experience, a point Eric Rice raised in a comment to my original post:
As someone involved in the so-called social media industry, how do you stay current on facebook developments outside of second-hand reporting and not first-hand experience? It would seem a strength would be in dealing with FB’s evolving BS, purely as part of ongoing career education.
In truth, I would find that having a clear ability to control my account and its privacy settings are preferable to a complete and total exit from Facebook.
Much of my own research showed that locking down your Facebook account – a point I made in the post – is possible through tweaking many if not all of the scores of privacy and other settings in your account.
The trouble is, though, that none of what I read led me to a feeling of comfort that any such account-tweaking genuinely would give me control over my own account on my terms not only on Facebook’s.
I’m happy to compromise but it never looked to me as through Facebook would be.
Then I discovered a compelling post on Lifehacker, written by Whitson Gordon on May 15: the same day I wrote this post.
I found How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook the easiest piece of advice on what to do that I’ve yet seen. The key advice is this:
The Less Extreme Alternative
Luckily, there is another, more middle-of-the-road option. That’s not to say this isn’t still extreme—this isn’t for the faint of heart. It isn’t a tutorial about how to change your privacy settings. This is a tutorial on how to create the most minimalist Facebook profile possible, with as little information on yourself as possible, to be used only for communication between you and your friends. You won’t be able to do much on the site; you probably won’t even visit the site that often. This is not for people who want to continue using Facebook; it is for the people who are ready to up and quit tomorrow, but don’t want to miss out on the next party just because they care about their privacy. So if you’re really ready to give up wall posts, comments, Farmville, and fan pages, here’s how to proceed without falling off the face of the Earth.Create a New Account and Transfer Your Friends
Technically, this part is optional, but I also think it has the biggest impact on how the rest of your experience will pan out. You could just edit all the information on your current account, but if you make a new one and delete the old one you’ll have a completely clean slate. You won’t have any posts lingering around anywhere, no personal information for the taking and no photos tagged of you. Plus, this is prime time to get rid of all your friends that you don’t need. Do you really still need to be Facebook friends with that girl you met at that party that time? Didn’t think so.
That looks like what I want to achieve and keep a presence on Facebook. So within my 14(12)-day grace period, I’m going to test this advice and see if it does enable me to stay with Facebook, on my terms.
[Update May 30] Decision made – I keep my Facebook account but in a way that fits better with my desire to control what information is displayed about me within Facebook and by others (that’s apps as well as people), and what information I’m exposed to within Facebook and by email.
In other words, I’ll be there on my own minimalist terms as much as I can.
I’ve followed much of the guidance in Lifehacker’s How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook. Basically, I’ve locked down my account to the extent that only existing friends can see certain content with much visible only to me.
Facebook’s recently-announced privacy changes make it easier to figure out what to change regarding your privacy settings, and are explained well.
I think that what you set will be influenced greatly by how you plan to use your Facebook account, overall privacy issues aside. So the lockdown I’ve done won’t be much good for you if you plan to be very active, and proactive, on Facebook. I’m not: Twitter’s the place where I do that.
So while it will be a rare moment that I actually do log in to Facebook from now on other than for specific business-related purposes, I continue with Facebook in a way that fits with how I wish to use the social network.
If you’d like to connect, let’s do that on Twitter.
105 responses to “Goodbye Facebook?”
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Neville Hobson, Neville Hobson, Neville Hobson, Neville Hobson, prblogs and others. prblogs said: Hobson: Goodbye Facebook: I just deleted my Facebook account. After being with the social network for some years… http://bit.ly/cHpNyT […]
Congrats! Good decision! RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye #Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq #FB
Congrats! Good decision! RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye #Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq #FB
RT@inspiredmag: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq <<<I'm just about to that point myself. I'm hardly on FB anymore. Great post!
