Facebook is a virus, it is a vector for white nationalist hatred.

[StrictlyRockers]

You should consider deleting your Facebook account. It's also a vector for Russian trollbots.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[BigmanPigman]

1. Never had a Fakebook, Instagram or Twitter account.

And never will get them. Fuckerberg can go straight to Hell and take Sheryl Sandberg with him. Maybe they should go visit their pal Putin and stay where they obviously belong.

[Polybius]

23. MySpace was the best of them

After than, things went downhill.

[Thekaspervote]

2. Yes BOYCOTT fb!!!!

[canetoad]

3. Facebook is the ultimate lazy alternative

For those who can't be bothered to call, email or visit their friends and family.

"I use it to keep up with friends and family" - how many times have I seen this, just tonight on DU. Get off our arses, stop being a voyeur, because ultimately, that's what facebook facilitates. Voyeurism. You watch lives unfold, you watch who contacts who: if you're on facebook, you are a voyeur.

If those who use facebook had even the slightest principles, they would recognise that using facebook give not just tacit, but actual support to Zuckerberg and his ideas.

Just stop now.

[Sherman A1]

5. Horse Hockey

Facebook is a tool that allows many interactions that would in the past never have come to pass. It is an information source for a whole lot of businesses, news sources, labor unions, museums, botanical gardens, symphonies, groups and even Democratic candidates. It is far from a lazy alternative.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

9. +1

[treestar]

55. and gets you together with people you did not know

who share your interests.

There are groups for authors, books, TV shows, that no one you know likes, but with the internet, you can find the other people who love the same thing and talk about it with them.

[Kaleva]

12. Using the inherent is a lazy alternative

Instead of meeting people in person and getting to know them, we spend our time chatting with fictitious characters with made up names.

[obamanut2012]

14. epic fail

[Polybius]

25. That's what some think about texting

It's not for everyone.

[treestar]

54. then you would not anyway

Keeps you in contact with people you would not have called anyway.

High school, college, prior co-workers and all that.

[Sherman A1]

4. I use Facebook for all sorts of things

From hobbies to the specials at the local donut shop. Do you believe that the Russian conspiracies will affect the blueberry donuts or chocolate Longjohns?

[lostnfound]

7. Extended family has some Liberty grads who used it to spread anti-Clinton propaganda every day

I don’t know what they use it for now, but I expect it is more of the same.
The rightwing bubbles on Facebook are very real and powerful.

[Sherman A1]

10. I'm sure that there are all sorts of bubbles on Facebook

It is a service that you make it of it what you will. I could probably be accused of having some hobby bubbles as well. It is also very, very easy to hide the RW nonsense memes (and their sources) along with unfollowing people that post them on a regular basis. One has to spend some time curating their own news feed, but there is nothing difficult about doing so.

[lostnfound]

65. If Russia hadn't weaponized it, maybe not such a bad platform

But there was this thing in Myanmar.

The military tapped its rich history of psychological warfare that it developed during the decades when Myanmar was controlled by a military junta, which gave up power in 2011. The goal then was to discredit radio broadcasts from the BBC and Voice of America. One veteran of that era said classes on advanced psychological warfare from 15 years ago taught a golden rule for false news: If one quarter of the content is true, that helps make the rest of it believable.

Some military personnel picked up techniques from Russia. Three people familiar with the situation said some officers had studied psychological warfare, hacking and other computer skills in Russia. Some would give lectures to pass along the information when they returned, one person said.

The Myanmar military’s links to Russia go back decades, but around 2000, it began sending large groups of officers to the country to study, said researchers. Soldiers stationed in Russia for training opened blogs and got into arguments with Burmese political exiles in places like Singapore.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/technology/myanmar-facebook-genocide.html

[Sherman A1]

66. While perhaps the case in some instances

There is also a level of personal responsibility in using social media. One needs to curate their newsfeed and sources beyond the endless streams of Memes that are nothing more than a waste of bandwidth.

I don’t have any problem with Facebook, it serves my purposes to support my hobbies and interests along with keeping up with the specials at the local donut shop. BTW pumpkin donuts are now available.

I guess I can see it being weaponized but one has to be susceptible from the start for that to happen.

[rusty fender]

72. "I just came for the doughnuts"

[Sherman A1]

73. Me too

but somehow I still haven't made it to the donut shop really wanting a custard filled chocolate topped one today.

[rusty fender]

74. The pumpkin ones sound

really good, too

[Brainstormy]

6. Just nonsense!

My Facebook feed is 100 to 1 pro-Biden. And unlike, Democratic Underground, which is just preaching to the choir, It provides a forum where Democrats can refute false claims and in some instances even begin a dialogue. It's often the only place Trumpsters encounter some truth. The John Ratcliffe announcement that Intel briefings will be stopped is just one recent example. All social media has its failings but Facebook is no worse than any other. Frankly, I think Twitter is MUCH worse.

