Good-bye, Facebook

[BadgerMom]

I know I've needed to do this for awhile. I sent this to Facebook today. I am not sure I sent it to the proper entity there. But, I tried.

I also am not sure how to do a block quote. What follows is my FB post.

I am considering dropping off Facebook permanently over the company's monstrous support of CPAC. I recognize not everyone in the country holds the same views. I don't expect Facebook to support my political opinions. However, I don't expect it to support those of the extreme right wing either.

Your company allowed my info to be gathered for use by Cambridge Analytica for use by Republican operatives. You provided a platform during the presidential campaign for disinformation from Macedonia. Now you support CPAC. Your CEO cannot be charitable enough to offset this.

Please reconsider your support. Publicly turn away. Or I'm gone.

[Fast Walker 52]

1. do you know exactly how Cambridge Analytica got access?

was it a money deal or what?

But definitely good that you call them out for that horrific shit.

[BadgerMom]

9. I don't know

But I know they used clicks, likes, comments, etc. to tailor messages for Trump. How did Cambridge Analytica get that info? Don't know. I'm sure the more informed among us do. But I'm done providing them that service.

[Fast Walker 52]

30. one scary thing I read was that just 2 people infiltrating FB could alter their news feed algorithm

So you gotta wonder if that happened.

[BadgerMom]

74. DKos

There was a DKos entry today about Facebook. In the comments there are a few links that shed light on Cambridge Analytica's methods of culling info for micro targeting. Just FYI.

[romana]

2. I did

I deleted my FaceBook account on 11/9. I couldn't take it anymore. It felt great and I do not miss it in any way.

[Freedomofspeech]

3. I did the same thing...

Just miss seeing some pictures but I have found much better things do do with my time!

[unblock]

6. personally, i don't miss pictures of other peoples' desserts.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

44. I'm still on FB, and it's too bad that more people

don't realize that not everyone is as enamored of their grandchildren as they are.

[Plucketeer]

45. Amen to THAT!

[unblock]

72. reminds me of a george carlin bit:

something like:

"everyone thinks babies are so special. my little miracle.
no they're not. they're fucking ordinary."

[BadgerMom]

8. I'll survive

Or, better yet, persist!

[BadgerMom]

7. Thanks

I don't think I'll miss it.

[GentryDixon]

4. I opened an account last month with a fake name & birthdate.

I don't use it in my phone, so they can't grab my cell phone. I have given no info, and any time they request, I just ignore. My only frIend is my sister. Through her I can keep up with family. I opened it only to enable me to get to sites that require a Facebook membership to continue reading, i.e. many links on DU.

I had an account years ago, but deleted it after getting into a heated discussion with a niece by marriage, who also happens to be a Pastor's wife, when she referred to liberals in derogatory terms. I decided to keep the peace and ditch my account. Hadn't missed it until I kept hitting roadblocks to reading stories posted by my DU family.

[Kimchijeon]

11. I don't use it either, except for a bogus one with fake info

just to read stuff where facebook is required. It's just not worth it to have an account in my opinion... not for me anyway.

[GentryDixon]

14. Yep.

[Native]

41. Me too. I have a fake account & no friends. I hate Facebook. Always have.

I use it strictly for downloading pictures my kids post.

[erronis]

59. Sorry - won't work.

There are too many ways to link your alias with your real name. Once you've gone down that cesspool of data mining it is VERY hard to get out. Don't forget, YOU are THEIR product. They need to OWN YOUR information to make a profit.

Unless you're tech-savvy in a big way, you can be identified through at least the following datapoint intersections:
- your ISP and IP
- your browser information (USER-AGENT, etc.)
- cookies (and the Adobe-style storage cookies); third-party cookies
- your geographic location
- the sites you visit
- the friends' sites you visit, especially if you interact with them
- same++ if your friends interact with your pseudonym.
- A bit spooky, but your personal keyboard and mouse interaction patterns with on-screen widgets (do you hover over certain things? How long does it take you to click on buttons?)

There are many ways to fool some of these like going to a "private" browser mode, or using an anonymizing proxy. But the ones that sniff you out by looking at what you are looking at are the hardest.

