Bye Bye Facebook
30/09/09 17:46 Filed in: Writing
So I closed my Facebook account today. Well, at least
as far as the people at Facebook will allow you to do
so.
Have you ever tried to close a Facebook page? It's not easy.
First, they move you to a page upon which they've posted photos of some of your "friends" with the caption, "X will miss you", under each one.
Then, if you insist on continuing, they force you to answer a questionnaire, justifying why you want to close your page.
If your reason is good enough, they require you to decipher some funky-shaped letters and identify them, on the grounds that you are proving you're not faking the whole thing. But, while I've done that funky-shaped letter thing before (when posting a comment on another person's website, for example), this is the first time the letters are so funky-shaped that it's practically impossible to tell what they are. It took me four tries to get it right and, if I hadn't, Facebook would have refused to close my page.
I even wrote into my questionnaire a specific request that they erase all of my data and information from their database. Did they do it? No. Moments later, I got an e-mail from Facebook telling me (surprise surprise) that I had closed my page and assuring me that, if at any point in the future I come to my senses, I can simply e-mail them and they'll relaunch it exactly as it is today. In other words, they're going to keep it in their memory banks.
I've been becoming increasingly uncomfortable with taking part in the whole Facebook phenomena (the lack of privacy, the fact that Facebook plays all kinds of games with your data) so my decision to quit should come as no surprise. I'm just grateful that I never really put much up there in the first place.
I doubt I'll miss it.
On the writing front, my fab sister Janice has gotten back to me with her comments on the first draft of the trial scene. Great comments! Really useful inside information on what goes on at a criminal trial. She even indulged herself in writing some fiction herself, which was a lot of fun to read too. Janice, you really should give writing a shot. Your prose is fun and entertaining.
I'm not much in the mood to write of late, however, so I'll probably hold off on continuing for a couple of days yet. But it is coming. And with help from Janice (and no more Facebook drivel) I can look forward to making more progress soon.
Have you ever tried to close a Facebook page? It's not easy.
First, they move you to a page upon which they've posted photos of some of your "friends" with the caption, "X will miss you", under each one.
Then, if you insist on continuing, they force you to answer a questionnaire, justifying why you want to close your page.
If your reason is good enough, they require you to decipher some funky-shaped letters and identify them, on the grounds that you are proving you're not faking the whole thing. But, while I've done that funky-shaped letter thing before (when posting a comment on another person's website, for example), this is the first time the letters are so funky-shaped that it's practically impossible to tell what they are. It took me four tries to get it right and, if I hadn't, Facebook would have refused to close my page.
I even wrote into my questionnaire a specific request that they erase all of my data and information from their database. Did they do it? No. Moments later, I got an e-mail from Facebook telling me (surprise surprise) that I had closed my page and assuring me that, if at any point in the future I come to my senses, I can simply e-mail them and they'll relaunch it exactly as it is today. In other words, they're going to keep it in their memory banks.
I've been becoming increasingly uncomfortable with taking part in the whole Facebook phenomena (the lack of privacy, the fact that Facebook plays all kinds of games with your data) so my decision to quit should come as no surprise. I'm just grateful that I never really put much up there in the first place.
I doubt I'll miss it.
On the writing front, my fab sister Janice has gotten back to me with her comments on the first draft of the trial scene. Great comments! Really useful inside information on what goes on at a criminal trial. She even indulged herself in writing some fiction herself, which was a lot of fun to read too. Janice, you really should give writing a shot. Your prose is fun and entertaining.
I'm not much in the mood to write of late, however, so I'll probably hold off on continuing for a couple of days yet. But it is coming. And with help from Janice (and no more Facebook drivel) I can look forward to making more progress soon.