WHY I HAVE GIVEN UP FACEBOOK and maybe you should as well.

I used to be an enthusiatic proselytizing fan of FB.  I thought it was a great communicating tool and excellent disperser of community information.

Why have I changed my mind?

It seems to me that on almost every level apps like FB and Twitter are serving the interests of the ungodly to a far greater extent than they are functioning in a positive manner for personal and community benefit. FB now owns most of the major social media platforms.

The applied uses of data mining by the manipulative and the corrupt come to light everyday. The careless and ill-informed uses by the general punter are self evident and manifold. Its uses to boost the interests of consumerism to the disadvantage of the ecology, economy and human well-being inflict growing damage every day.

The promotion of the notion that complex problems and issues can be solved or explained  in brief off the cuff verbal splats dumb down public discourse. Spontaneous facile venting promote the illusion of  an impotent ineffectual activism.

On a general level one has to be very aware that things that are convenient are almost always bad for your health, mind, ecology and or civil rights. I cite prepackaged and convenience foods, plastic fishing lures, airplanes, electronic disposables, televisions and (of course) FB and Twitter as prime examples

Enough reasons there to give up on the big platforms.

I do, however, believe that social media is a great idea and a good tool. Over the years FB has played a key role in coordinating some very important and worthwhile activities – (f)route and the local Shut the Gate actions come imeadiatly to mind.

I have also re hooked up with some old friends and made some new ones. No unsurprisingly communications have been most effective with people with whom I have history and association beyond the social media platform. Without background communication will he superficial and fraught with misunderstandings.

I am keen on digital social networks.

The best outcomes involving this tool is concentrating on getting a delivery of what you most want from the activity. Generally, I think, the core is the engagement of the specific and local, coupled with a high degree of security and control. You will not get this with any commercial platform because their aims are entirely the opposite ahd they exist to primarily sell you things and collect your data for their clients.

So I am keen to find a way to ‘network’ socially in an entirely bespoke manner.  I can’t seem to find software that will do this.  The difficulty is setting up a dedicated server. Way beyond my skills.  Anyway will keep looking.

The limitation and challenge will be overcoming the difficulties imposed by our disraceful, awful national internet.