How to Keep Facebook Out Of Your Face - Comments Page 1

Facebook's inescapable ads in my timeline, in status updates from my friends and just everywhere I seemed to go are what caused me to finally deactivate my account. Well, that and the algorithm that decided for me what was important for me to see. In the end, Facebook made too many decisions for me that I didn't like so goodbye Facebook. I think eventually all social media will force us to weigh our need for privacy against our need to be constantly connected...

Seeing that after opening a Facebook account and later trying to cancel it/wipe it clean, is not possible, it makes perfect sense that they would eventually get around to selling your information.

Like other forms of media, the internet is being dominated by the ad agencies and I believe that the "social media" sites will sell out their users for the almighty dollar.

Best way to keep Facebook out of your face....don't use it.

I am NOT on Facebook, nor will I ever be on Facebook. I do notice that almost EVERYTHING has a Facebook account. How much does Facebook charge companies to participate in their social media blitz? Of course they sell your information. How else could Mark Zuckerberg be a billionaire? Facebook for me, no thanks. Who cares how many bags of chips I bought?

What ads, Bob? I don't see ads on FB or any of the Web sites I visit.

I didn't realize this was such an issue until someone I know complained about all the ads she sees when she goes to any Web site, to include those annoying pop ups which I cannot stand the most. So I did a e-page print and sent it to her to show what my FB page looks like without ads. One simple program: Adblock Plus (free).

There is no FREE LUNCH, and Facebook is not a charity organization. When I use Facebook, I accept the fact that some of my personal information would be used, and I exercise due diligence whichever way I can that information I deem private would not be accidentally snooped by Facebook or the US government. As far as ads go, their placement is not particularly intrusive, as opposed to other sites like Google, Pinterest or Tumblr, or TV and radio, for that matter. In fact, I have obtained some good bargains every now and then using those ads. I know it's for me to decide for myself whether I want to look at those ads at any particular time, so I am not really that bothered by their presence.

Or, you could continue not having a Facebook account (assuming you haven't got one already).

I don't use Facebook or any other social media site for the very reason of lack of privacy.

During the past two weeks Yahoo has forced me to accept 'Sign up for Yahoo' in single line ads across my Yahoo Mail Inbox, Sent, Spam, Trash and
Correspond pages. Another ad is for Anti-Aging Skin Care Creams. On checking how to remove them I find Yahoo wants me to pay an annual fee of $50 which seems to me the first blackmail attempt to make me pay for their Email services by the back door.

I have always valued Yahoo for their generous free email service but am now on the verge of following the others who complain about them. The
latest version has made the retrieval of sent and received messages so so complicated that this aspect is reason alone to day goodbye.

And, of course, to hate Facebook even more!!!!!!

Second Dianne's comment: best way to keep Facebook out of your face is don't join it. Never joined and and never will. With the exception of its use in Tunesia and other countries fighting for democracy several years ago, I can't think of a positive aspect of Facebook. Every time it's in the news, it's because some bozo got drunk at an office party or even worse. If you think of Facebook as a fea-infested, stinking outhouse, you'll learn to avoid it like the plague.

@ Dianne: Best way to keep Facebook out of your face....don't use it. @ Michael Brose: I am NOT on Facebook, nor will I ever be on Facebook. I do notice that almost EVERYTHING has a Facebook account. How much does Facebook charge companies to participate in their social media blitz? Of course they sell your information. How else could Mark Zuckerberg be a billionaire? Facebook for me, no thanks. Who cares how many bags of chips I bought?

I agree with both of you. The internet has too much information on you already. Why add to it?

Targeted ads is not as bad as having "people you may know" appear three or four times in my timeline. I am still trying to figure out how to eliminate it (or eliminate those people who I DON'T know or am not interested in having as friends).

Junk web site, just like Google it is all about money and spying on people. Have never and will never use or connect to either one. Thank you for a good article.

I don't have any problem with so-called targetted ads. I'd much rather get ads that are relevant to me than ads for dating sites, refinance your mortgage, or credit card offers.

I don't understand why people get so upset about ads, cookies, and the like. The profiles that are compiled for online advertising purposes are not personally identifying you. The ad serving companies know (for example) that they are targetting a person who has been shopping for a car. They don't know it's John Doe at 123 Main St, nor do they know John Doe phone number or email address.

That probably explains why I've been getting all those ads offering to sell me teenage goats.

I enjoy using Facebook and don't find the ads intrusive. It sounds like a nuisance to go through some opt-out procedure, only to find that it doesn't completely solve the problem. And then what? I get ads for mens deodorant instead of lingerie. What problem is really solved?

I looked at the participating companies on the Digital Advertising Alliance page, and none of them are names that I recognize. How would I decide which ones (if any) to block?

The DAA page says: "These opt outs apply to interest-based advertising by participating companies. You will still receive other types of online advertising from participating companies, and the Web sites you visit may still collect information for other purposes." Oh well...

Doesn't targetted advertising technology make it less expensive for adverstisers to reach the audience most likely to be interested? If so, then it should ultimately lower costs for consumers.