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Hereward Fenton

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How Facebook is exterminating communities

15 March 2012
0 Comments

By Hereward Fenton

Categories: [ Crony Capitalism, Facebook ]

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been struggling (unsuccesfully) to get the new facebook timeline features to work in a reasonable way which suit the needs of this website, and I just want to let you all know that I've had enough!

I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more!

I've come to the conclusion that the Facebook ruling elite have decided to quietly exterminate their community pages, by forcing everyone (including fan pages and groups) over to the new publishing format which gives THEM more control and YOU less control.

Of course, this is sugar coated as such draconian changes always are, with superficially "nice" features such as a wider tab and a few token settings which give you the illusion of control.

But here is the bitter pill: as an admin of the TNRA page I can no longer control what users see - this is now managed by Facebook. THEY now decide is appropriate for each of us to see, based on our friends, our "likes" and our previous browsing choices.

They call this "personalizing" our user experience.

Don't be fooled! In reality they are CONTROLLING our user experience, under the cover of tailoring our view to a vacuous commercial construct of "personal preference".

Hyper "personalization", which facebook is forcing on us, is anathema to the very essence of community, which is about shared experience. It is more in keeping with modern consumer marketing practices, which use all kinds of psychologically manipulative tactics to get people to become attached to a BRAND.

Indeed, personalization is a great way of DESTROYING communities because it forces everyone into a scenario where all interactions are mediated by "Nanny Facebook", who "personalizes" what we see based on an involuntary algorithm which determines what is best for each of us.

Folks, it is time to LEAVE Facebook!

Comments

Please review the Terms of Service before reading or responding to comments.

Good move!

@Indrid Cold. The entire net is a communication system, people communicated on the net well before fb was invented. There are web based chat rooms and forums, CMS (Content management systems) email, email list servers (For large group email), IRC (Internet Relay Chat), Voice over IP (Phone calls), instant messenger clients, FTP (For exchanging small files), Bittorrent (For exchanging large files and videos), Usenet (A news wire system) and RSS (Web based news feeds) and many many more.  A lot of these do a better job than facebook, they are just are not as trendy and fashionable (Or centrally controlled by the powers that be)

By Mike on 2012 03 15 - 10:29:01

start a blog and forum Hereward?
Of course they’re employing consumer marketing tactics, FB is a brand and they get their money from advertisers and controlling to where users are directed, when and how and for how long just like TV ads. It’s not a service we pay for so we have no control, they do. I don’t like it either but for now it’s a great networking and communication tool for all the causes one is interested in following under one umbrella.  Sure I survived without it before but it’s mighty convenient now and I get to see what my family overseas are up to. I still think of leaving FB but for the moment I’m not ready yet. I do empathise fully with what you say though Hereward. It’s maddening and I hate feeling controlled.

By Tania Cummings on 2012 03 15 - 16:10:25

“Diaspora” is an open source distributed alternative to facebook

https://joindiaspora.com/

The project is only in Alpha stage and I’m not sure how it will progress now that one of the four founders appears to have been suicided.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/11/16/ilya-zhitomirskiy-diaspora-suicide-speculation-depression-stress-anxiety/

Hopefully it will be supported by the open source community.

By Mike on 2012 03 15 - 17:48:56

hereward, insightful article. might I suggest you investigate http://www.paltalk.com It’s a chat program and so much more. I’d love to be playing your stuff with 140 people commenting in text, real time. go to social issues category and look around. Lots of politics here.

By ononotagain on 2012 03 15 - 18:08:45

id click the like button on this post if this post wasnt so hypocritical and if i had a facebook account.

find us on facebook… log in via facebook.. 
lol

it was never time to join facebook. or twitter

By offmyfacebook on 2012 03 16 - 16:22:24

I think the usage of the term “hypocritical” is inappropriate in this case. I’ve spent years building this site, work that has gone completely unpaid. My goal is to reach people, and to do so you have to go where the people go, to find them.

This is obvious.

Anyone who actually runs a website knows that you can’t afford to ignore facebook. It’s just too big. Know-it-all critics like the above are, in fact, ignorant.