[mikeysnot]

5. Fuck facebook

they don't fucking care.

My friends band site got hacked, then hacked again and was down for 6 months while we sorted things out. We put a html one up while we fixed it, but the hacker BRAGGED about it on FB and taunted the band on SM. I sent multiple complaints to FB and each time I got an auto-response that said my complaint did not cover any of the terms.

I pointed out, with links for each infraction, that they did. FB did jack, fucking, shit.

But if you use a fake name or stage name they will shut your site down.

[greymattermom]

50. I use a fake name

that isn't anyone's real name. Facebook once told me that there were somewhere around 40,000 people with that same name. Like, sure.

[StarryNite]

10. I would close my FB account except

I have a community page that I'm using to try to save some wild horses in Arizona. So I have to keep my personal account open.

[BadgerMom]

13. Good for you!

And good for the horses!

[StarryNite]

58. We don't know how it will turn out

The Forest Service wants to remove the wild horses due to pressure from public lands cattle ranchers. If the horses are removed it is very likely that many will wind up in slaughterhouses in Mexico.

[BadgerMom]

61. Can we help?

That's awful.

[StarryNite]

66. Thank you for your concern.

At this point we are waiting for the Forest Service to release their plan for the Heber Wild Horse Territory. At that point they will state how many horses, if any, they will allow to remain. That will be the beginning of the big battle to save them. There will be a Public comment period and pro wild horse input will be needed. We have attorneys that will take the Forest Service to court, however, that doesn't mean the horses will be left. America's wild horses are being "managed to extinction". In an interview one of the public lands ranch managers, aka welfare ranchers, who holds a grazing lease in the area, made the following statement regarding the Heber Wild Horse Herd: “So in my opinion, the best thing to with these up here would be remove every one of them. Whether they go to adoption, or, you know, I hate to say it, euthanized or to a slaughter plant," Gibson says. "I mean that sounds kind of harsh, but something has to be done with them.” It's all about the money to them. They want to put even more cattle on our public lands. Horses are native to North America, this is where they evolved. The cattle are a non native species. About 97% of cattle ranching in our country is done on privately owned land but the welfare ranchers want to take over as much of our public land as they can get and they don't care what other animal species will suffer due to their greed.

[BadgerMom]

70. Damn them!

I'm sorry. I'm worked up constantly.

I will write. My husband's family lives in SLC and our cousin has a place in Park City. Let me know when the comments open. I'll recruit a bunch of Utahns.

[StarryNite]

71. Thank you!

I will announce it on the Facebook page when the time comes. Just search Heber Wild Horses. We don't know when the Forest Service will release their plan. The battle has been going on for several years. Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva made this moving speech regarding the Heber Wild Horse Herd in the House of Representatives in 2007:

HONORING ARIZONA'S WILD HORSES
SPEECH OF

HON. RAÚL M. GRIJALVA

OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 6, 2007

· Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Arizona 's wild horses living in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.

· The residents of the State of Arizona deeply value these magnificent wild horses.

· These beautiful wild horses are truly the ``Living Symbols of the West,'' as described by the Wild Horse and Burro Act passed by Congress in 1971 to protect the wild horses of the United States .

· The Rim Country wild horses date back to mounts brought by Father Eusebio Kino, who began his 1653 mission to eastern Arizona by setting out from the lands of my constituency in southern Arizona and traveling across our State northeast to the ``borders of the lands of the Apacheria which border on New Mexico.''

· These original Spanish horses are the great ancestors of the Mogollon Rim country wild horses. They were the mighty Andalusian war horse, whose origins go back more than 28,000 years to the original Iberian horse; the magnificent Spanish Barb; and the graceful and fluid Spanish Jennet, the mount of many of the great kings of Europe; and the strong bloodlines of these original horses appear almost unchanged in our Rim wild horses 400 years later.

· Our Arizona Rim wild horses are the direct descendents of the Spanish horses prized by the conquistadors so highly that the foals were carried in hammocks to protect their legs until they were old enough to travel on the forced marches; and prized by the early cattlemen for their endurance and heart and were the very mounts of the U.S. Cavalry as they rode to protect and expand the American west.

