[sasaf5]

> It also told me that it had permanently disabled my Facebook account—an account that I’d had for more than 15 years, and that was my primary way of staying in touch with family and friends around the world.

You don't need Facebook for that. Write down a list of the people you care about and contact them with some frequency, at least on their birthday.

[em-bee]

contact them how? they don't read email (if they even have an address), they are not using any other messenger. and my introvert nature makes phonecalls very uncomfortable. at best i could send SMS, but that is not suitable (and across continents expensive) for real conversations. also none of the alternatives allow me to keep up with what's happening with them because they only post it on facebook. and there is at least one project that is important to me that i can't participate in without a facebook account because it is coordinated only there.

in general, reaching someone through other ways than their preferred channel only works if both sides are willing to do so. very often, especially with non-technical people that is simply not the case.

you can replace facebook with any other tool that is used for messaging, and you will find cases where not being able to access that tool would be a problem.

most of my contacts are only reachable through one specific messaging tool.

the reality is that we can no longer allow any of these companies to control who does and who doesn't get access. getting access must be a right that mustn't be denied to you if you choose to use it. or, better, all major messaging systems should be made interoperable so that you can stay in touch without needing an account there.

[MisterBastahrd]

The actual reality is that you worked yourself into the untenable position of being so hands-off with people that you need a social network to do what a phone can do just as well, and that's because most of the people in everyone's social network are not actually people that we care to stay in touch with on a daily or even monthly basis. You don't need a social network. You choose to use one.

There are people in my facebook feed who I haven't seen in person in over 20 years. It's nice to keep up with them and their lives and families, but if I lost access to facebook tomorrow, it wouldn't change a thing for me. I am friendly with these people but I don't actually know them anymore and am not all that invested in their lives.

[squigz]

> the reality is that we can no longer allow any of these companies to control who does and who doesn't get access. getting access must be a right that mustn't be denied to you if you choose to use it.

A right to an account on web platforms? Okay... does that apply to every single platform, or only those of a certain size? What size? What about people using the platform to spam, harass, or threaten other users?

> or, better, all major messaging systems should be made interoperable so that you can stay in touch without needing an account there.

This is a far more reasonable take, though still not probably viable.

[monkeywork]

So if I build a tool that lets me and 3 of my friends chat privately, I need to give you access because you somehow think you have a right to access?

[jpc0]

> and my introvert nature makes phonecalls very uncomfortable

It's got nothing to do with introversion, you aren't comfortable makeing phonecalls. Start making phonecalls and it will get better.

If you truly struggle, stop lying to yourself that it's just your introversion and seek help. Mental health issues aren't something to be ashamed of, it is affecting your quality of life and should be diagnosed and treated by a professional.

I'm not saying you have a mental health issue. I'm just saying if you do, you don't need to let it effect your life.