Hi friends. I deactivated my account a couple weeks ago and found that with the time I saved I was doing:
– more online Dutch practice (on memrise.com)
– more brain games (on lumosity.com)
– more reading interesting things that are relevant to me
– more drinking tea and staring out the window (very important for us creative industry types)
– more online courses (yeah MOOCs are not the new face of education, but useful to pick up a thing or two)
In other words, it was better for me.
My friends who I connect with here who I don’t see very often (hello people in Canada, the US, New Zealand, the UK, etc) let’s have one on one time on Skype. My Skype handle is mkultra0000. Add me.
I still use Twitter, because it’s a usable archive of links to research I want to look at again. The FB Wall is too unwieldy for that. You can also connect with me there, I’m @mkasprzak.
Email me, Skype me, send me an SMS or even call (I don’t always pick up though, maybe I’m busy staring out the window), or best of all — write me an old fashioned letter or postcard if you are really after my heart.
Also think of me when you are listening to Glenn Gould, watching The Sopranos, shooting a gun down at the range, at a great exhibition, at a crappy exhibition, digging out your real film camera and taking some pictures, doing some barbell squats, making some delicious meal out of what you have on hand, stealing the hotel toiletries, appreciating some Finnish design, riding your bike aimlessly after midnight, holding a falcon on your arm, or any other nice shared memory that we have. That means more than a thousand “likes”.
So I’m just back to say I’m downloading all my stuff and moving on. Soon.
It’s been fun, but it’s kinda feeling like leaving Friendster in 2005. Time to go.
Happy trails!
My comments on my own post:
If you want to do the same, download your info here: https://www.facebook.com/help/131112897028467 and then deactivate here: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=security
And then go read this great article by Rebecca Solnit about our fragmented attention spans these days, and the pleasure of focusing on one thing at a time. (Sorry to say, it means not just quitting Facebook but being present… that’s next level). http://www.lrb.co.uk/v35/n16/rebecca-solnit/diary