Quitting Facebook

[June]

I'm really proud to say that I'm finally getting rid of that thing! (well, sort of) I've been using it for years, since 2007 or '08, but with "fresh" profile every two years or so. I wanted to do it because I'm concerned about privacy, but I had to compromise since some of my friends refuse to communicate with me (and others) using anything else 
It pisses me of, but there's nothing I can do. So I made a new profile, with fake name and nothing on it just for them, but I hope I'll get rid of that soon 

I'm currently deleting all the posts, tags and friends on my old profile manually (luckily there isn't much) because they tend too lurk on their servers long after you delete your account. I hope this will speed up the process. FB says before you permanently delete your acc, it'll take another 2 weeks to completely delete it (but not backups), but I heard some "horror stories" of people logging in after six months to check and their accounts were still there  I hope they mixed up deactivating and deleting.

What do you guys think of FB and what are your alternatives?
I'm using skype (not much better), a chat client called cryptocat, email (well, lavabit was closed recently so I lost my secure option) and (cell)phone.

[Dewprincess]

I'm sure I'll be on Facebook for a long time yet...it's the only way I have of communicating with a lot of my old friends since I've moved around a lot. 

[achab1984]

I am on there, I do not do a lot on there though. I do have pictures but I don't have names for the younger people. I don't have my daughters name any were on them. I don't share a lot about me either. I do have my family linked to me though. I like it cause I can get a lot of coupons, see new things coming out. Sell stuff on the local pages and find a good deal once in a while. So I don't think that I will be getting rid of mine anytime soon. Oh ya and talk to a few of my friends that I talk to from school.   

[StoryDreamer]

I'm sure I'll stay on Facebook. I've been on there since 2007 or so, when it was just college students. Back then, they actually had an option for you to add your class schedule! I met people really easily in college due to Facebook actually.

I do have my account locked down well, you can't even search it by email, I have to friend you. All my pictures are private, and I have no pictures of my wife or family on there.

[melodys_angel]

Never started, never will.  My sister and mom do and ive seen and heard the horror stories with privacy first hand (im surprised moms still on it after what she went though o.0)

Im not old fashioned, I just prefer some things over others

[LittleSpiffy]

I had some issues with security and tried to warn my friends (I was litterally stalked, but by the grace of God I didn't attend an even I had RSVPed on Facebook...but the stalker approached one of my friends...it's a long story, but it's all good now).  Anyway, I had one friend in particular who refused to adjust her FB posting habits (i.e. taking photos of me and tagging them).

I deleted my profile and started a new one with a fake name.  The same friend decided that she didn't like that, so she kept tagging pictures of me with comments like "Oh, so-and-so is really SPIFFY!"  The woman is 35, I mean, come on!

So, yeah, I had to delete her as a friend AND block her.  She flipped out.  We don't talk anymore (because of that and some other things I couldn't put up with anymore).

THANKFULLY, I've had no issues with FB security since!  You can do a lot to protect yourself, but if you have one "friend" who enjoys sabotaging your efforts, it's moot!

[KermitGreen82]

Wow, that is so immature. If you don't want to be tagged or even posted she should have honored your wishes. Nice friend. Sorry you have had so many troubles.   

[achab1984]

There are a lot of immature people on facebook. They like to post everything about there life and they are always complaining it seems!  I mostly post pictures of my collection on my page.

[June]

I deleted my profile and started a new one with a fake name.  The same friend decided that she didn't like that, so she kept tagging pictures of me with comments like "Oh, so-and-so is really SPIFFY!"  The woman is 35, I mean, come on!

So, yeah, I had to delete her as a friend AND block her.  She flipped out.  We don't talk anymore (because of that and some other things I couldn't put up with anymore).

THANKFULLY, I've had no issues with FB security since!  You can do a lot to protect yourself, but if you have one "friend" who enjoys sabotaging your efforts, it's moot!

Been there. They were like: "Why don't you make a proper account again so we can tag you everywhere etc." I don't really get that.

I find it funny how, a couple years ago, some people considered me paranoid and crazy because I was telling them how FB is collecting all their data, and now with the whole NSA and Snowden incident turns out they were crazy ones and I'm all like "told ya so"
It's strange how people don't seem to care. 10 years ago no one would use their real name on the Net, but today everyone is giving it away without even thinking.

[Emfen]

I have had an account since uh... 2011? It started off as a joke for April fools, but eventually I stayed and changed to my actual name.
My now most reliable means to contact my partner is facebook, so I am pretty much stuck to that option. I post pictures of us sometimes or my art, mainly I share feminist posts, posts about atheism or any society issue - the rational and respectful kind of posts though.
My family sometimes complain that I have dumb pictures up but I hate to have a bland photo of me as my profile, I'd much rather be silly in a good way. I am other than that not doing much.
In terms of posting, I share posts publicly about pressing issues or just good reads. Whereas I don't share my emotional state publicly ever.
I blocked people like my exes off so that they cannot look my profile up and kept my relationship and personal status to friends only, so I think my security is safe. I even have different groups for people, so Group#1 see more posts than Group#2 and so on.

[ashes]

I've used Facebook since early 2009, and I must say I really enjoy it.  But I'm really picky about who I add as friends, and I only share stuff that's not personal.  And I love that I can keep in contact with my besties in the whole wide world since we all live across the country.  To be honest with four kids I don't have a lot of time to Skype (plus all my besties have kids as well, then throw in a few different time zones, and well, FB and email are the best ways to keep in contact).  But we all get together in person every 3 or 4 years, and it's awesome!

And now FB has an added feature that alerts you when you are tagged in a photo, which you can accept or deny.  I deny my MIL's tags ALL THE TIME because she tags me in photos just so she knows I have seen them, regardless if I'm in them or not.  It's so annoying!

But then again I'm not a really paranoid person.  I mean sure I take all the precautions for security settings, but information is pretty easy to get a hold of, FB aside. 

[Beldarna]

I've never had FB and never will, mainly because my family is there and they're all so open and personal with what they put there and I find it embarassing so I'm thinking; if I'm not there, I don't have to see anything and don't have to feel shame. My poor boyfriend has to live with it all though. Doesn't stop them from trying to get me an account and that is so annoying.

[Teddy]

I resisted FB for a long time, but I've grown to appreciate it in some ways. I've reconnected with people I had lost contact with over the years on there. And now it is pretty much my only link to my friends and family back in the US, so it's much more important than it was before. I really only post bird pictures on there myself, I don't make many actual posts. It's a great way to keep up with the people I care about, though. And FB games are a GREAT way to waste time when I'm bored.

[PandaBerryInSpace]

I quit Facebook a long time ago. I lost contact with some people, but overall, I think it was the healthier thing to do. I don't really have an alternative, but I honestly don't care. X3

[BlackCurtains]

I love Facebook, honestly. I hardly post anything on my own profile anymore but I'm very active in many groups. Most of them are closed or secret though, so nothing shows up on the ticker. I'm sure most people who have friended me don't think I spend a lot of time there because I post so sporadically, but I'm there

I know it causes a lot of problems for a lot of people though. I've had some friends deactivate their profiles. It's sad when they go but I am always an advocate of doing what is best for yourself. Good luck!