In my experience, almost all the value of Facebook (like >99%) flows from Facebook groups & Facebook messenger (edit: also Facebook event invites, occasionally). Blocking the newsfeed helps me focus on the parts of Facebook that actually add value.
(More conspiratorially, the newsfeed is where Facebook deploys a lot of its mind-hacking techniques, and I really don’t like the notion of having my mind / attention hacked. This is basically an aesthetic preference.)
Also, Twitter does a much better job at the “newsfeed” thing, and Twitter’s feed is much easier to curate & generally less mind-hacky.
As a data point, I disagree with almost all of the above (agree that Facebook is mind-hacky, but don’t care). Therefore I’m not planning to block my newsfeed.
I think everything is mind-hacky. Facebook doesn’t seem better at it than my primary school curriculum or social group. I know it’s for corporate interests, but everyone tries to influence you for their own interests. I don’t really see how this is special—I think as long as I’m benefiting and Facebook is benefiting, it’s no one else’s business.
In my experience, almost all the value of Facebook (like >99%) flows from Facebook groups & Facebook messenger (edit: also Facebook event invites, occasionally). Blocking the newsfeed helps me focus on the parts of Facebook that actually add value.
(More conspiratorially, the newsfeed is where Facebook deploys a lot of its mind-hacking techniques, and I really don’t like the notion of having my mind / attention hacked. This is basically an aesthetic preference.)
Also, Twitter does a much better job at the “newsfeed” thing, and Twitter’s feed is much easier to curate & generally less mind-hacky.
As a data point, I disagree with almost all of the above (agree that Facebook is mind-hacky, but don’t care). Therefore I’m not planning to block my newsfeed.
Interesting. Why don’t you care that Facebook is mind-hacky?
I think everything is mind-hacky. Facebook doesn’t seem better at it than my primary school curriculum or social group. I know it’s for corporate interests, but everyone tries to influence you for their own interests. I don’t really see how this is special—I think as long as I’m benefiting and Facebook is benefiting, it’s no one else’s business.