this post was submitted on 22 Sep 2026
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I stopped using Facebook years ago.
Before there were viable alternatives.
The idea that you need Facebook because there aren't significant alternatives is just not true.
The problem is that this isn't like Microsoft Office > LibreOffice/OnlyOffice/whatever. You're not on Facebook for Facebook, you're on Facebook for the people there. It's why I have a lot of issues getting off of YouTube. I'm not on YouTube because their interface is nice, I'm on YouTube because the people I want to watch don't post shit elsewhere. It's a cycle, to get users we need stuff, and for stuff we need creators, and for creators we need users. When it comes to online platforms we don't need an alternative to YouTube, we need an alternative to Markiplier, which is harder to come up with.
If you can get your friends, and family onto Friendica that would help quite a bit. The problem is that using a new server is hard for the end user (I would know, all of my fediverse presence is on servers I host), and telling someone "Use Friendica" is like telling someone to "Use email". Get a Friendica/Mastodon/Whatever server, and keep it in your back pocket. Give them a link to that server, not to Friendica/Mastodon/Whatever as a whole.
Admittedly I don't know how hard it is to stop using Facebook because I stopped using Facebook right after they took away the chronological timeline, and stopped using Messenger a few years ago. But spending some time to get a timeline together that you can boost will help any new users you recruit. Crucially, to promote viable alternatives, you need to be part of the viable alternatives, otherwise you're just someone telling someone to jump into something new with 0 guidance, which is a good way to have them leave.
Don't know. When YouTube started, there were creators, but no users and no way to monetize. Problem is, we are so used to the high production value on YouTube, where people can (and more often than not hope to) make money, so we don't give the poor production value videos a chance anymore. But we watched that 140p video back then, because there was nothing else and it was interesting.
The viable alternative is nothing.
Because no one gives a shit about you (general you, not specific at BitsAndBites), or about what you say. You use it cause you're addicted to performing for people you dont even talk to or like, because no one can actually maintain hundreds, if not thousands of connections like you collect on facebook, most of whom don't even give a shit about you. its just a mutual masturbation session, only instead of jerking each others dicks off, your jerking eachother off with pointless likes.
All social media is, is a means of generating profit from mental illness, and manufacturing mental illness for profit.
Holy shit send them a text ask them how they're doing, maybe even a phone call. You don't have to choose to give mark zuckerberg a monopoly on your family's stories and memories.
"Let's have tacos tonight." "Nah Im not feeling tacos." "OK let's get Chinese food." "Nah i don't want Chinese food." "..ok.. let's make soup. " "Nah I don't want soup tonight."
This made me thoughtful and laugh at the same time, thank you.
You're right, of course. People prefer centralized platforms, and we "nerds" prefer decentralized ones.
There are no alternatives.
Facebook to Friendica
Twitter/Threads to Mastodon/Euclavd
Instagram to Pixelfed/Vernissage
Tiktok to Loops
YouTube to PeerTube
Anything else?
Edit:
Whatsapp to Signal/Delta Chat/Cwtch/Briar
Reddit to Lemmy/Piefed/Pylova
Reddit to Lemmy / PieFed / PyLova
Facebook marketplace?
Believe it or not, Craigslist
Offer up, but it's kinda same same, just without zuck.
Now do whatsapp, the default messaging platform for the majority of the world.
Signal or threema i got both never used WhatsApp ever. There's also sms, samsung and apple chat which are about as secure as WhatsApp is
Now which of those is available worldwide?
There are parts of the world where you can get online and on Facebook/whatsapp without even having "internet". If you pay for Internet, you get access to other websites as well.
Not one of those but XMPP (once upon a time called Jabber) is available worldwide.
So is Matrix.
How does WhatsApp work without Internet?
Some places you get internet, but you're limited to 3-4 "basic" sites unless you pay for it. Facebook/Whatsapp is often one of those basic sites. Or was.
So there's Wi-Fi or cellular network, but just filtered?
Essentially, yeah. I only experienced it once a while back while travelling in eastern Europe. There was free filtered wifi everywhere. Some of the locals said they had the same thing, but from phone plugs in their walls.
I guess the closest thing I can compare it to would be TV back in the day? You got the dozen or so free channels if you had an antenna, and then you paid for cable if you wanted the good stuff.
No alternative is viable if no one uses it.
The network effect is real, and it's what lets these fascism pushers stay top of mind at all times.