Jan '12 14

In December 2010 I said “I’m going to leave Facebook”.  I did.  It is now January 2012, I’ve been gone a year.

I kept my Facebook account open (allowing me to use the message system to message people private, and receive private messages).  I made two simple rules:

  1. My former Facebook wall would be locked down to only be visible to family and people I know really well.
  2. I would not post any new content to Facebook (although I can reply to messages from friends and family still able to see and post on my former wall).

Don’t get me wrong, Facebook is an excellent tool for connecting people together as an address book (and private message facility), but in all honesty, it had five big problems for me:

  1. Security and ownership of content. Mixed messages over the years from Facebook and about Facebook have made it virtually impossible to trust Facebook on security of data.  Recently there has been password hack stories, snooping stories, and the fact that Facebook actively allows pages like this to exist within its system.
  2. Mixed messages. Facebook was still trying to work out what it was.  Changing settings, refreshing, ultimately making the user HCI experience different and therefore frusting to the end user.  Don’t get me wrong, change is good, but when trying to bed in loyalty and encourage engagement, change must happen, but can’t happen too often, or be as radical.
  3. Pointless content in the news feed (do I really want to see pictures of people I went to school with 20 years ago at a BBQ, be invited to play Mafia Wars by someone’s Nan, or read about items for sale someone I know in Australia’s friend is offering 12000 miles away at a bargain price?).
  4. The people I really value don’t use Facebook.  I was one of the ‘last to leave’ from my circle of friends and family (and I assume points 1, 2 and 3 contributed to friends and family leaving too).
  5. It causes bad feeling and hurt. I’ve seen countless arguments, misunderstandings, and rows on Facebook.  But, I’ve also seen some amazing support for people in difficult situations and circumstances.
What I’ve learned from not being active on Facebook:
  1. I’ve become mysterious again.  People who don’t need to know, don’t know where I am, what I’m doing, where I’ve been, where I’m going, what I had for breakfast and how late my train is.
  2. People ask me what I’m doing, rather than ask me about things they saw about me on Facebook.
  3. I contact people that matter to me more by other methods, rather than assume they’ll see the pictures or read the status I’ve left on Facebook.
  4. I phone, text message and email more.
  5. I get more phone calls, text messages and emails.
Am I ever going to contribute to Facebook again?  No.
Facebook - Great for connecting people, but for me, it simply disconnected me from those that mattered.
Interesting posts I’ve read about leaving Facebook:

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