I decided to permanently delete my Facebook account today because I can see where Meta is headed and I'm heading in a different direction.

I recently closed my Twitter & Instagram accounts, mainly because I was fed up with the data collection and being a product instead of a customer. Twitter was history for me when I received two unsolicited videos in my twitter feed that frankly were so gross they almost made me sick. Here I thought Elon Musk would clean up the platform and stop all of the hate mongering and attacks on our Constitutional rights of free speech, but if anything, the platform has gotten worse since he acquired the company.

I opened my Facebook account way back in 2004 when Facebook first hit the scene. That means I've been with Facebook and at the mercy of Mark Zuckerberg for the last 19 years. I probably couldn't count on both hands and both feet the number of 3rd-party companies that my information has been sold to. I hope Mark enjoys his 30 pieces of silver.

So, today, I close a chapter in my life and take back some modicum of control once again. I will sorely miss seeing my friends on Facebook with whom I truly wish to remain in contact. But, I will continue to stay in touch in other ways and not in a public forum like Facebook (Meta). By this I mean that today I have scheduled the permanent deletion of my Facebook account. The door is closed. There is no turning back.

Stay happy & healthy everyone. I certainly intend to now. 

Dan Calloway
Linux Veteran; Open Source Advocate
Asheville, NC