One For Us Facebook Hater RT @jangles Goodbye Facebook – http://bit.ly/9RKsxn
One For Us Facebook Hater RT @jangles Goodbye Facebook – http://bit.ly/9RKsxn
@eean_co_uk.. .reading 'Goodbye Facebook'.. .#web.. .#social.. .#fb. http://bit.ly/aAqZSh
"Goodbye Facebook — NevilleHobson.com" – http://bit.ly/bi5bsd (via @Apture)
RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
Goodbye Facebook – http://bit.ly/c36FHT [via: nevillehobson.com]
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Goodbye Facebook – [link to post] [via: nevillehobson.com]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
RT @jangles Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/9RKsxn
RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
RT @izulchaniago: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
'Goodbye Facebook' by @jangles | NevilleHobson.com http://ow.ly/1Ly8c
RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/aOpyVQ /via @abdulkarim
Here in Japan, it might be your turn, mixi. RT @alextoussaint Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/aOpyVQ /via @abdulkarim
Are you going to drop your Facebook links on you blog pages like the one above this comment and pop down?
RT @inspiredmag: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
Neville Hobson (@jangles) deleted his Facebook acct, saying he's not getting value. I am feeling the opposite http://bit.ly/aCiSvX
Bookmarked.
Honestly, I'll probably be joining you soon. I like Twitter and I kind of get LinkedIn, it's for business or to follow industries and interests. Facebook, is nice and I wish I could “lock it down” as well. I see it as a nice little contact list of old friends (even though there is 99% probability I won't be making that contact). If Facebook realized it was a non-professional/non-business application for (friends) then it would be bearable. Their grand plans and steps to monetize on it is what's driving people away.
I'll leave the Facebook Connect links in the comment options as many people find them useful.
There may well be links to my own Facebook account still on this blog; I'll sort all that out as I get close to the end of the coming 14 days.
Each of us has different reasons for why and how we participate in an online social network. I also use LinkedIn (a member since 2004) but I'm not especially active there. It's evolving and has many Facebook-like community features. Like Facebook, though, it's not a place I spend a lot of time in. But I do find it valuable when I do.
I have contacts with old friends, too, but our best interactions happened more on Twitter than in Facebook. That's just my situation, though, which certainly isn't the same as most others I know.
Great read from RT @inspiredmag – Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cTfPRq
I will miss you anywhere you are not, Neville.
Your words, thoughts, and presence are valued, always!
Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/aOpyVQ /via @abdulkarim /via @alextoussaint exactly my fb experience. Won't delete account just yet though.
Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday http://is.gd/casuQ Thoughtful stuff.
Neville Hobson: Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday http://is.gd/casuQ Thoughtful stuff.: http://bit.ly/aJOCBs
RT @jangles: Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday http://is.gd/casuQ Thoughtful stuff.
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Neville Hobson: Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday [link to post] Thoughtful stuff.: http://bit.ly/aJOCBs
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I like @ikepigott 's "Facebook continuity" plan http://is.gd/cb3hM (ref: http://is.gd/casuQ )
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I like @ikepigott ‘s “Facebook continuity” plan http://is.gd/cb3hM (ref: [link to post] )
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Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday [link to post] Thoughtful stuff.
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@GeorgeDearing leaving Facebook explained in my blog post. [link to post] Just fed up with it all really.
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@jangles read the post..didn’t get what tipping point was..if you and others aren’t concerned about the privacy,etc, it seems Twitter=reason
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RT @jangles: Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday [link to post] Thoughtful stuff.
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RT @jangles Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday http://is.gd/casuQ Thoughtful stuff <- indeed
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RT @jangles Reading tweets and comments re my quitting Facebook yesterday [link to post] Thoughtful stuff <- indeed – Posted using Chat Catcher
wow! sounds just like Someone is about to Quit Smoking.RT @LORI_SF: NevilleHobson.com: Goodbye Facebook http://tinyurl.com/38q7cuz
I am considering the same thing, but philosophically I do not like running FROM something until I know what I am moving TO.
So that makes me a little different than Neville, who simply doesn't have enough invested to worry about the missing links to people.
I think I will set a date, like August 15, and take that time between now and then moving all my pictures and video to other places — and contacting people so they know how they can find me.
Then, after killing the account, I'll come back, maybe September 15, and create a new account. It will have a name and a contact email, so people who DO look for me there will find me. But no other information.
Still giving this a LOT of thought.
@jangles deleted his Facebook account -> http://om.ly/jhQX I understand your personal reasons but won't you miss its marketing value?
