I must be one the strongest critics of Facebook these days, god I just really hate what the gang has done to it. We have come such a long, stinky way since its inception in the early 2000's, and even though there are really good cases out there that prove it had always been a setup from the very beginning at least it FELT useful back in the day.
Organic, genuine networks formed, people could meet via overlapping interests and communities, a "private" messenger included. It was a glorious time for posting memes, learning about topics largely buried by mainstream media and even organize events with likeminded people we have never met face to face before.
But that's all long over now.
Facebook has so audaciously amped up the bulshit over the years, it's quite stunning they are still around. Or is it? Not really? It has become one of the favorite tools of the gang to manufacture consent and spread false ideologies organically.
Amping up the bullshit.
I'm not even talking about the ridiculous profits fb made from selling their users' data to advertisement agencies, fb's involvement with authoritarian spying activities or their profiling of mainstream-dissenting groups... I am talking about the mere fact that the experience of using facebook has become an affront to the reasonable individual.
Advertisements are clogging the feed, the interface has been changed countless times against the will of most users; bots, spam and like-buying are allowed while certain inconvenient topics and accounts are banned without notice or explanation.
In short, it has turned into a real social-media nightmare - much like youtube and the rest of the once useful platforms.
And here comes the but:
BUT... facebook is still immensely useful.
Its recent usefulness for me has made me reconsider not so much my stance on fb but my general tendency to be radically pro or against something, more of a compelling incentive to try and see things neutrally and balance my priorities on tendency scales rather than black-and-white judgments of extremes.
So how did I come to this realization?
For some reason I have not yet deleted my old facebook account.
Have stopped using it completely for years but it still exists and now I know why I have never deleted it entirely.. Because it has opened doors for me dramatically, trying to chase down the psy scene in Albania in particular. A new country, no connections to anyone who would know about parties and no hints where the scene is at. Where to go? Facebook!
We all have heard: "Everybody is on facebook." And so all those who are not yet using Hive but still cling to fb are still over there, posting in groups and notifying each other about upcoming events.
When I logged in to fb I readily found three individuals who were kind to help me out and who were ready to build bridges for me instantly. The scene helps each other, no matter where we are. And so I am amazed I have made maximum use out of FB despite the fact that I have all but ditched it for the obvious horrible reasons mentioned prior. Glad I didn't ditch it fully, cause then how would I reach the others in my current situation?
I feel this more open-minded approach could have many benefits, especially in relationship to my attitude towards other gang-subsidized-mega-corporations that I disapprove of.
Will it mean I will consciously go to McDonalds to meet open-minded people? Nope. It doesn't attract open-minded clientel generally. BUT should I ever find myself there and get into conversation with someone, why wouldn't I be open-minded and see where the conversation leads? Maybe some other traveler came for the free wifi, someone who knows about the party next weekend that I have never heard about but am looking for.
The point is we can allow ourselves the luxury of no longer utilizing a service or product by default, even do our best to boycott it and use more viable alternatives... but maybe, just maybe we should always leave our old doors open a bit. In case of the (un)likely event that one day we will need to walk through that door once more.
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