POLL: Could you get by without using any Facebook products?
Abadesi
52 replies
I noticed that #DeleteFacebook is trending on Twitter today and it made me curious about how us makers rely on their products.
While I don't use Facebook anywhere near as much as I did about 12-13 years ago in my college days, I rely on WhatsApp and Messenger to stay in touch with friends and family. Instagram is also the main marketing channel for my side hustle.
I could not get by without using any Facebook products. Could you?
Replies
Dan Edwards@de
Product Hunt
I could get by, in that life would still go on without them. But I rely on them so much (in particular WhatsApp and Instagram) that I voted no. It would take a while for another product to replace either of them for me.
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I would love to ditch FB, but I run a business that sort of relies on the FB business page. Without my personal account, I wouldn't be able to run the business page :(
WhatsApp would be the hardest one to drop but I would love it. Also since so many people use it I keep my accounts to be able to test my products against them. So I could get by just fine but I'm still reluctantly on board.
@ekurutepe I agree out of all of them I use WhatsApp the most. I have friends who aren't on FB or Messenger.
@ekurutepe I'm seriously waiting for a strong competitor for Whatsapp to show up! Don't like the monopoly.
@swapnesh_patra1 I wouldn't hold my breath. Any competitor needs to be 10x better to have any chance. The network effects are very strong: you wouldn't use another messenger if all your friends are on WhatsApp.
@ekurutepe Couldn't agree more. But would love to witness it happening
@ekurutepe @swapnesh_patra1 It's all about network effects so, 10x may be just not enough. Most of my network, for example, is on Telegram and so am I. I literally keep WhatsApp installed because of a single group I want to follow. Telegram as an app is quite great, better than whatsap but far from 10x..
Personally would be easier but professionally I feel would be really limiting growth. If your audience is on instagram or facebook, you're giving up potential followers/users/spokespeople for your brand—especially if you're just starting out.
I haven't figured out how to maintain regular communication with many friends and family members outside of Facebook. Expecting them to add another app that doesn't include their extended networks is problematic.
Open to suggestions! Keep in mind these people range up to age 96.
Product Hunt
I use Facebook Events (for organizing) and Messenger. But, I can survive without Facebook.
Unrevealed
I open Instagram once in a while but could really do without.
I only use Facebook for events. I deleted my Facebook account in February, but had to create it again in July because I was organizing a party. I was also feeling out of the loop when I was not aware of events happening in my groups of friends. The problem is almost all of them rely on Facebook to create or keep track of events. I got addicted to Twitter and Reddit during that time, so I'm not really sure of the benefits it had 😅
I use almost exclusively Whatsapp to communicate with my friends and family, so it would be pretty hard to drop.
That said, there is only one Facebook product that I absolutely couldn't live without, and it's React 😄
@thomgroutars I rely on WhatsApp for friends and family, too. It's really convenient for an international community.
I know what you mean about getting left out. Most people use FB exclusively for organising events and if you're not on it you don't get invited.
Product Hunt
Like so many others in this thread, I use WhatsApp everyday to connect with family and friends. I know there are alternatives but it's just so easy and where everyone already is. Would 100% miss it if I had to go without.
Unfortunately, fb is good for bringing site traffic since so many people still use it. I mostly only use fb groups & my page nowadays anyway. Most of my creative community hangs out on Instagram so it'd be quite difficult to leave it behind.
@mellowbeing would you be open to an alternative ? I'm actually going to work on an instagram with chronological order and just simple how it used to be.
Prototypr
I deleted fb and made a new one which has no friends to manage product pages. Still use whatsapp 😭
Lazy
I really don't think that I could get by without it with how linked it is to social life at Uni. In moving to uni, I was surprised how ubiquitous Facebook is used here, for event planning, societies and even in organizing some course events.
While I use Instagram and Whatsapp everyday, I'm sure I could find alternatives to Whatsapp in that I already prefer using IMessage for it's UI and being able to use it on my Mac is amazing. Although for DMs and getting live info from people I follow in the way of stories, I really would struggle to lose Instagram as there isn't any reasonable alternative I can think of, which comes close to the community and features Instagram offers.
DotConfig
Yup. I already do. WhatsApp was the hardest since a lot of my friends use it. But I still deleted it and haven't looked back since. If I ever go back it'll only be WhatsApp.
For all people who are not from the US - maybe we also could ask (In case that what happend in Venezuela with Adobe could happen in every country and with every (cloud) software from the US): Could we get by without using US (cloud) software in general?
Robot Recipes
I don't use Facebook but I do use WhatsApp daily
Whatsapp is just another messenger tool... Normal iMessaging for people. Here in the US that's not a problem
Just as there wasn't a lot of people on Whatsapp, let's transition of it. Don't really use messenger.
Instagram is just an influencer and ad show.. so while I also promote my startup on there. I'm sure I'll be better off with it anyways
So let's all #deleteFacebook
Remotelist
@edisonjoao6871 Don't forget that FB inflate views on IG and FBWatch so you are also paying for fake views. :/
I involuntary supposed to use FB at least for business, it become a global address book where you can find or search about any thing. But, I do believe it was the same thing 15 years ago when MySpace was the industry manipulator and now no one remember it.
Product Hunt
I've tried to use Signal & Telegram to replace WhatsApp as my primary communication tool but everyone I talk to is on WhatsApp so for now Facebook is a given in my life.
@lanre_akinyemi remember at one point not everyone was on Whatsapp
@lanre_akinyemi I tried Telegram, too but no one in my close circle was using it.
@lanre_akinyemi @abadesi as the innovator of your close circle gotta get them on it
@lanre_akinyemi @abadesi You can change friends ;) jk
I hated using Whatsapp for work..switched to Rivers IM, many people hate whatsapp for many reasons, for me I don't want to get my work on whatsapp..mixing up with my personal stuff facebook i use seldom ..go there in around a week or 10 days may be and insta...well i use it to consume content but the uses is low..like once in 2 months may be..so i think I can definitely get-by just fine..though will definitely miss them..