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Going Dark on Facebook- Advice?

Posted on 6/3/20 at 7:55 pm
Posted by deeprig9
Unincorporated Ozora, Georgia
Member since Sep 2012
64059 posts
Posted on 6/3/20 at 7:55 pm
I have reasons to not completely delete my account, among which include some civic organizations very important to me that communicate solely through Facebook.

The best I can think of is to simply block every single person I am "friends" with so I (and they) appear to not exist, but it's reversible if I change my mind in 6 months.

Then I can still get my updates from these Facebook groups I still want to follow.

Is this basically my option?
Posted by TigerinATL
Member since Feb 2005
61526 posts
Posted on 6/3/20 at 8:49 pm to
Instead of using the app you could just access it via the web browser and check in for your group updates periodically. That way you're in control of when you access that instead of notifications bombarding you and training you to stare at your phone all day.
Posted by schexyoung
Deaf Valley
Member since May 2008
6534 posts
Posted on 6/3/20 at 10:21 pm to
That is exactly what I did two years ago. I still haven’t logged on my computer, and it’s wonderful.
Posted by WavinWilly
Wavin Away in Sharlo
Member since Oct 2010
8783 posts
Posted on 6/3/20 at 11:00 pm to
Just pull the trigger and delete it. One of the better decisions I’ve made in a while.
Posted by touchdownjeebus
Member since Sep 2010
24837 posts
Posted on 6/4/20 at 1:33 am to
Delete the app and when you are curious, check via a browser. Limit your curiosity to just the groups.

I deleted the app for lent and missed the initial covid hysteria, then deleted it again right before the current shite show. I fear if I install the damn thing and delete it again, the damn world may implode.
Posted by Jinglebob
Member since Jan 2020
948 posts
Posted on 6/4/20 at 2:37 am to
You don't have to block them, you can "unfollow" them and still remain friends you just don't get any of their posts in your feed.

You can also "snooze for 30 days" which is like a temporary unfollow.

It changes the whole experience, especially if you have groups you like to stay current with.

Just log in, scroll through your feed, and unfollow or snooze everyone posting shite you don't care about, keep your groups.

The next time you log in you'll have posts pop up from people you forgot you were friends with (algorithm has been hiding them for whatever reason). Unfollow or snooze another batch.

After doing this 3-4 times your feed will be left with only your groups and the people you didn't zap.
Posted by LSshoe
Burrowing through a pile o MikePoop
Member since Jan 2008
4015 posts
Posted on 6/4/20 at 7:54 am to
I have an app I think it's called slim social. It's basically a web wrapper for Facebook that helps to sandbox it from the rest of your phone and its activity. I got it from the fdroid store but there's probably alternatives available in whatever regular app store you do, just dig in on them à bit to make sure it's actually what you're looking for. I don't know if the one I use supports any notifications and I wouldn't want them if it did. I only open the thing every few months to look at my notifications which are mostly garbage, and if I need to check some group out something that only posts there. I still 'have' Facebook, I just don't do much of anything with it. Adjust the above to your needs or preferences.
Posted by OldHickory
New Orleans
Member since Apr 2012
10602 posts
Posted on 6/4/20 at 3:29 pm to
Is there a way to not allow people to tag you? Like someone said, the app notifications are what keeps me looking. I don’t anyone tagging me and not knowing it. Also, deactivate isn’t deleting... right? I don’t want to look at the damn thing.
Posted by Fat Batman
Gotham City, NJ
Member since Oct 2019
1382 posts
Posted on 6/4/20 at 3:55 pm to
You can turn off all notifications. If you can't do it from within the Facebook app, you can tell your phone not to allow notifications from the app.
Posted by armsdealer
Member since Feb 2016
11512 posts
Posted on 6/8/20 at 5:45 am to
I have had all notifications turned off for years. Never missed them, all the shite is there when I choose to log on. I check it pretty frequently because my kids school updates there more than anywhere else, sometimes only giving information through facebook. I only check a handful of groups and my profile page is almost exclusively a chronological account of the past decade worth of Fathers day posts from my wife...
Posted by colorchangintiger
Dan Carlin
Member since Nov 2005
30979 posts
Posted on 6/8/20 at 9:31 am to
quote:

which include some civic organizations very important to me that communicate solely through Facebook.


I get this, but man these orgs need to wake up.
Posted by LSUFanHouston
NOLA
Member since Jul 2009
37116 posts
Posted on 6/9/20 at 11:04 am to
quote:

The best I can think of is to simply block every single person I am "friends" with so I (and they) appear to not exist, but it's reversible if I change my mind in 6 months


If you "block" someone, you also automatically unfriend them. So in 6 months, if you change you mind, yes you can unblock them, but then you need to send them a new friend request.

That may not matter to you but I wanted to point that out.
Posted by southern686
Narnia
Member since Nov 2015
883 posts
Posted on 6/9/20 at 12:13 pm to
quote:

Going Dark on Facebook

quote:

I am "friends" with so I (and they) appear to not exist, but it's reversible if I change my mind

quote:

Then I can still get my updates from these Facebook groups I still want to follow.



So seeing as you do not want to be seen on FB; as in you do not want people to see your profile exist but want the option to reverse it.....

The only other option I can think of is to "deactivate" your account. It'll make it as if it never existed, no one will be able to see you, tag you, find you, etc. Then I'd create a new profile and re-join those groups you want to remain in connection with.

That would be the easiest way to accomplish all that your hoping. At least within my knowledge.
This post was edited on 6/9/20 at 12:15 pm
Posted by BobLouder
AL
Member since May 2020
184 posts
Posted on 6/9/20 at 2:05 pm to
Facebook has tracked people across the Internet for years, whether they had a FB account , OR NOT. They actually added a setting this year (I think) to check a box to not track you across the Internet. LOL

My suggestion: Use Firefox and install Facebook Container. Ghostery, Privacy Badger and NoScript. NoScript may not be great for computer novices. Then tell your close friends and family that you are dropping off and not to be offended.

Agree with above ... delete the app off of your devices.

Facebook already knows everything about you. They used their own data and bought from (I think) 7 data brokers for years.

I had a similar situation.
This post was edited on 6/9/20 at 2:07 pm
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