I have been forced to use facebook, just like every other webmaster in the world, because it is so dominant. Now I am calling on us all to leave.

I will be working on alternatives to FB for social networking on this site. Then, in due course, the FB features will be switched off. Cutting off suddenly would be utterly stupid, and I think most people can see that.

By Hereward Fenton on 2012 03 18 - 15:36:09

know it all critic? i was just pointing out your hypocrisy.
look up the definition of hypocrisy.. argument over.
call me ignorant if you like, but i know what hypocrisy means.

are you so insecure you can not graciously accept even the slightest constructive criticism? I know full well the power of facebook, and the benefits it provides as far as promotion of websites goes.

you dont even have the courage of your convictions to stand by your comments. Youve changed your original response to my first comment, and then deleted my subsequent reply to you. thats pretty shameless behaviour. not only are you a hypocrite, but youre a deceptive gutless coward as well.

By 0ffmyfacebook on 2012 03 18 - 16:43:26

“you dont even have the courage of your convictions to stand by your comments. Youve changed your original response to my first comment,and then deleted my subsequent reply to you”

This a perfect demonstration of why the use of facebook should never be encouraged. The true (root) administrator for a site will always have the absolute power to do whatever they wish, you can’t beat admin on their own site! However, while there is still diversity, you can take your argument elsewhere…facebook is about destroying diversity on the Internet. Let’s face it, If you can’t win without using facebook, then you can’t win!

(PS. There is one possible way to turn facebook against its own masters - and that is to hack into it. But you need to be prepared to face life in prison if that is your plan)

By Mike on 2012 03 18 - 17:28:30

0ffmyfacebook - you have now qualified as a TROLL in my definition. Any further troll outbursts will simply result in your posts being deleted and your IP address blocked. I’m not interested in this kind of childish crap.

Getting up on your high horse and lecturing to a web administrator is guaranteed to get you banned from just about any forum on the internet. I suggest you try building a website sometime, it might help you lose some of that arrogant know-it-all tone.

 

By Hereward Fenton on 2012 03 18 - 18:22:46

spare me your faux outrage hereward.. youve already blocked me, i had to post my last comment through a proxy.

another deception.. nice one mate.

lecturing a web administrator? troll outburst? fairgo , ( Ive been an admin on a website for ten years mate )  all i did was point out the truth, as invited by you via the fact that you have a comment box here.. not my fault youre so precious and cant handle it. my point still stands. advocating to everyone to get rid of their facebook accounts, while you refuse to do so, is hypocrisy. theres nothing troll like in pointing that out, or high-horsiness about it… its not even ignorant. its simply a statement of fact.

bit hard to just delete my comments without confirming your subversion of the truth when others include bits of my post in their comments isnt it. how about you restore my deleted comment and let your web followers determine for themselves if im a troll or not?

get over it/.

By 0ffmyfacebook on 2012 03 18 - 18:45:13

Hilarious, you are the classic textbook definition of a troll. You start off by picking a fight & now you’re using a PROXY to bypass the block I put on your IP, while continuting to issue orders on how I should run my site and moderate comments. What a joke.

Your previous comment was deleted because it was abusive. However, since you’ve decided to play more troll games and use a proxy I think I’ll just give you enough rope to hang yourself.

You’re NOT WANTED here.

By Hereward Fenton on 2012 03 18 - 19:24:23

why am i not wanted? because you dont like it when youre wrong? <3 oh dear.
i wasnt picking a fight. i was making a comment. a fairly innocuous comment in my opinion, simply stating that in my opinion, advocating that people leave facebook, while you refuse to, is hypocrisy.

if i said hitting people was bad.. and then punched you in the nose.. that would be ( funny and.. ) hypocritical of me.. get it?

and yes, of course i used a proxy. because you blocked me after you deleted my comment, ( so when you were threatening to block me.. i was already blocked, as you well know. ) after you changed your initial response and deleted my comment.. onya mate, class act!


