Open question, although a bit difficult. Trying not to say something wild (insults), what is your opinion about Meta (The technology giant)

4 months ago · 👍 bavarianbarbarian, fab, userfxnet

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11 Replies

I used to use mbasic.facebook.com as one of the last WML-derived css + php only sub-domain mobile frontends for the site. That is, until they retired it early last year iirc? After that, I got off it entirely. Strictly on smallnet platforms now, activitypub, gem, shell servers, etc · 4 months ago

Unlike Google which is everywhere and spreads like cancer forcing you to use their formats — avoiding WebP gets very hard nearly impossible; ignoring Facebook is easy — I even manage to avoid WhatsApp, I did have an account, but I think I got off it before the acquisition even. I don't touch their stuff and they don't force it onto me. The only Facebook thing I have in my life, I think, is Zstandard, but… it's indeed a pretty good compression algorithm and it doesn't force me to use their other products 🤷‍ · 4 months ago

I mean, just take a look at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Facebook for the long list of things. Cambridge Analytica was a big one, and most recently, their use of their Meta Pixel SDK to track mobile users on websites by connecting back to their apps on localhost is malware behaviour (see https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/03/meta_pauses_android_tracking_tech/ ). I stay well clear of Meta products and don't allow their use at home. · 4 months ago

You can identify the Europeans in the chat because WA is basically required over here, in some countries the governments even do business over WA, it's unavoidable.

Every comment is negative, but I *do* like the things that Meta wastes its money on. I use the Llama LLM daily, and I feel that Meta has gone a long way in championing the development of LLMs that you can run locally rather than on somebody else's server.

They also wasted a ton of money on VR, which I personally have zero interaction with but I think they pushed the overall industry forward a bit by providing some competition to Valve.

They suck, but sometimes there's accidental good that comes out. · 4 months ago

Guilty, and the sentence is breakup.

(with Judge Dredd voice in my dream, choose Stallone or Urban)

I read Zucked by McNamee long time ago so I was not surprised by Zuck bandwagoning. I'm quite a fan of Aaron Sorkin so I watched and enjoyed The Social Network too. The Onavo issue for example was a serious one, but all roots to the Zuck personality in my mind. · 4 months ago

I haven't used their "service" for over a decade. Never used WA. Meta has no real impact on my life. · 4 months ago

I only tolerate Whatsapp because my family and my future in law family are all living thousands of kilometers away and it would be difficult for me alone to convince ~100 persons switch to something else. · 4 months ago

I need to use WApp but I'd rather not. I do not use their other offerings. Same goes for G**gle... I try to stay away as much as possible. · 4 months ago

I just hate how they monopoliced social interactions.

It's like you can't have new friends without a insta account or chat with anyone without wasap.

Trying to stay out just make you insolated. · 4 months ago

Their servers are in my DNS blocklist. · 4 months ago

well, except WA i do not use their products, WA helps me to stay in contact with people who have not a technical background. · 4 months ago