No, there is nothing wrong with having a facebook account.

There is plenty wrong with the way individuals use their facebook account. I have no interest in what my friends' kids had for breakfast every day.

Like the news, it becomes an exercise of sorting through the BS to find some interesting or informative content.

quote:

Originally posted by David Lee:
RAMIUS, is Messenger bothersome? I get several notifications on my phone so I limited those.

If Facebook Messages become bothersome, you can block individuals for Messaging alone.

quote:

Originally posted by XLT:
just remember you can never delete it, it sits on there server for ever if you ever open it back up all your stuff is still there.

Incorrect. You can either suspend or delete your account. If you delete it, the data is removed from FB's servers after a grace period. (Or so they claim.)

Anything you posted to friends' timelines or allowed others to share remains, as that's not "your" data any more.

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
^^^. And they sell your information. If the product is free, what’s being sold is you and your information. That’s why I never had one.

This is true. One way to limit that is limit what you put in your profile and what you share.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:
Yes but everyone sells your info today.

Not quite everyone. Apple, for example, does not.

quote:

Originally posted by comet24:
Have a shopping card at any grocery store so you get their discounts. They sell all your info and shopping habits.

Which is why I won't have, for example, Walmart's app on my phone.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:
Just keep very close friends with similar views as friends on Facebook.

This ^^^^^

I got frustrated with my Facebook account a year or so ago. Deleted everything on my timeline and suspended my account for four months. When I came back, the very first thing I did was un-friend everybody who was not a friend IRL or relative.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
As long as you keep control of it, there’s nothing wrong with it. Post minimum info public.

Personally, with rare exceptions, I post nothing "public." It's all limited to "friends."

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
You need to understand that Facebook tracking is not just limited to just what you post on FB.

Facebook tracks you, personally, across the Internet, and sells whatever data they can glean from that.

That is only true if you: 1. Give them enough personal information with which to establish an "Internet fingerprint" and 2. Use that same information elsewhere.

Even then: The main method by which they track you and make such associations is by tracking tricks on your browser. Use a browser such as Brave, which is designed to thwart such things, and use a private window for accessing Facebook, and you remove their ability to do that.

quote:

Originally posted by jljones:
All is very true. But if you have any type of gmail account of anything, this intrusion is already happening. ...

Google is by far the worst offender.

This ^^^^^

If you're using Google (incl. gmail, etc.), and particularly if you're using Android devices, you've pretty much given up all pretense of privacy, anyway. Anything FB does is just a molehill atop that mountain.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Not only do the 'track' you across the internet, if you have the Facebook app on any device, they track your location anywhere and everywhere you go, across the planet!

I never use the Facebook app. It's not even installed on my mobile devices. That being said: I don't know about Android, but on iOS devices you can disable FB's access to Location Services, thus defeating their ability to do that.

N.B.: Without the FB mobile apps you won't be able to access FB Messages from a mobile device. This is one way FB "encourages" you to use their app--thus increasing your exposure to their data harvesting.

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
Make sure to go through EVERY aspect of the security options and all else related. Turn off or turn on (read the sections closely) to restrict access on many things

Do NOT fall for all the quizzes and game stuff. That’s just easy fodder of information for other companies.

Yes! to both of these.

For now I edited what little information I put in when I signed up. Ficticious junk now. Got rid of the mobil app too. Dont need the bother. Thank you for all the help.

You can control Facebook or you can let Facebook control you. Problems arise when people let Facebook control them. Facebook doesn't make people get into flame wars or cheat on their partners or anything else. It just gives them a platform to behave irresponsibly and a target to shift the blame onto when their behavior bites them in the ass. I have issues with Facebook's policies and have done what I can to mitigate where I can but I still use the platform. I use it as a way to keep up with friends and family, and by that I mean what they're up to not the bullshit articles some of them post.

I have an account and use it to follow several aviation related groups and a few electronics groups. A whopping 4 friends. Three of who are former co-workers.

I have a FB account. I got it some years ago because family wanted to be able to communicate with me using it. I now also use it to participate in several Groups set up under it. I have never done the games, etc. and don't "friend" a lot of people.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by RAMIUS:

quote:

Originally posted by CQB60:
Seems all the kids use Tik-Tok, the narcissists use Instagram & all the adults are on Facebook. Sure, why not..

The kids do say Facebook is for old people these days.
...

AKA, "Boomers". That's me.

I had FB for many years. It was useful for keeping up with family and friends. About 3 years ago I got tired of all the pettiness and narcissism (on my part too), and quit. Haven't gone back, do not intend to.

Facebook for old folks? Are these the same ones on MySpace or Geocities?

Repeat after me, "Facebook, never have never will."

Facebook market is a great place for used motorcycles and watches. If it were not for FB market I’d never have found my beautiful and rare Suzuki Bandit 400 4 cylinder. I also sold a motorcycle on there and got full asking price.

It’s best to have multiple accounts. I have my “real” account which is wholesome and mostly tame stuff that won’t piss off friends family etc and then I have a few burner accounts where I can harvest and share memes, talk politics and basically be myself. It’s sad that my fake accounts are more real than my real account but that’s anti-social media for ya.

I got one during my 30 year high school reunion. It was nice to connect with those folks again. Remember the unfollow button is your friend.

Btw: You'll see all kinds of quiz type things, games and things that promise to tell you about yourself by answering various questions, etc. Leave them be.

If your friends are dumb enough to play along with social engineering via personal characteristics/info harvesting: Let them. But don't be a lemming.