Flickr… deleted.
Facebook… disabled.
Yahoo… deleted.
Foursquare… deleted.
Twitter… disabled.

I’ve been doing a little social network housekeeping the last few days.

It started with Flickr a few days ago. I just didn’t use it any longer, and hadn’t uploaded anything to it in years, so I decided it was time to go. Of course, I realized after the fact that some of the older pictures on this blog were hosted on it, but I’ll do due diligence and get those added here. Eventually.

Facebook has been bothering me for a while. Again. I don’t know if it was the upswing in political posts, by all parties, or the fact that I just seem to see how stupidity humanity seems to be getting as of late. So I announced the other day on it I was disabling it. And then 24 hours later I did. As well as Messenger too. I haven’t used either app on my phone for a long time, instead choosing to use the browser version. Less tracking, for one. Plus I use ad blockers on my phone as well as my computers. So I didn’t feel I was being tracked as much. But… it was time for it to go.

I know Facebook owns Instagram. And I do use Instagram. A lot. I see things in pictures. And I enjoy seeing things others post. It’s like Tumblr, but more… organized. For me. Granted, I’m not happy with the algorithm that Instagram is now using instead of showing my pictures in chronological order. And probably eventually Instagram will go too, once they figure out another way to piss people off.

And then there was Twitter. I haven’t really used it lately either anyway. I used to enjoy bantering on it with others, and for the instantaneous alerts that something was happening in the world. But Twitter seems to be having an identity crisis as of late. It’s moved away from it’s original creation and into “2.0” land: it’s trying to be Facebook. So, I nuked that account.

And then the Yahoo mail debacle that just came to light. And I’m not even talking about all the password hacking that’s been done as of late. How a company could purposely make email data available to the government for snooping just blows my mind. So there goes all my Yahoo accounts. Not that I actually every used the email. But if they started with that, what else are they sharing? That’s why I nuked my Gmail account a long time ago. Come to think of it, I think I have an non-email Google account out there I need to take care of…

And speaking of Tumblr, I do still have an account there. But it’s just re-posts from Instagram. But Tumblr’s probably something I need to consider nuking as well, considering Yahoo owns it.

I know each and every one of these services are free. Well, free to use. But with that comes the knowledge that my data is what’s for sale. And I’m not a big fan of that. I don’t think I’m getting more paranoid in my less young age. But I don’t see giving up privacy for the chance that it could *potentially* stop something from happening. Ever. Next thing you know, we’ll have to fly naked.

I tried before and failed. But today I nuked my Facebook account. Well, my “personal” one. I have to maintain a “fake” one that I can access both my Tattoo studio’s page and the Husbear’s salon page from in order to be all “social” with the businesses. Maybe I just need to hire a PR firm to do that for me.

That said, you can still find me over on Twitter (rarely), and on Instagram (which crossposts here on my blog). Or I guess there’s email. Or texting…

Hopefully this nuking sticks.

In an effort to become a little better at my blogging, I’ve decided to curb my Facebook usage.

Again.

I know: I’ve tried before and failed.

But I feel Facebook is one of the biggest reasons I’ve decreased my “meaningful” blogging in the last couple of years. Mostly because I can post a little random thought and not have to think about it in depth. Which is okay, I suppose. It’s what I used Twitter for back in the day. But I feel like currently it is hindering my creativity in word usage and thought. That, and the constant stream of other people’s consciousness gets a little heavy in my own brain at times. I can barely process my own thoughts without having to put my shields up constantly to block out other people’s thoughts. I can’t imagine what it would be like for a true telepath. Ugh.

To that end, I’m starting by deleting the Facebook app from my phone. That way I’m not tempted to post when I’m mobile (which is most of the time), nor will I be tempted to check the constant stream of human thoughts either when I could be doing something more productive.

Maybe this will help me focus a little better on other things.

Here’s hoping.

It’s been a year since I last attempted this, but here goes something…

I linked the tattoo and salon business accounts over to a generic profile that I’ll use to maintain those.

Hopefully disabling my FB account will help my current levels of being distracted.