Friday, May 22, 2015

Exiting the Web

It is time, I think. I've been thinking about deactivating my Facebook page for the summer. I've been thinking about this for several weeks. I'm spending too much time online and not doing things that actually matter. It is a habit that needs breaking.

Here is the information on deactivation on Facebook and how it works. Anyone who visits your page...

  • won’t be able to see the information on your Timeline on Facebook and will not be able to search for you. Some information, like messages you sent, may still be visible to others.
  • We save the information in your account, just in case you want to come back to Facebook at some point. If you choose to reactivate your account, the information on your profile will be there when you come back.

I would still have email, the blog, and my g+ group page. I'm hardly on G+ more than an hour or two a week. It is much easier to scan the things that interest me because they're in set categories that I can pull up en mass, rather than an endless stream of nonsense mixed with people and things I actually want to see. I'll be deciding in the next day or so for certain and will warn you before I do it.

Of course, I could just opt to not use the page but I've done that before and it doesn't work as well as a deactivated page would. I've deactivated before, once for a long time. I didn't miss it. I only  opened it back up to start a writing group. That will have to move, of course.

For the moment, I've not decided on what course of action I will take but I will be doing something. Sarah leaves in a week and I plan on using my vacation effectively. I have a short story to finish. A writing group & group anthology to coordinate. I need to do some serious declutter and disposal of items.

Anyone on Facebook who is on my Gmail contact list will be able to reach me through that. If you are on my G+ page, you'll see me there. If you registered with the G+ River City Writers' group, you will be getting the updates to the G+ group. 

If any of that is not true and you want to remain in contact, you can contact me asap. If you want to be added as a G+ contact, you can do so on this page with the widget or you can email me. You can leave me a message in the comments. 

I will make a decision by next week. Otherwise, you won't be able to see me until I reactivate the FB account if I decide to do that. 

8 comments:

  1. Aw, thanks you, Wanda! I haven't made a solid decision. I am just frustrated with it. I have to get a handle on it because it is far too easy to just sit in a chair and do nothing. I tend to get more depressed when I do that. Facebook is not good for me in a lot of ways.

    Still, I know where you are! You know where I am! I should send you my email too. Just in case.

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  2. There are reason I remain on FB, but I am cutting back. There are some other time killers I'm guilty of using. I've allowed them to supersede the blog - which should come first. I'm glad you are setting a good example for me! Now, I promise to support you in this (and it's not simply to get a signed copy of your first book!!)

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    1. Phyllis, I know you understand. I am really very tired of the drain on my life that FB has become. I need to be doing things, not sitting here reading all the crazy stories on the news reports. I stopped tv news and newspapers for the same reason. They simply kept my mind in turmoil. FB goes one step further in that it lures you to other stupid stuff. It is my fault. I can't say FB is responsible for my action. I have a weakness that it is exploiting. I have to be responsible enough to say stop.

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  3. I absolutely understand, Dixie. A few years ago, I cut back to a very small handful of family members -- and that was just so that I could see the photos they posted. Last year I expanded that list because I created a private FB page for extended family, where we post pictures from when our parents, and even grandparents, were kids. And I'll admit, I do have a couple of non-family friends now.. but even so, I think I'm still at less than two dozen 'friends'. It's a tough decision to shut FB off entirely... good luck.

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    1. I think people like me have a harder time because we are basically alone. There are not extended family members nearby, nothing to keep me occupied. With Sarah gone for the summer, I'll have even more empty time. I need a break from her but I don't need to substitute FB to fill it up.

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  4. I deactivated mine once for a while. I didn't really miss it. You need to do what works bests for you.

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  5. I agree that you have to do what works best for you. Right now I am enjoying FB but I agree it can eat away chunks of time if you aren't very careful. I mainly use it to see photos that the children post but I see them all regularly in real life too.

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  6. I have to look for your g+ group. I LOVE g+.

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