ive not been aggressive or abusive. thats a flat out lie. what i did say in the comment you deleted, was that by simply having a facebook like button on your site, simply by landing here, facebook now has a record of my visit, and that you should think of your users, - actually i said think of me. im selfish like that.

ya know.. i agree with most everything you say on this site, and have helped promote it elsewhere, and have defended what you have said elsewhere.. but ive sure seen another side of you today. a petty child who cant stand to be criticised. will make me think about how i promote you in future. i wasnt being aggressive, or abusive.. simply saying that i thought the post ridiculous. if indeed you do believe facebook to be as evil as you say, then by continuing to use them, is hypocritical.

if i said you could benefit by losing a few pounds, is that a lie? is it wrong? or is it simply a tactless statement of fact?

look up the definition of hypocrisy, and tell me what im saying is wrong. if youd like to restore my comments, and your original response, that sure would go a long way to me hanging myself yes? what are you afraid of? if im such a troll, let the folks see what a bastard i am!

where did i issue orders? suggesting you restore the unwarranted deletion of my comments and for you to stop lying… come on..  are you serious? im not telling you how to run your site… however, youre the one who seems to think its ok to outright lie and deceive on a site called TRUTHnews… 

a suggestion hereward.. if youre so right, and im so wrong, restore all comments to their original state..

let your readers see what a troll i am.

post the truth hereward. 

By orfmefacebook on 2012 03 18 - 20:02:43

I think you two blokes have a lot in common: you are both concerned about personal freedom and the truth. In view of this I think orfme makes a fair point about facebook.You should resolve this matter truthfully and publicly. It would only add to the respect people have for you both…

Best wishes
Al

By alex on 2012 07 28 - 03:05:48

6 months on…and hereward still cant get off facebook himself.. i think its time to admit the undeniable hypocrisy…

or that he made a mistake. balls enough?

By 0ffmyfacebook on 2012 09 30 - 12:48:47

Welcome to Hotel facebook, you can log out out any time you like, but you can never leave.

By Mike on 2012 09 30 - 13:06:25

Well well seems TNRA like truth as long as it’s their approved version.  Yet again TNRA block and ban instead of engaging their audience.  Yet again Hereward advocates a course of action he is not able to take himself. This site reminds of that famous Shakespear quote.  Water, water everywhere not any drop to drink.  And as I know you will block me as Troll like you have when wanting to debate previously I wont need to come back via a proxy. I only wish to advise that each time you try and stop an infection of truth by blocking and banning you cause this mind virus to spread further than you can possibly know.

By Winston Smith on 2012 10 02 - 09:41:01

Listen Live

Recent Comments

RECLAIM AUSTRALIA IS DOOMED

Although I agree with many of their ideas, the forces reigned against RAM are too great, violent, statist and reactionary for them to remain a non-political, broad based, multi-ethnic, community protest group for much longer. The Left and their Antifa nihilist fellow travelers are already pushing them towards the extreme Right, by calling them racists and Islamophobes and so on. Whilst the extreme Right have aligned themselves with RAM. With fascists of the Left and Right pressuring them they will not be able to remain beyond the Left-Right divide and will inevitably move to the Right - the extreme Right. Which is already happening. A development which will alienate decent Australians of all ethnic backgrounds many of whom currently support them. 

The RAM leadership have already established open alliances with the Patriotic Front (the ape in the photograph is a Patriot Front supporter at a recent Richmond demonstration) Australia First and Golden Dawn, a Greek neo-Nazi party. Members of these collectivist groups are currently attending RAM demonstrations all over Australia.

There is a real need in Australia to establish a political movement beyond the Left-Right divide and their vested interests, a movement that questions the current direction Australia is heading i.e. the direction the Left/Right and their extremes would like to take it; that questions the efficacy of state sponsored multiculturalism, as opposed to a proper, non-discriminatory immigration policy; that questions the validity of political correctness; that is politically neutral, anti-war and pro environment; that is opposed to all collectivists ideologies (fascisms of the Left and Right); that would dismantle the power pyramids of corporations and banks and their ability to impact on government; that would dissolve all anti-terror laws and all laws that impose on the rights and freedom of the individual and the people.   

