A Brave New World and freshly washed socks

Lately I've been getting more and more uncomfortable with Facebook.  Nothing too serious, nothing too annoying, but the composite of all the little things added up and I finally said, 'What's wrong with deactivating?'.

So I did it.  It's weird but I felt like I was leaving in a huff or something.  I don't know why.

Maybe it's that you feel like you're leaving all your friends.  You don't get to leave a note when you deactivate, you're just... gone.  Like you've hoisted a stick with a bandana holding all your belongings, over your shoulder and bid adieu to civilization.

But there are many reasons I no longer enjoyed being on Facebook.  Here, in no particular order, they be.

1)  Privacy issues.  Facebook keeps intellectual ownership of your  pictures, videos, ramblings (hee hee, MY thoughts... that's THEIR problem now - good luck making sense of THOSE!).  I just feel like that's heavy handed.  I don't like it, but not enough to really care.  This is just ONE of many reasons that added up.  It's not like I'm going to take them to court over my status updates so I can make a book out of them.  Or should I?  Maybe they'll settle and I'll get juuuuuust enough to pay the lawyers... okay, bad plan.

2)  Too many people on my 'friends' list.  I wanted to get rid of some, but they're called 'friends' and I felt too guilty.  Also, I never heard from some of those 'friends'.  Why was I on their list?  Why were they on mine?  And WHY did it just feel RUDE to even think of removing them?  And if you DO get rid of them, you have to BLOCK them in order for Facebook not to suggest you to them as a new friend!!!  YAAGGHH!!!!  If I felt guilt about removing them what are the odds I wouldn't end up in therapy if I blocked them?!?!?!

3)  News feeds.  God almighty.  I don't want to know what quiz you just took or read the 'Cut and Paste this into your status' status updates.  I know no one puts them in my newsfeeds other than Facebook, so if you're reading this, I don't mean 'YOU' per se.  I mean Facebook on your behalf.

4)  Facebook on your behalf.  I felt like they had all the control and I didn't.  Stop telling others what I did, what I'm doing, what I'm viewing, what I played!!!!!  Nyet more Comrade! Nyet more!!!

5)  They're making a fortune off me being there and giving me nothing.  I know, that can be said for anything online, but still, they're TOO big and making TOO much money and I'm STILL getting nothing.  I'm gone and it feels great to not be a part of the machinery.

6)  It's old, I'm old, and changes are bad for both of us.  They keep changing the look with no notice, and I have to try to find out how to use it all over again.  22 year olds everywhere just rolled their eyes at me, but it's STILL TRUE!!!!

Anyway, those are some of the reasons I left.  Now all I have to deal with is the withdrawal.  I just know I'm going to miss some parts of it.  Like ... OH NO!!!  I was in the middle of a Scrabble game with Corey (@Coreyoke1 for all you Tweeters out there) he's going to kill me!  Oh well, he reads these blogs (poor, bored bastard) so, sorry Corey, I completely forgot we had a game going when I deactivated!  I'll make you a bran muffin someday to make amends... but just the one, you know bran's not good for you.

Will I survive in my self-induced Post-Facebook existence?  Yup.
Will I grow wild and begin eating wild beasts? Nope.
Will I become a Twitter addict. Yup, already am one.  But I also hope this will give me more online time for blogging which I'm truly coming to love.

Well, I've nattered long enough for now, but I just wanted to proclaim my joy at making a change.  I don't often accomplish that, so it's definitely a reason to Hoot and Holler.  Wish me luck on my brave new journey.  My journey of discovery.  Oh damn, the arm's stuck and I can't get out of my 'Laz-y-boy.'

Okay, wish me luck tomorrow.