A nice place to discuss rumors, happenings, innovations, and challenges in the technology sphere. We also welcome discussions on the intersections of technology and society. If it’s technological news or discussion of technology, it probably belongs here.
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From internal leaks within the company as well as external analysis, the tip of the iceberg behind Facebook's spyware empire is exposed. Take a look to better protect yourself when you're not even on the platform: https://simplifiedprivacy.com/facebooks-corrupt-off-platform-surveillance/
Leaving Facebook has likely never made anyone’s life harder.
It can and has. There's no way I could keep in touch with old army mates. They won't all move to other platforms. I don't even know of an alternative for group chats and finding people.
Unfortunately I have to go along with it. I keep it locked down as much as possible, use it only on Linux desktop etc. But there you go.
My brother, you all have email, phone, txt...
I know these are there - I said so in my post. It does not work when others are on FB and will/can not leave for another platform. None of that is comparable to to FB for group chat, looking for people, swapping pics etc. People may not want their phone number given out (a bit ironic when FB has everything else I know).
It's so easy (and dare I say lazy?) to just say 'FB bad, use phone/Signal/email etc.' but not offer any real alternatives. Let's face it, FB has this covered. It's so simple to get your nan, mate to join because all their friends/relatives/workmates are on it. There's no shame in admitting that it provides a valuable service for some people.
I think it did in the past when FB would show you exclusively posts and pictures from your friends. This is no longer the case, its an advertisement and fake news platform that has long alienated all sane people to the point where they no longer log in or post anything.
All I see now when I open fb is "shares" from obviously bogus or right wing sources that my not so bright ex classmates or boomer relatives post, or ads.
None of which are the same or similar interaction process if they were it never would have taken off
I have a tablet in my kitchen I use while cooking. I have only couple of apps on it, it does not sync my contacts and I don't use it to browse the web daily. That's when my WhatsApp client is installed. I still get messages, just not instantly. With Facebook groups you don't have to be online 24/7, you can just check them from time to time.
That's not a bad idea - I might try that with a spare tablet I have.
Discord is my solution. I made a server, invited my friends in EU and we blab away for hours whenever we want, including video calls. We are happy with it 🙂
That works for you and friends - fine. It does not work when others are on FB and will/can not leave for another platform.
Telegram, discord, mastadon, signal, session, etc there are too many to list
Which are all useless if nobody you want to talk to is there.
Then simple text or oldschool phonecalls work
Facebook is a passive form of information feed on your family and friends. Phone calls are not a direct analog to them.
Some would say that is better
Oh, that's why it was so easy for me. There's nobody I want to talk to.
---Everyone
Text
Lacks a publicly accessible user database. I can't get your info unless we have a mutual.
Which I like, semi aquaintance relationships are just fodder
Discord is a giant data hog. It's not a good argument.
The thing that Facebook has is momentum and a passive feed.
I know these are there - I said so in my post. It does not work when others are on FB and will/can not leave for another platform.
Text
No. Simply not suitable or practical.
But you do you.
Lol, passive agressive much
Communication with loved ones can be harder without Facebook.
Not in my experience. Anyone I need to talk to has a phone. Everyone else has email or snail mail. Simple.
But YMMV.
But your experience is not all experiences
True. But I would be shocked — shocked, I say! — at a person who has FB but not a phone, email, nor postal address.
Yeah, a lot of people want to video call across phone oses. Like FaceTime works for iphone but not Android.
How about texting? Does texting work?
n...no? It's like saying to a person who wants to watch a movie, what about a book? Does reading work? Like no, not really. Not even close.
You must not be that interested in staying in contact with your family if you're only willing to use one, specific way to do it and simply refuse to use any other method.
@VoxAdActa
That argument goes both ways.
@MJBrune @technology
My mom lives in a different country, is retired and can very easily use Signal to msg me and do video calls. She has no technical education, and is not very good with the devices. But... she could install Signal and use it every day.
Congrats, one data point doesn't define a statistic. Equally, I have family who only use Messenger and can barely work with that. So from my statement, these people exist, even if it's just my family. I know I've seen a lot of similar experiences but even just my direct family is enough to justify me stating that just not using facebook doesn't work for everyone.
Facebook has cross platform video calls?
Yeah, with messager.
TIL. I haven’t been on Facebook in so many years that I didn’t know this. Still, given how many good alternatives are out there, it doesn’t seem like a good reason to keep using Facebook.
It's a way to connect with people who only have Facebook accounts and don't want to deal with moving or figuring out another account. Someone will pipe up and say "yeah well my 102 year old grandma figured out signal!" yeah, well good for her, she's largely the exception. People want something simple, that works, that will be around in 10 years.