· The Arizona Rim Country wild horses living in Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests are a most precious natural resource to be preserved for our children and grandchildren who will be able to see them for generations to come.

[Kimchijeon]

12. This is what I think...

Nooo thanks!

[ancianita]

15. Would you please cite the source of the Cambridge Analytics use? Otherwise, it's an unfounded claim

[KittyWampus]

16. Facebook changed their settings. And a lot of the data is taken doing quizzes.

Don't click on one of the stupid quizzes. Make sure you have all your privacy settings set where you want them.

Problem solved.

[ancianita]

18. Thanks. I've suspected they collect when I've done surveys. Stopped months ago.

[BadgerMom]

19. Right

My current issue though, is that the company gave money to sponsor CPAC. I know of nothing done to support progressive causes. They pushed back against the "news" sites propagandizing from Macedonia during the campaign. I don't think they are a friend. That is only where I draw the line, though. I think everyone who loves it should stay.

[Raine1967]

37. What money did you send and why?

I am now confused.

[moriah]

54. Everyone on FB is spending valuable time getting sponsored content, etc.

Time is money. It makes money for FB.

[BadgerMom]

62. +1

[Bernardo de La Paz]

67. Eyeball time and ad space and personal clicks / data are money. You, they, we can spend it elsewhere

[Raine1967]

51. +1 Exactly.

[Lucinda]

17. I love FB. It is what you make of it, and how your protect your info. n/t

[BadgerMom]

21. I agree

I'm not evangelizing. This CPAC thing was my personal last straw. But I completely understand staying.

[Raine1967]

38. In post 19 you said you sent money.

Where did you send money and for what purpose?

[moriah]

55. It said:

"The company gave money to sponsor CPAC."

I don't see anything in post 19 suggesting anyone in this thread gave FB money except from their time seeing sponsored content.

[BadgerMom]

63. I sent no money.

My inclusion in Facebook is how they profit from me. Sorry for any confusion.

[Warpy]

20. Would have been good except your last sentence wimped out

Threats to leave mean nothing if they think they still have you by the short hairs.

You have to leave.

[BadgerMom]

22. I deactivated until 3/1. Then I'll go.

I haven't downloaded my info as they suggest. I don't know if it's actually necessary. I dodged only to look into how to do it.

[AllaN01Bear]

23. re: goodbye face book

someone hacked my facebook password form malysisa using a laptop.
after i had learned that the owner had a 700 acre estate in hwaaii and was grabbing more land by suing people around him i said f u . and never looked back.

[DinahMoeHum]

24. I've never had an account with FB or Twitter to begin with. . .

I don't swim in dirty water.

[marybourg]

68. Me neither. They are where I draw the line.

If I'm required to go to FB to get info on an action, I just drop it and look for something else to do.

[WillowTree]

25. OK. I give up. How is FB "supporting" CPAC?

[sinkingfeeling]

28. Major cash donation is one way.

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/facebook-aid-cpac-courts-conservatives-235256#

[WillowTree]

29. Wow! Didn't know that. Thanks.

[sinkingfeeling]

26. I deleted my accounts last November. Couldn't take the lies posted daily. Takes over 30 days for the

deletion to work.

[hrmjustin]

27. I would get rid of Facebook but I use it to keep tabs on relations.

[pansypoo53219]

31. i basically ingore facebpook. topo lazy to delete it. use it for a few epals. post left wing DU.

[bucolic_frolic]

32. Never joined, never will.

What do you wish you'd done more of in life?

Spent more time on facebook? hah

[Enoki33]

33. You have my support. Your reasons are valid.

[samnsara]

34. i only use facebook to post anti trump and....

..animal rescue posts. I never go on there to read to comments or to follow anyone. I have even unfriended my tea party sister. In fact my password has the F word in it. So if Mark Z is a trumper lets barrage FB with all kinds of anti trump stuff.

[Canoe52]

35. Dumped Facebook three years ago,

Too many right wing relatives, too many pictures of casseroles, pies, etc. Too many "friends" I will never meet in person.