Goodbye Facebook http://tinyurl.com/26moquq
As someone involved in the so-called social media industry, how do you stay current on facebook developments outside of second-hand reporting and not first-hand experience? It would seem a strength would be in dealing with FB's evolving BS, purely as part of ongoing career education.
Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/9RKsxn RT @jangles
I gave this a great deal of thought too, Ike. Lots during the past few months. Should I or shouldn't I. How will I connect if not here. What about learning (see Eric's comment on that). Etc.
I think the decision in the end was easy for me precisely because I had so little invested there. Very few photos. A video or two. Comments. Nearly all of that from my early days in Facebook so old stuff none of which I will miss. I have copies of the photos and videos anyway (and the majority of those are already online in places I use a lot like Flickr, YouTube and Qik).
Neither had I much invested in terms of relationships or connections with others. All very peripheral. The majority of people I really care about having connections with are also in Twitter.
I could have kept on thinking about this. But no, I just decided to do it and so I did it. I have 14 days to determine if I really want to do this.
Thanks, Jennifer, I appreciate that. You and I are connected on Twitter. I think we have a strong connection there, certainly stronger than in Facebook.
I guess that sums up pretty well part of my thinking behind quitting Facebook.
My plan, in a Tweet:
I gave this a lot of thought.
You come back in a month and establish a placeholder for your name. Something with JUST a disposable email address, in case old high school friends do want to look you up or something. ALSO a great way to prevent someone else from hijacking your name — which matters more to the oddly-named Neville Hobson's and Ike Pigott's of the world than the more common Eric Rice's.
With the placeholder, you can log in and monitor what is happening, and still have access to all the notices about changes.
That was a matter I grappled with, Eric. In fact, it may well have been the major point that prevented me from shutting down Facebook sooner.
I will stay current on what's happening in Facebook via what others experience. Yes, it will be second-hand experiences. Not ideal, to be sure, but not really different to how I learn about many other things without direct experience.
How would that gel with a business situation where, say, I may recommend to a client that Facebook is a good place to be/use as part of achieving a measurable business goal, and I'm no longer there myself? Where's the credibility?
Well, I don't actually forese a situation like that. If one did arise, though, any suggestion certainly wouldn't be based on my word but rather on others I trust whose experiences count.
On balance, I don't believe my not being in Facebook will make any measurable difference to being able to continue understanding how Facebook develops in the future. Still, I have 14 days to conclude whether that's a good decision.
Hmm, something to think about. Thanks Ike.
⓵ The Facebook Brain Drain, http://is.gd/cbvyu by @Pamela_Poole
⓶ Goodbye #Facebook, http://is.gd/cbvyv, by @jangles
We all only have only so much bandwidth to manage all these profiles, so it's understandable that you want to keep things more manageable and focus on what brings you personal value.
But it seems to me that Facebook is becoming more important to the social media world, not less important. There are number of social media consultants that specialise in Facebook exclusively. So for me, I think it's best to stay involved and so I can keep up with how the platform develops and how people and brands are using it.
But professional concerns aside; I like Facebook to keep in touch with friends and family. I recently ran into a friend who said, “SL I'm sorry I've not been in touch for some time, but I feel like we've been in constant contact because I follow you on FB.”
I'll be interested Neville to see what you think after a few months outside Facebook. Maybe you'll regret opting out?
