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More Users Are Shunning Facebook
Hugh Pickens writes "Blake Snow writes that evidence suggests that a small but increasing number of users — at least in North America, where Facebook use is especially saturated — may be shunning the site with Facebook losing nearly 6 million users, falling from 155.2 million at the start of May to 149.4 million at the end of the month, the first time the US has lost users in the past year. Some users complain they're spending so much time on Facebook that they're short-changing the rest of their lives. 'I figured out that I wouldn't look back as an old man and wish I had spent more time on Facebook,' says David Cole, an IT manager from Boston, adding that he believes the popular social-networking site is a useful tool, but not a replacement for what he calls 'realbook' experiences. Kip Krieger, a college student from Virginia, says Facebook has become predictable. 'It's really gotten to a point where I know pretty much what my friends are going to post. They usually just write the same thing over and over again, and I am getting sick of that.' Still there are a lot more satisfied customers of Facebook than disgruntled ones, so are Facebook shunners a tiny minority or part of a growing trend? 'Having that connection with others is a very powerful thing,' says Toby Bushman who felt so much pressure that she decided to rejoin Facebook, and is glad she did. 'It makes me feel like I'm a part of something bigger and more grand than just my life as a stay-at-home mother.'"
Seriously, what are they expecting? That their friends are there to entertain them 24/7? I don't expect MSN Messenger to entertain me all the time either, why would I expect Facebook to do so. It's a communication tool. I've found it really useful, especially since I'm living in different sides of the world every half a year and having friends, wife and a family in both. But I don't expect it to stop hunger or give world peace.
Facebook is going to make money by exploiting and mining the data they have (and ads). Losing some customers is to be expected. The interesting thing is that they reached a saturation point already.
But it doesn't seem like these folks are going to go to another social networking site.
Except for ending slavery, the Nazis, communism, & securing American independence, war has never solved anything.
Sure, having a "life" is all well and good for my friends. But have they paused for even a moment and thought about what will become of my farm?!?!?
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Seems to be chock full of stalkers, spammers and generally maladjusted people talking to themselves via status updates
Why are these people in your friends list in the first place? The whole internet is full of stalkers, spammers and generally maladjusted people. The point of Facebook (or any other messenger service) is that you only white-list those you want to associate with.
which is totally what she said
And I have not looked back... For me, I got tired of changing my privacy options all the time to keep what I wanted private, private. They kept changing them so that I would have to reconfigure things, for the same level of privacy.
My blog on how to leave Facebook and keep some of the interesting information: bryanquigley.com/uncategorized/leaving-facebook
I bet the loss in users is nothing compared to the proportion of users who keep their accounts but don't use the site, or view without ever posting. The site is an unpleasant minefield of tiny little areas you never want to click on. If users are declining when so many people have more than one account, I bet they're tanking more than they'll ever want to admit.
My young daughter and her friends have recently left Facebook. The reason? Because everyone's parents now use Facebook.
Those skilled in the internet have known Facebook will not last forever. The media, having hyped the living shite out of it for the past few years, are about to jump on the "Facebook is a sinking ship" hype, and I'm happy to help.
Good riddance to bad websites.
This post contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde and hydrogen cyanide.
I have personally not dropped my facebook page but I visit a lot less often now. I've closed my blog page and I have returned to writing letters. I'm an IT admin so its a little difficult relearning to "write" with a pen so that others can read it. But a lot of my friends world-wide like the letter with the clipped photos and other things I send. There is something more personable in a letter that someone actually wrote and handled. i also got a custom wax stamp so i send them out with wax seals like they used to 100 years ago.
Turn off the TV, shut down the computer, and go interact with other people, or go do something with your hands. You'd be amazed how many calories you burn by puttering around in the garage or in the yard, or by meeting friends out in public. You should especially do this kind of stuff in the years between 18 and getting married. Don't worry about updating your status, use that smartphone to assist being out and about, not as a replacement for it.
Life is short, don't squander it.
Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
I'm not going to say this is the start of the end, but it certainly shows that people are no longer "excited" about the social network world.
People are noticing real-world consequences to the privacy issues, reducing the amount of interesting stuff that people will post. I've run into employer issues, I've had relatives with relationship issues, and I've read enough about legal issues to be wary about what I post. Add in the number of businesses embracing Facebook, and you start to see why "social networks" have reached a saturation point.
It still has its uses. It is more personal than email (great for keeping your family updated on life events). It is easier to control reoccurring events, such as birthday parties and pick-up games in the park. It is also easier to ignore people on Facebook than through email. I will continue to use it about as regularly as I use my email, but that doesn't mean I like it.
Facebook is following the same trajectory of all social networking sites from the dawn of the Internet ... people pile in, then eventually take a harder look at the product they are becoming and start to pull away, starting a long bleeding decline. What's astonishing is that once again, a company appeared which honestly seemed to think they were different, that they weren't subject to the same pattern of free-growth and decay-on-monitization.
Having my parents join completely changed my use of FB, and to some extent real life. as now every possible drunken shenanigans picture might get a comment from my mom.
Now I can have my overbearing over protective mom follow me and judge me all the time? Brilliant!
Oh and don't dare not friend them, or unfriendly them. That just makes it worse.
Slashdot's rate-of-post filter: Preventing you from posting too many great ideas at once.
and yet you sound so bitter...
blah blah blah
Nope. Nothing to do with any of those.