To avoid causing offence...........

[Hamish]

.......I am posting this announcement where, hopefully, it will be seen by my many friends.

Facebook:

Several years ago I was persuaded to register at 'Facebook', but seldom logged in or posted there as, to me, it all seemed so pointless and time-wasting.

About eighteen months ago I deactivated my 'Facebook' account after I found that not everyone who contacted me was who they claimed to be. Recently, I began to be bombarded almost daily with E-mails from the site implying that my old pals there had been trying to send me messages and that new 'friends' were trying to contact me. I caved-in and took a look and, yes, there was a long list of people (one or two rather distant relatives and some X-Markers but mostly total strangers) who wanted to be my 'friend', or for me to be theirs. Frankly, although I am less mobile than I have been and do not have many reasons to leave the Bicknell Grange estate, there are still insufficient hours in the day for me to become involved with 'Facebook' once more - and there is still that element of mistrust I have in it.

I am extremely flattered that some of you should wish me to be your 'friend' but I am asking you to understand my reasons for once again deactivating my 'Facebook' account and thereby failing to respond to your requests. I do not intend to offend anyone - believe me, it is not personal. I consider every X-Marker to be my friend, courtesy of the forum - many of whom I have had the pleasure of meeting in person across Europe and North America, some have even visited me at here at The Grange.

Take care,
Ham.

[tulloch]

Good luck. They won't want you to shake them. I have studiously avoided Facebook - even when it was recommended for professional reasons. If I want to check something out on Facebook I have someone else with an account do it for me. Ughhh - I will stay away from that.

[tundramanq]

Facebooks security and privacy is so bad I assume they are running the data mining operation. I keep very little personal info there.

[KenB]

I have other things to do with my time; facebook is just not my cup of tea.

This brings up a whole new conversation - just because the technology exists doesn't mean a person has to use it. 'Nuff said.

[brewerpaul]

Facebook is one of those techno items out there that everyone thinks not only they need to be on but they think you need to be on. Seems alot of people pride themselves in just collecting friends they have or will never meet or know. The fact that some professions, I might use the term loosely here, would require facebook use by employees is rediculous. Where I work it is very frowned upon to discuss work related issues on any social media. It has even been shown that young people at a party will quickly lose interest in the people around them and pull out their I'toys and start interacting socially, this while there might be a cute guy or gal standing next to you. And this all leads to people thinking they always have to answer that Itoy when they get a message of call regardless of what they are doing. This leads to the use of I'toys in inappropriate places like while someone is supposed to be checking you out at the grocery but is busy texting, or the nurse who should be watching over you during surgery but has her mind on what her kids are texting her.

My facebook is to air and post liberal ideas and thinking I believe in, keeps the FBI, CIA, homeland security and NSA busy I figure. I have 6 friends, one of who is my girlfriend. I have 13 want to be friends, all of whom Ive not seen or worked with in over 15 years. My question to them is Why do you now want to be my friend when in 15 years we have not even talked, met or had a beer together. I also doubt they would appreciate my politics or humor. Besides we were just co-workers, never friends when I knew them before. So there are those who just have to collect, and in our social media world it seems "Friends" are what people collect. Too bad they dont know most of the people the are friends with.

Ill stick to my form of social media, the coffee shop and pub. Besides beer is the best lubricant to social intercourse.

[Cynthia]

I totally understand. I recently did a bit of a cleanup of my friends list, and although I cannot leave FB right now due to responsibilities for the next year (I am an officer in a group and my job is to maintain their social media), I am very seriously considering leaving after I'm finished with my duties. Actually, I really have less desire to be online anywhere... I've been slipping back to a more "quiet alone time with my husband mainly" role lately. If that continues, who knows what else I'll leave.

So I definitely understand.

[Chas]

A wise move.

Regards

Chas

[ForresterModern]

I hope I was not one of the people who bombarded you---not that I wouldn't want you as a friend there----but rather as to not contribute to your discomfort. Glad to hear from you here though, and praying you are doing well.

Facebook is in many ways a useful communication tool for a lot of people, in other ways another addiction for many, but by no means a necessity of any sort. I check maybe once or twice a day, post occasionally, and have also trimmed my list of whose posts show on my feed. I too have some fear of security issues, especially since every few months something about the interface changes, and also tends to open new exposures in the name of "improved and increased service" that actually require a member to actively reassess the effects and make maintenance changes to minimize their footprint of accessibility. I do not blame you for shutting down your account, as it seems like a lot of effort for little if any gain.

We still hope to hear from you regularly here when you can. Be well my friend.

jeff

[gary meakin]

facebook user and I don't have a problem with it.
(just wanted to throw that out there for a little balance)
Hamish. I think you should go back on - go to your your privacy or account setting, I can't remember which one and I don't get facebook at work -
Uncheck all the boxes that allow email notifications. This should eliminate all those annoying emails.

[Woodsheal]

Ham, there's a way to permanently delete your FaceBook account, not just put it "on hold" as it were. I've done this, and don't get the annoying notices you refer to anymore. FaceBook is a monstrosity, in my opinion....