(The ape in the photograph is a Patriot Front supporter at a recent Richmond demonstration)

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/reclaim-australia-rally-set-for-sydney-on-sunday-20150718-gifb9s.html

http://australiafirstparty.net/news/reclaiming-australia-queensland-senate-campaign/

By Eugene Donnini on 2015 07 26 - 15:36:56
From the entry 'Dylann Roof: soldier in a new race war or just a pawn in the game?'.

Hello there I am so thrilled I found your web site, I really found you by error, while I was searching on Digg for something else, Anyways I am here now and would just like to say thanks for a incredible post and a all round thrilling blog (I also love the theme/design), I don韙 have time to go through it all at the minute but I have bookmarked it and also included your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a lot more, Please do keep up the great work.

By Prova a Adidas Neutro Originals Nizza Nero Giallo on 2015 07 20 - 08:41:30
From the entry 'Statism, the greater good and the big lie'.

I second Keith’s assertion that Mike Holt from Restore Australia is very much a fake.  He bangs on about Halaal being a scam and money maker for Islam (and no I don’t support Halaal whatsoever), but makes excuses for its counterpart Kosher as being a somehow legitimate.  Double standards?  When I confronted him about this fact he went off on a convoluted tirade about Israel being some sort of “Bastion of Democracy” in the middle east…Really!, I will leave that one up to the readers to decide on.  I found that MH came across as disingenuous to say the least.

By Citizen Scorn on 2015 07 19 - 07:33:43
From the entry 'Restore Australia!'.

Without doubt, TNR is one of the best, if not the best alternative news source on the net. Which doesn’t mean Herewood is always right. His job, I believe, is to present the facts as he sees them as an objectively as possible, without fear or favor.  For this, he has my respect and support. But I believe he needs to be careful and to think a little deeper about the problems of “racism,” in Australia. He has labelled the Reclaim Australia Movement as racist. I’m wondering if his objectivity is a little weak on this point, a little without foundation.

Of course all political movements have its fringe groups and individuals. We make a distinction between, for example, a Muslim and a fundamentalist Muslim (Islamist), and by so doing we don’t claim that all Muslims are blood thirsty fanatics. If its good for the Muslims, then its good for RAM, which is bound to attract a few lunatics and real racists. But to brand the entire movement as “racist” is wrong; it is the same ploy that is used by the mainstream media and its left-wing, establishment Marxist boot boys.

One of the first things I noticed when i attended a RAM rally recently were the amount of non-white people in attendance, including Aboriginals. In fact the main banner of RAM contains an Australian flag and an Aboriginal flag. Speakers at their rallies have included Jews, Arabs, Indians, Aboriginals, Chinese and so on. What does this tell you? Is this really a fascist-Nazi-racist movement whose stated aim are the eradication and exclusion of other cultures, in place of some sort of Aussie white Reich, or is this just propaganda that is being propagated by the left for their own political interests. Consequently, we all know where the culmination of their politics have led, historically speaking, which are to the imposition of terror and dictatorships.

We can be thankful for small mercies, in terms of the Left, which today mostly tends to attract collectivists, establishmentarians and the privileged sons and daughters of the upper bourgeoisie, who seems to share one thing in common, nativity….

By Eugene on 2015 07 18 - 16:03:54
From the entry 'Dylann Roof: soldier in a new race war or just a pawn in the game?'.

Mike Holt from Restore Australia is very much a fake.  He hasn’t even been citizen for but a few years.  But, he makes out like he was born there.  ALSO - this guy spent 30 years in Thailand working shady businesses.  I would wager that his primary purpose in being an activist is that he wants to make money off selling merchandise.

