To think that not being on facebook makes you FAR less accessible generally

[WoburnSands]

I've been both on it and off it - came off it completely a while ago - in 2011. I don't miss it one bit. It was a great novelty when I first went on it in about 2008 - but after that the novelty sort of wore off.

I'm happy I the knowledge that the people I don't want to bother with at all - now can't find me! - I also love having the 'privacy' of not being on it!!

zen1 - the algorithms worry me too - things have suddenly appeared which seem too coincidental iyswim.

You are right WorraLiberty but by the end id been too 'public' with mine - befriended people I shouldn't have etc so it was best for me to come off it completely I feel!!

Queenbean there should be an option on your account settings to download your entire profile etc

Ah but I'm the one that sorts out social things with my friends. I can do most of it through a group chat on Facebook. But then have to text the annoying few and wait for them to confirm before I can then go back to group and confirm with them. I want everyone in the group chat dammit

You are right WorraLiberty but by the end id been too 'public' with mine - befriended people I shouldn't have etc so it was best for me to come off it completely I feel!!

Yes I would agree in your case it was probably best.

As an aside, I'm not sure if you have children but if you do, it's best to familiarise yourself with social media privacy settings, should they be of an age where they wish to open accounts (or have you open and monitor accounts for them).

You can download your entire profile, I did this when I deleted it and still have all my photos which I look at occasionally, you can google and it comes up with instructions on how to do this, it's really easy.

I love not having Facebook :) no more shite to see everyday.

This under general settings

Ah didn't realise things like downloading profiles even existed -,then again I'm a bit 19th century!!

On the plus side, I didn't have to inflict my no make up selfie on the world!!

And feel privileged I redownloaded Facebook to show it, as I'm on a no social media trial as if was getting too much! Deleted it again though now. I've got a bit more reading done than I did before, still not enough to what I wanna do. I'm halfway through the game of thrones book and want to read the whole series, I got them for Christmas, as I did the charity Harry Potter books, and I said I wouldn't read them until I'm done with rereading the Harry Potter series, which I said I'd finish after game of thrones and now the new Harry Potter books are out they will be after the charity ones, and the new ones by JK are what I really want to read most of all ( but I wanna read all of them, just GoT seems to take me forever)

Yeah they can be quite large file sizes but it contains everything when I did mine, it was Cringey to see what I said at the start in 6th form,,

(My privileged thing was meant to be lighthearted but not sure the tone came across ok)

I haven't had Facebook for years. I tried it when it came out but I fount it irritating. My friends and i text, call and email each other. I don't miss out on anything

.....at least I don't think I do

I was on it all the time, then people started to gossip and weretrying to cause shit, as they do, when I got with my partner! I got pissed off and deleted it...that was 5 years ago and I don't miss it one bit! Me and my partner have been together 6 years now and i definitely don't think it would have lasted that long with Facebook in the mix! It's nice not having everyone know everything you do, where u go and what time you have a shit!!!

YANBU

I don't send text messages any more, I send facebook messages. People get them on their phone anyway.

I don't phone people on a phone number any more (crap reception in my village), I phone them through facebook. Works in exactly the same way.

I don't email people any more (except work emails), I send them a facebook message.

I don't send postcards or show people holiday photos, I put them on facebook.

I organise most events and meetings on facebook.

If I didn't have it I wouldn't ever see anyone, talk to anyone or contact anyone I don't think!

Although the above is great, people at work say "it was on Facebook! Didn't you see it on Facebook?" And I live quite far from my family and NEVER know what's going on with them unless someone else in the family tells me!

Facebook is an essential tool for me. I keep in touch with family and friends who live a good distance from me (overseas) with one post/update. Also with friends and family a bit closer but we're all so busy all the time,physical get together are not always possible regularly.
I contribute to a food page namely about saving money.
I access local pages.
I bore everyone to death about what I grow on my allotment update everyone about my allotment.

Oh sorry, I misread the tone of the thread completely didn't I! (probably only really registered the title!) I was thinking of accessibility being a good thing.

You can still use messenger after going off FB.
I'm having a break currently.

I came off Facebook a long time ago! And it's the best thing I ever did! I think it wastes so much time! My best friend has a 2 year old and when she's been without wifi she's even admitted she's paid more attention to her little one! (Not that she doesn't anyway) Facebook can be awful... Where I live someone made a page where spiteful people could write horrible comments about other people anonymously! Thankfully a good thing was wrote about me and my team at work but it was a target page for keyboard warriors! Only thing I miss out on is the things for sale but friends and family keep an eye out for me 😬 I also don't need to see Facebook to see the gossip not that I'm interested but people are quick to print screen and share what I've been missing out on 😂

I got rid of it about five years ago. I'm very happy. I like being anonymous. I'm quite introverted.

I've never been on Facebook and have no intention of ever doing so.

I love facebook.

I use it to stay in touch with friends from my old town, we share photos and have a chat in a group.

I use it to keep up with news, whats going on locally, what events are happening.

I'm in several groups and use them as well.

Today DD announced her confirmed uni place. She would have had to have made a zillion phone calls without fb to announce it. As it is, she made one to my parents and let everyone else know via fb.

Michelle91 have you got shpock? Where I live everyone that posts items for sale on Facebook puts them on there aswell! I got a brand new £60 baby walker for £10 last week for my niece when she comes! BARGAIN haha!

Another thing is with my son! He's 15 and my mum died before I had him, but thanks to fbook he talks to all her side of the family daily and without it he'd never know them! That's a plus! BUT...he has also had some issues at school with other kids and there is no let-up! He comes home and the shits still there, weekends it's there, school holidays it's there!

I guess it's like anything in life, good and bad points!

I'm shocked that people on here think all you have to do is change your settings to secure absolute privacy!!!!

What if your friends decide to show someone NOT on your account, your page?? I've seen it happen, over and over. People talk, and if you think for one minute hiding your page works, you are one naive fool!!!

I don't do Facebook at all and won't compromise on that because I know once you do, NOTHING is as private as you think!!