[Sherman A1]

11. +1

[uponit7771]

13. That does NOT mean FB doesn't allow Terrorism to spread through their outlet like in Kenosha

[ooky]

29. +1

[MrsCoffee]

8. Lol, brought to you by Twitter.

Where Trump vomits his daily mein kampf ramblings.

[StrictlyRockers]

34. Thank God for the block function.

DU has one, too, and thank god for that, as well. Muted.

[MrsCoffee]

67. What, are you a major stockholder or something?

Why does pointing out that Twitter is no better offend you so much? Look what they let the orange Mussolini get away with every single day for fuck’s sake.

You know we can all see you Facebook link in your profile right?

Probably a good thing you mute me. Doesn’t hurt my feelings one bit

[obamanut2012]

15. This take is so ridiculous

Quit telling us what to do.

[StrictlyRockers]

35. No. Consider what I am asking you to consider.

Do it now.

[MrsCoffee]

68. Fuck that.

What the actual fuck?

[BannonsLiver]

76. Why are you on Facebook? You link it on your profile and the account is active?

Why do they need to get off FB when you haven’t?

[Autumn]

16. With all due respect, that's horse shit. Face book is what YOU make it and what YOU allow.

If you allow that shit, it's on you and you need to re evaluate your friends and family.

[StrictlyRockers]

36. Re-evaluate my friends and family?

If your friends and family aren't warning you off Facebook, re-evaluate your friends and family.

[Autumn]

51. I don't see bots and Rwing bullshit on my FB feed because I limit who and what I allow on my FB

[Sherman A1]

61. +1

[dawg]

17. Lots of Facebook fanboys and fangirls are gonna whine at you.

They need it, ya know, to keep up with family and friends.

Oh well.

But I will say this much. No patiotic American should ever, under any circumstances, give one thin dime to Facebook. Advertise elsewhere. I would never pay for advertising on Facebook, and more and more business owners like me should be willing to boycott them as well. There are plenty of other ways to get your business name out there without giving money to a beast that is activley subverting Democracy.

[Polybius]

27. Not all of us are kids

Some of us are old-timers who happen to enjoy it.

[dawg]

40. But we're all for boycotting that "MyPillow" guy, amirite?

Certainly, I'd get no pushback for suggesting a boycott of FoxNews or OAN. And don't even get me started on Chick-fil-A.

[StrictlyRockers]

43. Welcome to DU!

[MrsCoffee]

70. You know the OP links to his Facebook in his profile?

Looks like an active account to me.


Don’t worry, I fell for it at first too, lol.

[ornotna]

18. Trolls are everywhere

Even here on DU.

Should I quit DU as well?

[ornotna]

21. Is it more or less

I can't tell.

[lapucelle]

49. What can't you tell?

[ornotna]

62. They claimed to have quit DU 'more or less'

Then made a disparaging remark about the place.

[dawg]

24. Oh, it's not as bad here as it sometimes seems.

Some people are just louder than others. There's a pretty wide diversity of opinion, but many of us have learned that we have to choose our battles carefully.

[dawg]

28. DU doesn't have an algorithm pushing you towards white supremacist content.

It doesn't violate its own terms of service to give special privileges to the President. (And did not do so when Barack Obama was President either, a fact to which many can woefully attest.)

DU doesn't accept money to promote Russian propaganda.

Yes, there are trolls on every platform. But sometimes, the platform, itself, is the troll.

[StrictlyRockers]

33. i like this post.

I agree w you.

[treestar]

56. I can resist White Supremacist content

It's like right wingers argue, exposure is enough to convince you? I can read Mein Kampf, and not end up a Nazi. Trying to stop people from finding out about views means you think the views are very convincing and mere exposure will bring more people to those views.

[dawg]

58. It isn't all about you.

You might not be susceptible to propaganda, but millions of Americans are. That platform was used, very effectively, to suppress potential Democratic votes in 2016. The company is complicit in the subversion of Democracy and the spread of disinformation. They have differing standards that favor right-wing content over left-wing and centrist content.

Use the platform if you want. But for goodness sake, don't give them any money.

You know, Brawny paper towels never hurt me either, but I'll be damned if I'll give my hard earned money to the Koch Brothers when I can get the job done some other way.

[lapucelle]

48. Indeed they are.

[Captain Zero]

22. If I don't know them, I don't accept friend requests. AND....

If they turn Trumper on me, I restrict them.
And if they spread troll info I notify them and snooze them for thirty days.
It makes my feed pretty clean.
I do see them trolling my friends in comments and I join the fight there. If I'm up to it.

