Facebook Exodus - Will you leave?

And will you take me with you?

According to Mashable, a couple of users are trying to organize a mass-deletion of Facebook accounts on May 31, due to the privacy issues that are plaguing the site since its recent privacy policy changes. They're encouraging as many people as possible to leave the site on that date, and (I would assume) never come back.

Oh no, think of the family photos that will go unexamined!

"The purpose of the site is to encourage those 'sick of Facebook’s lack of respect for your data' to quit the social networking site. Users can 'commit to quit' with their Twitter handle or name and join the others publicly pledging to do so in unison."

This is interesting given the fact that deleting Facebook accounts is a very popular Google search right now. Are people getting truly fed up with Facebook's antics? Is this the final straw?

It is for a lot of people. Danny Sullivan noticed that Facebook's growth rate seems to be slipping, which may be at least partially due to these privacy issues. Some people might not be signing up, but also enough people may be canceling their accounts to make up for any other growth that Facebook has.

What will I do? I'm definitely not canceling my account. My feelings are more along the lines of Laurent Courtines:

"Privacy issues are touchy because of humans natural self-centeredness. Folks thing "they have MY information". Yes. Yes they do but they also have many billions of peoples information! You simply aren't that important. Your INDIVIDUAL information is 1. Not that interesting, 2. Not that useful and 3. Not that relevant."

Obviously this doesn't apply to things like credit card numbers, bank account numbers, etc. But the daily ins and outs of what you post on the Web? It doesn't really matter that much. I am concerned enough to adjust my Privacy settings in Facebook, but not enough that I'm going to worry about everything getting out there in the great big world.

In other words, I'm not like Robert Scobie, opening the floodgates totally.

So what do you think? I'd be interested in knowing whether you're going to join the mass exodus on the 31st.





(Thanks to Sheamus for links to the above articles, except the Mashable one)

*Edit*: If you say "Yes," I'd love to hear why in the comments.