Slashdot Mirror
EU Justice Commissioner Quits Facebook, Describing Her Experience as 'Channel of Dirt' (washingtonpost.com)
The European Commissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality shut down her Facebook account, describing her experience on the social network as a "channel of dirt." From a report: At a news conference Thursday in Brussels, Vera Jourova said that she received an "influx of hatred" on the popular platform and decided to cancel her account as a result. "I don't want to avoid communication with people, even with critical people," she said, noting her decision to leave Facebook was not to avoid public criticism. Her mailbox is filled with critical comments, she said, and she responds to those people who don't use vulgar language. "This is my nature, I speak to everybody who wants normal, honest, descent communication." Euractiv earlier reported on Jourova's remarks. At the same news conference, Jourova warned Facebook that it faces the prospect of sanctions from European member states if the company does not comply with consumer protection rules.
Why doesn't Europe just fine Facebook $100B and then ban it from operating in Europe?
No need to quit it.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Politicians nowadays are pussies, fucking up people's lives, but don't criticize! That will make them cry.
I remember the flame and channel wars on IRC and FidoNet. When a friend of mine signed up with his ISP (HomeNet) back in the 90s he laughed about their description of IRC in their brochure. "If you don't like being harassed, attacked, hacked and otherwise subjected to hate and vile behavior, stay off IRC. It's the Wild, Wild, West of the Internet." And that summed it up perfectly. I loved it!
"I want #Facebook to be extremely clear to its users about how their service operates and makes money. Not many people know that #Facebook has made available their data to third parties or that for instance it holds full copyright about any picture or content you put on it."
— Vra Jourová
Too bad we don't have anybody looking out for regular people in the US.
I don't respond to AC's.
I don't think people who send her nasty messages want to "speak" with her or debate her, they want to express their outrage at her policies. After all, she has all the power.
And right on cue, she threatens to use that power to hurt people and companies she doesn't like, in the guise of "consumer protection rules".
EU will learn Karma, if not Europe is lost.
...[c]ommissioner for justice, consumers and gender equality...
Why would you lump all of those together? What do "consumers" and "gender equality" have to do with one another, and isn't "justice" a big enough thing that it would qualify for its own commissioner?
This shouldn't be newsworthy. Egotistical, "This platform is cancer, I'm quitting for good to show everyone how I'm more enlightened than them" manifestos happen all the time.
In the words of a great man: "Life is like a sewer, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it." I value Facebook as it has gotten me back in touch with people who were once central to my life and that I had lost contact with. Even if we only share a few vacation pics or anecdotes, it's comforting to know where they are and that they are doing well. My friends and family account is a nice plus in my life . . . and, of course, I don't post anything that would hurt anyone, let alone me, if it were posted in the local newspaper. I also maintain an account relating to me as an author and which therefore must be open to the public. Again, I find it to be a good thing with casual readers, fans, and even critics being extremely civil. On the other hand, I am not a politician and don't post about my views in that regard. There is no way to avoid some ugly in any medium if you are going to do that. I'd go so far as to say that public officials, unless they find some magical way to make everyone happy, should probably avoid Facebook and other social media or keep it private and limited to family and friends. In their public internet they might consider confining themselves to a moderated web site, much as they are likely to bring bodyguards in public appearances, as they can be targets for the deranged, even when they are playing a practice game of baseball.
>>I don't want to avoid communication with people
You don't need facebook to do that.
To hell with any site, service, or so help me God, a fucking civic office that uses a socnet as their formally sanctioned primary (if not their ONLY) channel of communication and official announcement.
Its like any social network for high profile people. You put yourself out there, not everyone is going to be positive about you. As a old saying goes "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen".
I fully support someone that thinks "Facebook is dirt, I want nothing to do with it."
But when a politician says this, they mean "Facebook is dirt, nobody should be allowed to use it." Especially if those somebodies have something mean about the politician.
I'm a good cook. I'm a fantastic eater. - Steven Brust
The EU is making some terribly bad mistakes. They are going to turn the internet in Europe into a snooze fest of unimaginative content. She probably feels since she deleted it that the hate has went away. Stop making tech related laws without the input of you're populace and you might not be so unpopular.
I figured this out back in 2011.
How about you?
The millennial that doesn't like most of the stuff designed for millennials.
You are wearing your big-boy pants (no more diapers for you) and you have even figured out that much of social media is antisocial.
If you ask nicely, Mommy will give you a treat.
The Slashdotters would've supported him. But because it was a woman, they treat her like a whore.
The whole EU is a sewage
There sure are a lot of posts here defending Facebook and blaming the woman for not enjoying the experience, despite the many, many, many previous posts on /. where people said nobody should use Facebook because it's trash.
When did /. fall in love with the privacy invading trash fire that is Facebook?
I guess there is no more social in social media, if there ever truly was. These are platforms for narcissists and navel gazers.
I wrote a comment on a social media site praising the present Liberal Party leader and PM of Canada, Justin Trudeau. I received mostly positives but one came in calling me a cuck and the PM several other terms. What one learns soon enough is that some folks donâ(TM)t much agree with my world view and has nasty aggressive fascistic ways to describe their aversion to what I like. Knowing that keeps one grounded .if one did not get the aggressive and nasty invective it would be easy to float around thinking everything is basically okay but knowing the vituperative also allows one to keep aware of a real enemy not afraid to strike as it were. The rise of Trumpism internationally where these creatures are unafraid to say things that would have been eye popping ten years ago does say something about the world today where they feel their vicious hatreds are officially sanctioned in some countries formerly polite and tolerant.