Also watching comments in friends posts can teach you who is a fascist.

If Trump wins however, I am deleting everyone I know or suspect voted for him because America will become a very dangerous place and I don't want face book used as a tool against me in that.

[KentuckyWoman]

26. My experience with FB is pretty good actually.

Well it is NOW. I had accepted "friend" requests of people I marginally knew and had to dump them when they started posting ignorant Maga crap. I'm back down to my original dozen or so "friends" which are mostly family, scattered around the world. I ignore all the "suggested for you" garbage FB adds and stick to actual posts. The only thing the public can see is my current profile pic.

[JustGene]

30. Old is New

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/texting-isnt-first-new-technology-thought-impair-social-skills-180958091/

[aikoaiko]

31. Should we burn books, too?

[StrictlyRockers]

32. No. Just burn FB to the ground. You'll be fine.

Trust me.

[Kali]

41. "knock of(sic) the sanctimonious little lectures and finger-wagging"

welcome to DU... bit of pot, kettle etc going on there, eh?

[dawg]

45. It would seem that our new Facebook-loving little friend just vanished.

Too bad.

I don't condemn people for using the platform. I just think they should be careful and informed about what Facebook does with their data and about the sort of things Facebook will try to serve them in their feeds. And also, I do not support anyone supporting that enterprise financially. They will take your money and use it to subvert Democracy.

[Kali]

47. didn't seem interested in playing well with others

Last edited Sun Aug 30, 2020, 03:09 PM - Edit history (1)

[dawg]

59. No one called anyone dumb.

I just predicted that lots of Facebook fanboys and fangirls would pop up to defend it.

I wasn't wrong.

Lots of people, for whatever reason, love that platform.

But the criticisms of the company that owns the platform are, I think, very valid. And we would all do well to think twice about the companies and businesses we are willing to support and enable.

[hunter]

42. Television news, opinion, and commercials are just as toxic.

My wife and I quit a long time ago.

Our television plays DVDs and $8.99 a month Netflix.

No cable, no satellite, no broadcast.

Television made Trump. Television needs to die.

[StrictlyRockers]

44. I don't watch any TV.

I listen to Rachel Maddow's show daily on podcast w no commercials, but that's about it.

[hunter]

50. I read all my news and opinion, probably because I'm a very impatient person.

Reading is much faster and I can instantly skip stuff that I consider unimportant.

What I don't spend on traditional television I probably spend on newspaper and magazine subscriptions, most of them electronic.

I do like listening to other sorts of stories.

For example, I enjoy the Moth Radio Hour and Rick Steves.

My wife and I both have large families who enjoy rollicking conversations about religion and politics. If I want to engage in intense political discussion all I have to do is pick up the phone...

Television and radio work by keeping people agitated and then selling them something to relieve that agitation. Even Rachel.

I refuse to feed the machine.

We streamed the Democratic National Convention directly. It was the best convention I've ever experienced short of being there. We suffered no talking heads, no commercials, and no inane cutaway commentary interrupting stuff we might have wanted to see.

Democratic Underground is my only "social media" site. There's plenty here to amuse me and occasionally I pick up some great ideas.

[Bettie]

46. For me, Facebook is a connection to

a group of women who I've known for over 20 years.

We all met on an email list for women who had pregnancy and neonatal losses.

Then, we moved to a pregnancy after loss group...which morphed into a pregnancy/parenting after loss group.

We did a yahoo group for a while and eventually moved to Facebook. These are 15-20 women, who I can say anything to.

We've met in person, in small groups and a few times, large groups.

We've all been through hell and known that we're all together. When one of us is hurting, the rest are there for her.

Facebook is the easiest way to stay in touch (we're all there) and they are a huge part of my life, even 20+ years after my first loss.

[lapucelle]

52. You link to your facebook account in your profile.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=194185

[MrsCoffee]

69. Roflmao.

[lapucelle]

71. It's always amusing when entitled people reserve privileges for themselves

that they don't believe regular folks are smart enough to navigate.

And why not warn about the dangers of twitter as a vector for the virus of white saviors appropriating the BLM mantle to white'splain stuff to BLM allies?

[BannonsLiver]

75. Thanks for posting that

I decided to take a look. Frequent recent posts including 3 over the last 3 days. And under political views: Green Party.

[treestar]

53. There are liberal pages on FB too

That's a ridiculous statement.

Anything online will allow people to congregate that could not in person before.

[Raine]

60. LOL 😆 nt

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

63. In that sense, maybe DU is a virus.

A vector for spreading liberalism, social responsibility, etc.

I think I might be infected. I...must...vote...D.

[lindysalsagal]

64. I have only closest family (about 8 people) on it, so, not a problem.

I have no interest in building "a following."