This is very interesting indeed: "How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook" http://is.gd/cbVJm (ref: http://is.gd/casuQ )
Every day I'm a step closer to doing the same >> NevilleHobson.com – Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/cHT7mN
RT @jangles: This is very interesting indeed: "How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook" http://is.gd/cbVJm (ref: http://is.gd/casuQ )
Twitter Comment
This is very interesting indeed: “How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook” http://is.gd/cbVJm (ref: [link to post] )
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville http://goo.gl/fb/lOqLP
RT @tputh: Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville http://goo.gl/fb/lOqLP
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RT @tputh: Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
@jangles is saying "Goodbye Facebook." I'm not sure I'm ready for that step myself yet. What about you? http://bit.ly/9RKsxn
Twitter Comment
Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville http://tskr.us/BVx
Twitter Comment
Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
RT @tputh: Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville http://goo.gl/fb/lOqLP
[Blog] Goodbye Facebook? [updated post] http://tinyurl.com/26moquq #fb #in
Interesting discussion over whether or not to leave #Facebook http://bit.ly/bF7c0Y (via @jangles) #sm #privacy
@alexpriest http://nevillehobson.com/2010/05/15/goodbye-facebook/
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@geoffliving don’t forget the question mark :) I updated the post earlier today. [link to post]
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Goodbye Facebook? http://bit.ly/9RKsxn (via @jangles)
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RT @geoffliving: From @jangles, bye bye Facebook? Decides to focus on Twitter. [link to post]
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Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/9RKsxn (via @jangles)
Dorks leave; Zuckerface laughs; your mom stays for Farmville http://j.mp/aXcq10 #gr
RT @brett: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/9RKsxn (via @jangles)
RT @brett: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/9RKsxn (via @jangles)
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From @jangles, bye bye Facebook. Decides to focus on Twitter. [link to post]
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RT @geoffliving: From @jangles, bye bye Facebook. Decides to focus on Twitter. [link to post]
– Posted using Chat Catcher
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RT @brett: Goodbye Facebook [link to post] (via @jangles)
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"Goodbye Facebook? — NevilleHobson.com" – http://bit.ly/crsLlM (via @Apture)
Seriously considering this http://short.to/2gl07
I enjoyed the comments. This is a big topic RT @brett: Goodbye Facebook http://bit.ly/9RKsxn (via @jangles)
@ikepigott yes, I saw that post this morning my time, updated my post: a broader view. http://is.gd/casuQ
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One For Us Facebook Hater RT @jangles Goodbye Facebook – [link to post]
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RT @jangles Goodbye Facebook [link to post]
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I enjoyed the comments. This is a big topic RT @brett: Goodbye Facebook [link to post] (via @jangles)
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Goodbye Facebook [link to post] RT @jangles
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@jangles is saying “Goodbye Facebook.” I’m not sure I’m ready for that step myself yet. What about you? [link to post]
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Goodbye Facebook? [link to post] (via @jangles)
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Twitter Comment
Goodbye Facebook [link to post] (via @jangles)
– Posted using Chat Catcher
This seems to be a trend right now its just mankind working out the kinks Goodbye Facebook? http://bit.ly/9RKsxn Live long and Twiigg it.
Twitter Comment
This seems to be a trend right now its just mankind working out the kinks Goodbye Facebook? [link to post] Live long and Twiigg it.
– Posted using Chat Catcher
Me too dude. Saw that this morning as well. Weird RT @thejortiz: Seriously considering this http://short.to/2gl07
RT @jangles: This is interesting "How To Quit Facebook Without Actually Quitting Facebook" http://is.gd/cbVJm (ref: http://is.gd/casuQ )
Goodbye Facebook? http://bit.ly/bF7c0Y (via @jangles)
RT @vascellari: Goodbye Facebook? http://bit.ly/bF7c0Y (via @jangles)
Billet au sujet de la fermeture d'un compte Facebook – RT @vascellari: Goodbye Facebook? http://bit.ly/bF7c0Y
I find that too many people who strive to be social media experts use Facebook as a crutch. Facebook is easy and it also makes it easy for people to christen themselves experts in the web and social media. I don't include you in that group Neville because you utilize many more tools besides Facebook (WordPress, Podcasting, Wikis, etc.) very well. The point is that all of the time spent (wasted?) building on Facebook is time not spent facing the challenges of utilizing web technologies and building community on the web outside of Facebook. I'd rather engage a “web” expert than a Facebook expert. Unfortunately there are too many Facebook (and Twitter) experts and not enough web experts.
Many people thought AOL would be the dominant web service for many years. It was for a few years but that changed. It will change with Facebook too. When? Who knows? But the wider web will always be there. That's why not being on Facebook is not the end of the world.
Neville Hobson: [Blog] Goodbye Facebook? [updated post] http://tinyurl.com/26moquq #fb #in: http://bit.ly/aazOGI
Goodbye Facebook? http://bit.ly/9RKsxn RT @jangles
RT @jangles: [Blog] Goodbye Facebook? [updated post] http://tinyurl.com/26moquq #fb #in
I have read a lot about this on other articles written by other people, but I must admit that you is the best.Nice site! Very professional and full of information.Keep posting interesting matters here.
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