"Others Can"

I wanted this to be mostly funny in its absurdity. However, somehow the humor seems to be mostly lost. Perhaps South Park did a better job at poking fun at Facebook extremes, in the episode, “You Have 0 Facebook Friends” so I included the video below.
“Other’s Can but I cannot” is a concept I learned in recovery. It is about knowing and admitting ones own limitations. Applying this concept to Facebook, I realize other’s undoubtedly can enjoy Facebook in moderation and have a good time without it affecting their lives in a negative way. Other’s can but I cannot...
When I first began using Facebook, it made me feel physically ill trying to figure out what is with “poking” people or why anyone would pay real money for little tiny pictures of things to post on other’s walls (or whatever that thing use to be called). Of course I did enjoy being able to reconnect with people I had lost touch, yet I was never very comfortable with the platform because of my general distain about being directly targeted by advertisers. Of course, I already made that clear in my Name Change note. (see below)
Almost all my sentiments have probably been voiced better elsewhere by others. (Examples-see Links below)

Facebook Friends, until or unless we meet again, I bid adieu.
à dieu vous commant ,
"I commend you to God."
--ME--

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"Videos"
Download Full video —You Have Zero Facebook Friends   

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  THE NAME CHANGE
[Excerpt-Originally written July 2011]

...if I am branching out, I am under the impression that it does not matter what my real name is. (Not for social reasons) That only connects me to governments and legal “transactions” of my past...It does not really tell who I am. It is just a matter of probabilities.

Just for the record,- I am not very comfortable with Facebook in general. I may well be somewhat paranoid, a bit pessimistic and to some extent lack general understanding regarding the social phenomena. I originally thought I would be more then pleased to have “weird, random” people from my past contact me. However, what I don’t really understand is the prevalent occurrence of people sending Facebook “friend requests” yet seeming to have no desire to communicate directly. I have even sent little notes saying, “hey, thanks for the friend request, nice to see you again,” and they never respond. I simply do not get it. It seems not to be designed or intended to in fact “connect” as much as merely an avenue to send out random snippets of periodic thought and see if anything comes back.
I use to worry that people never cared about me. I had what were most likely exaggerated feelings that I spent so much more effort to try to stay connected because I was such a caring person deep down inside (despite my a&$#ole persona). With the technology now, it is incredibly fast and easy to “stay connected” over time and distance. Long gone are the days of wanting to write someone a letter but worrying about perhaps not having enough to say. Now it is, “short and sweet” and as often as one likes!” (“Yeah that’s the way we like it!”) I have no misgivings of Facebook being the “cure” to our social woes, however. Sometimes we make something that solves one problem and creates three more. I assume ‘we’ looked to things before and we will look to things after (Facebook). In the meantime, it is simply a tool in whatever capacity. I availed myself to it in the assumption that it may sometimes lead to some fun, insightful or otherwise meaningful interactions.
However, I basically feel that the so-called social purposes of Facebook is only a ruse. As far as the information one puts on their page, I am of the opinion, (or fear it for my own sake), that for the most part the only “people” that really care are the advertisers and the very large companies that make their living collecting a mass amount of information about people. What are they going to do with all this information? Who knows, but they are of the opinion, “We have the technology we might as well do it”. I have put some stringent effort into suppressing both the collection and dissemination of this information (for years before I ever heard of Facebook), yet I know it is a nearly impossible feat unless one completely drops their name and all ties to it. Why should I even be concerned about this in the first place? Someone might say, “they don’t care about the name, it’s just data (facts and figures), they don’t really know or care who you are”. Well I do not care who they are, I do not want them to have it. I am certainly not going to hand them everything on a silver platter thanks to the latest craze in social networking. I do care about my name so it is a shame I would even consider dumping it in my “real life”. My name has served me well for all these years. I may well welcome the notion of someone I trust is good and just, watching over me and recording my thoughts and deeds. That is scary enough to imagine. It is hard to believe anyone welcomes the shadow lurking in the dark to get any information for undisclosed reasons. No matter how mundane this is in reality, I am of the opinion that these companies keeping all these tabs on me truly are not doing me any favors. “Just because I bought something in the past, doesn’t mean I ever want to buy anything similar again.” “If I need something I will look for it, I don’t need you to send me a bunch of crap, or try to convince me I need something I don’t.” “Yes I too am a consumer, but my name means more to me then your product, so don’t talk to me like you know me if we have never met.”

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Original Reply: Facebook "friend" wrote:"I read about half of it and it was mostly a rant then I got board no offense. But I like facebook..." My Response: "thanks for your honest opinion. Perhaps It proves my point though, most people wont ask because most people don’t really care..."

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IS IT REALLY ABOUT SAFTY?
Facebook claims:

We require everyone to provide their real names, so you always know who you're connecting with. This helps keep our community safe.

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LINKS
Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? - The Atlantic.com
Anti-Facebook League of Intelligentsia [archive]
Tod, Why no Facebook? [archive]

Facebook's Eroding Privacy Policy: A Timeline
Beware, Tech Abandoners. People Without Facebook Accounts Are 'Suspicious.'

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If you have comments or insights,
or if you actually appreciate direct communication rather then the round about way that is characteristic of Facebook,
I invite you to Comment below