I deleted as much as I could, too many "likes" to delete over my short 4 years there, however. Too much personal crap on there to suit me even with the security settings.

The kicker came when my ex "liked" a picture of my son, even with the security settings. So I blocked her, but my daughter tipped me off that she uses fake names to become friends with someone who is friends with my family so she could see all the pictures of an album they did not have security settings on and and were allowed to see. Too many holes in the system to work around.

[yuiyoshida]

36. I left Facebook a year or so ago...

When they accidentally revealed some personal information of mine that was not supposed to be seen, (Telephone number, Cell number, home address) ...and I signed up with Twitter. Twitter didn't require my phone number or any of that information. You don't even have to give your location.

I Have been totally happy with twitter, in more ways than one..

[Raine1967]

39. I like FB. I use it for the resistance. I use it to stay in touch with family and friends.

FB is what you make of it -- you can actually control your page.

I'm not leaving it. Others mileage may vary.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

46. Thank you for making sense. N/t

[Raine1967]

47. I'm still waiting for an answer about the money sent the OP talked about.

Something seems off here.

Anyway -- you're welcome!

I'm Raine over there too.

[FailureToCommunicate]

52. She didn't say SHE sent money in that post. She said they -Facebook - supported CPAC.

[moriah]

56. Thank you for addressing that.

It seemed like there was truly a failure to communicate before you fixed it.

[BadgerMom]

64. Thanks.

Correct. I sent no money. I didn't say I'd sent money.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

53. I think O/P is upset

that FB is giving money to CPAC.

[BadgerMom]

65. Bingo

I'm their asset. They're then spending on CPAC. Not good.

[LittleGirl]

40. I can't

For many reasons.
1. family- like my Mother that is 84.
2. friends in high school planning our 40th reunion
3. Indivisible! How would I keep track of everything without it?
4. news feeds
5. i like to read political points of view that are different than mine.
6. I would have been lost without facebook living abroad. I found local women's groups to join or I would have never met people.

[Native]

43. If I lived abroad, I'd probably be active on FB too.

[Raine1967]

48. I like FB.

We can control our content there -- so I am not sure what the OP is getting at.

[BadgerMom]

57. CPAC

Facebook supported CPAC. They profit by having people like me as a client, an audience. I'm not there for them anymore. That was my point with the OP.

[BadgerMom]

60. I totally get it

I began on Facebook to see the photos posted by family and friends. It was a great way to stay in touch while at a distance. I could see photos and participate in gatherings though at a distance. I will miss that. But as time has gone on I have found less friend and family content. I will miss Robert Reich, Bill Moyers and News and Guts. Luckily, my Indivisible just launched a website. I'll get by without Facebook but I will miss it. I'm not advocating anyone else leave. CPAC was my personal Waterloo.

[wcollar]

42. Yes Facebook mines and sells your information.

Facebook charges you nothing to use it.
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
If Facebook doesn't charge your anything, then YOU are the product.

[AJT]

49. That $100,000 donation to CPAC from Facebook says a lot.

[BumRushDaShow]

69. Recall that one of the co-founders renounced his citizenship

http://money.cnn.com/2012/05/11/technology/eduardo-saverin-facebook-citizenship/

[nolabels]

73. Never been to facebook, where is it?

Secret hint: the more you prostrate yourself the more likely that your going to get it where it hurts

I said eff that crap the first time I ever had heard of it. Why would you let some web-site control so much about who you are just so you have some so called friends see what's up about you?

To top that off the OP is even giving up more to them with ultimatums and begging them to change, that's weak.

[Egnever]

75. I have personally never liked Facebook. But...

This seems silly to me. This is how the game is played . You will be hard pressed to find a major corporation that does not contribute to both sides.

[Buckeyeblue]

76. I left facebook

When the rednecks and old people (my parents generation) got on in mass. That was in O's first term. It ceased being fun. My wife is still on it but just barely. I don't miss it at all.

[Guilded Lilly]

77. Stay if you like, leave if you don't. Pretty simple...

Communicate with those you want to, block those you don't.
Enjoy and share what brings you pleasure, take a stand against that which brings you concern.
Make it personal, make it global.
To each, their own.
Harm to none.