# Facebook - am I crazy for leaving? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2009, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920 "2009-10-15T17:12:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kurilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea5d25/32.png) [@kurilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kurilla)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/41 "2009-10-16T19:01:58Z")
I’ve never seen the appeal of Facebook or Twitter or anything like that. NOBODY’s life is interesting enough that they need to send out 140-character updates twenty times a day (or more). And frankly, if you (generic, applied to anyone I might have had contact with in the last 30+ years of my life) weren’t a good enough friend in real life for me to keep in contact with you, why on earth would I want to contact you now, umpty-ump years later? As has been famously said, “Include me out.” I suspect that someday, I’ll be dragged kicking and screaming into the insanity, but I’m going to delay that as long as possible (and learn to kick harder in the meantime). ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/42 "2009-10-16T19:09:35Z")
No, you’re not crazy for leaving. I enjoy it in moderation. I’ve re-connected with some folks that I liked in high school, which is nice. And I try to update my own page every other week or so. I recently saw an old flame’s sister on a mutual friend’s list of friends. Through her, I saw his account. I wouldn’t have recognized him had he walked by me. It’s odd what 25 years will do to a person. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/43 "2009-10-16T19:17:27Z")
Error. Never mind. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/44 "2009-10-16T20:14:49Z")
I don’t quite get it either. Facebook is the sort of thing that would require a lot of time to fully take advantage of, and I don’t really need to know what every single person I know is doing all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/45 "2009-10-16T20:25:56Z")
> [@capybara](#): > > Ok, HOW do you prevent a certain group of friends from seeing some/particular status updates (not blocking them from ALL updates, not blocking them from the entire wall (which they would notice and drama would ensue), but just from individual updates)-- is it possible? If not, why oh why not!? The link in post #13 shows you how. However, you can’t block Person A from Status Update 1 but not Status Update 2. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/46 "2009-10-16T20:53:20Z")
I started one a while ago and then forgot about it. Then my brother and his wife made an account and found me and that’s what reminded me that I had one. So I go to check out my empty page and all there was were friend requests from people I don’t know, friends of friends of my sister-in-law, and updates from her. Empapmle 1: “OMG! I made the best noodles today. They are soooo good.” Example 2: “Sitting watching Tahssa’s nephew play ball with the neighbor kids. They are SO CUTE!!!” Example 3: “Work sucked today why can’t Sheryl get her head out of her ass.” After seeing that crap I promptly deleted my account. Several months later Sis-in-law has not asked why I don’t have an account anymore. ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/47 "2009-10-16T20:57:33Z")
Full Disclosure: I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of facebook. For some info see this gem [Why I Left Facebook: | I Heard Tell](http://mollyschoemann.com/2009/01/01/why-i-left-facebook/) while searching google for ‘downside facebook’ some other interesting links at the link. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/48 "2009-10-16T21:18:06Z")
I like it. I’ve located some old buddies from the military and a few from various schools. A few have found me as well. It’s an easy way to share pictures. Yes, I know how to use all the privacy features, but my whole thing is thrown open to the world. You don’t even have to be a Friend to see my pages. Does anyone really expect to put something on the 'net and have privacy? I don’t. As for excessive friends, I simply ignore the requests from those that I don’t want as friends. That’s how the game is played and most users know that. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/49 "2009-10-16T21:51:27Z")
Facebook is not for everybody. I probably don’t fit the profile of the target customer, either. But the majority of the complaints I just read in this thread are things that can be easily fixed. [ul] [li]There’s a great “Hide” function. I was getting overwhelmed with “Little Green Animal” and “Little Blue Pond” (or whatever) stuff, and I found you can just hover over one and select “Hide.” Presto. No more “Little Blue Ponds.”[/li][li]That same “Hide” function works for people. I kept seeing all kinds of junk from a friend’s teenager, and just hid it. Now the kid is still there on those rare occaisions I want to send a message, and I can still see private messages, but no more clutter.[/li][li]You don’t have to accept every friend request you get.[/li][li]There are good privacy controls, as someone already explained upthread[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/50 "2009-10-16T22:05:09Z")
> [@PhiloVance](#): > > Full Disclosure: I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of facebook. > > For some info see this gem [Why I Left Facebook: | I Heard Tell](http://mollyschoemann.com/2009/01/01/why-i-left-facebook/) > > while searching google for ‘downside facebook’ > > some other interesting links at the link. That is an excellent article and says it all! ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/51 "2009-10-16T22:07:46Z")
One surprisingly thing I learned from FB, by opening the “chat” feature, is how many of my friends were up at 2 and 3 in the morning using FB. Or at work during the day using FB. I now by default keep my “chat” status turned off for that very reason, unless I’m actually chatting or peeking in briefly to see which of my friends are on FB. ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/52 "2009-10-16T22:54:05Z")
Oh, and my regular contribution: if you’re tired of the quiz, mafia, farmtown sort of crap, get the firefox extension ‘greasemonkey’ and script ‘facebook purity’-- it wipes all of that that stuff from your feed. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2009, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/53 "2009-10-16T23:52:31Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > An in-law actually posted a picture of me from when I was 8 (which she clearly got from my mom). talk about a wtfbbq moment. Ohemgee! This would flip me out. . . really, seriously. I have never posted a picture of myself on the internet. To know that someone else has would annoy me no end. I had considered getting a FB account at one time. Thanks for this thread. I think I’m over it. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/54 "2009-10-17T00:12:24Z")
I signed up at the suggestion of one of my kids, so I could keep up with what they’re doing. It beat email, at least at first. Now I have one of my kids and his wife on “ignore” because they are obsessed with a fitness fad and it’s all they ever talk about. The other three have quit posting altogether because of it. I’ve also put one friend on ignore because of all the damned cutesy stuff she likes to virtually send to people. I’ve also got a niece on ignore until she quits with that fookin’ Mafia game. TMI is TMI, regardless if they’re family or friends. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/55 "2009-10-17T02:56:22Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve also got a niece on ignore until she quits with that fookin’ Mafia game. TMI is TMI, regardless if they’re family or friends. You can ignore the Mafia game without ignoring the person. That way, you get _all_ of the Mafia games (or whatever) in one fell swoop, but you can still communicate with the person about everything else. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/56 "2009-10-17T03:33:42Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > For instance, can you do things like this: > > 1. Make your “wall” only visible to a small circle of people? > 2. Make some messages on your wall visible to some people, but not to others? IOW, if three different friends looked at your wall, they’d see three different things. > 3. Make it kind of hard for people to extend friend requests to you? So that friends of your hand-picked friends don’t have an in? IOW, somehow have a better system than “wide-open door”? I haven’t read the rest of the thread but I assume question 1 and 2 have been answered. As for question 3, there is a trick. Make your profile so only friends can see it. Change your profile picture to one that’s not you and then use a different name. That way you can go and find people (or tell them the name you are using on FB and they can find you) but most others won’t be able to. They’ll see you around (commenting on other peoples pictures, writing on others walls) but they’ll just assume it’s someone they don’t know. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920/57 "2009-10-17T03:56:15Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > For instance, can you do things like this: > > 1. Make it kind of hard for people to extend friend requests to you? So that friends of your hand-picked friends don’t have an in? IOW, somehow have a better system than “wide-open door”? How about simply clicking the “IGNORE” button when you get one of those requests. If you really dislike the requester, you can also go to the requester’s FB page, and under the profile photo click on “Block this person”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/facebook-am-i-crazy-for-leaving/513920.md?page=2)