When I heard Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of Facebook, say the tech sector needed more ‘masculine energy’ I laughed out loud because I must have blinked and missed that time when it had feminine energy. Facebook recently announced the intention to remove third party fact checking and to change guidelines that will allow slurs to vulnerable groups. Lord above, it’s enough to make one spew.

Facebook has morphed into a specialized advertising forum. Admittedly, I enjoy scrolling through the ads. Those algorithms sometimes hit the mark and direct me to a new product I previously didn’t know existed, or that I needed. In between all those ads and bits of news, I like seeing posts from friends. I don’t ever want to see a post that implies LGBTQ sexual orientation is linked to mental illness, or that a polio vaccine is a bad idea.

My contribution to Mark Zuckerberg’s wealth would not amount to a drop in the proverbial bucket. His wealth was made through massive participation on a global level. Zuckerberg has acknowledged that he may lose some users who choose to ‘virtue signal’, as he called it. He didn’t seem to care. Should I choose to signal my virtue, it will have more to do with how I feel supporting his business than whether or not he gets my message.

Facebook was built one account at a time. The reverse could be true. Most of us have invested time and energy into building our online communities. A lot of history, memories and photos are there; some of you are reading this post on Facebook. That’s why it feels complicated, and frankly, disappointing.

Alternatives to the big social media companies are being developed with decentralized platforms that don’t rely on data mining and advertising. So far, the most successful of these is Bluesky, an alternative to X, formerly Twitter. Bluesky was built using AT Protocol, (Wikipedia explainer here), which gives users ownership of their data, their connections, and more control over feeds and algorithms. So far, I’ve had a positive experience as a Bluesky user and I intend to keep that account.

From its public launch in February of 2024, Bluesky has grown to over 20 million users. Many accounts introduce themselves as X-Twitter refugees. It would behoove Facebook to pay heed.

Please comment, I’d love to hear opinions on this.

Keep your joy.

Anne Milne is an every Sunday blogger, unless it’s a holiday weekend. Or summertime. 

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