By Keith on 2015 07 17 - 20:51:15
From the entry 'Restore Australia!'.

good to see you putting out some new shows heraward

freely the banana girl is to a certain extent a troll, as is her boyfriend durian rider. they have been trolling the fitness community on youtube for some time… and yes they are extreme but they are also trolls. They use their trolling to spread their message. currently, another dude called vegangains is trolling the fitness community as well.

i am a vegetarian, and it was seeing this documentary on the pork industry that started me on the vegetarian path. for anyone interested, its pretty off the charts disturbing and its australian as well. its pretty much made by dudes breaking into pork farms and filming what they find

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KArL5YjaL5U

Would the world be better if people cared where their food came from? probably, they might then care about other things too

do you become a better person if you dont eat meat? i feel like a better person mainly because animals aren’t being hurt because of me. i dont feel humans have to eat meat really… or at least not much. How can you watch that documentary on pork, know that that is pretty much whats going on and turn a blind eye to it? I think its basic empathy and just saying well ‘i like bacon so yeah’ is in my opinion wrong and i can see freleys point of view to an extent. In my opinion, at least these people believe in something. i see my money as my vote, henceforth im ethical as to what i do with it. free range eggs became mainstream for exactly this reason… although im pretty sure woolies and coles lobbied the state to change the definition of the word ‘free range’ at some point. I dont eat beef because the amount of resources that go into growing a cow are pretty crazy. Think about how much grass that cow needs to eat before it is harvested and how much space it requires. think of how many vegies you could grow in the same space with the same amount of water. lamb? comon, think about what your doing here… but that being said i think most vegans are total loons. People like freeley should be advocating for the destruction of lions and tigers, as lions and tigers murder other animals in truly horrific style. if we humans are smart enough to not harm animals, then we should be stopping the animals that harm other animals from existing. Freeley also kills birds when she flies in aeroplanes so she is a hypocrite.

feminism is one of the biggest problems in society today and although there is some valid historical basis to it, the liberation of the human female from their biology is in my opinion largely a product of the technological advance of humans. sufferagettes where never machine gunned on the streets, unlike the men that where drafted and sent off to war to die just a few years earlier. as technology has advanced, women have advanced as well, however now its going way too far and is pretty blatantly anti male in many respects. i view feminism in its modern context as a tool of the social marxists that really isnt doing society a great deal of good at this time. its screwing up gender dynamics and is wrecking women and men for each other. i see it as low frequency, lowest common denominator idiocy, just like a lot of the the race baiting ‘is this racist’ stuff getting around that is being perpetuated pretty much as a distraction, divide and conquer strategy by the power elite. idiots love this kind of bicker and beef… it would be funny if it wasn’t so serious

anyway

I agree with steven friar. gods a maniac

good show… keep making them

By r0Kb3B0p on 2015 07 14 - 21:05:32
From the entry 'Addictions, obsessions, fanaticisms and distractions'.

Really truthfull.

By OZE on 2015 07 07 - 16:56:36
From the entry 'Defending your personal health choices'.

Yeah sure authority aware.

By OZE on 2015 07 07 - 16:28:55
From the entry 'What is the future of Australia?'.

Stay tuned for more rules here as usually is the case!!!

By OZE on 2015 07 07 - 16:21:50
From the entry 'Mass media disinformation and brainwashing dissected'.

Almost two months since the last broadcast! How the hell can you expect people to donate when you don’t broadcast? Looks like the ship of truth has sprung a leak. This broadcast has been part of my life almost since its inception…it is one of the few alternative news sources that hasn’t gone off the deep end, by dilution credible information with crap e.g. Fairdinkum Radio and Info Wars…Pittard started FR with some incredibly interesting material, but then he flipped…Today he sounds like a fundamentalist preacher, the Christian equivalent to a Fanatical Islamist. As an atheist, I think he’s really ###### up a potentially good show. As for Info Wars, all they would have to do to improve is dump Alex Jones, what a shit-for-brains. I reckon Jones and Pittard are allowed to proliferate, because they’re so stupid and harmless. I suppose they have some entertainment value, and along with David Icke are living examples of how low the alternative media has sunk. Truth News Radio is, or should I say was, way ahead of them all ahead of them all in terms of credibility How sad that its come to this.

By Eugene on 2015 06 28 - 17:28:56
From the entry 'Introducing Internet.org: Mark Zuckerberg's free 'private' internet which will soon be rolled out to 4 billion+ people'.

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