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Comment by adtac | Hacker News Reader

These days I use facebook just for its messenger. On my computer, I skip facebook.com and go to messenger.com directly. On mobile (I refuse to install their apps), I go to mbasic.facebook.com because Facebook doesn't let me access the messenger tab in the mobile facebook website, nagging me to install their messenger app.

Messenger is a really useful tool to stay connected. Pretty much everyone I know is available there, so using it is a net positive for me. Can't say the same about the news feed itself.

(I know that the article isn't talking about Facebook in particular, but I just thought this is worth sharing.)

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I have actually completely stopped using Facebook main social app at all. I have deleted Facebook app from my mobile phone and logged out of facebook.com website on my MacBook. The only services I still use from FB are Messenger (all my friends are on there) and Instagram (I travel a lot and I post pictures from my travels on IG).

I would say the only part of the FB ecosystem I cannot leave yet is Messenger. I could quit using Instagram more or less easily. But losing access to quickly have a word with my closest friends and family is something I cannot do.

If there was a way to communicate with my best friends and family without having to be a prisoner of some large MNC's ecosystem, I could leave FB completely.

Messenger works better than the default SMS app on my Android phone, so I end up using it instead. The value of using the actual Facebook website does seem to be in serious decline. Either nobody I know is actually using it anymore, or they are filtering the shit out of the newsfeed - I see the same stories for days at a time.

Also, you can export the event and birthday calendar to a different calendar app (https://www.facebook.com/help/152652248136178?helpref=uf_per...).

> Messenger is a really useful tool to stay connected. Pretty much everyone I know is available there, so using it is a net positive for me.

I fully agree. I use messenger more than texting. Peoples phone #'s or email addresses might change but Facebook stays constant. This tool's especially useful on Android, where my iPhone friends are hesitant to text me bc of the dreaded green texts.

Messenger is at least as good as a decent IRC server, with your friends all agreeing to use an IRC client app, instead.

Super weird to see that we're coming full circle; it used to be that you had to install a special app to chat with your friends, same as it ever was today ..

> with your friends all agreeing to use an IRC client app

I can’t imagine what world you live in where this is a realistic options. I couldn’t even persuade my tech friends to do this, let alone my wider friend group who work in different fields.

Its basically a no-brainer to set up an IRC app .. if you can install Messenger, you can easily set up a jabber or IRC client. The hard part is sending the URL to your friends so they can just easily join you, but who needs friends like that? ;)

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