I’m off Facebook.

I joined in (I think) 2006 and after the latest changes, combined with their increasingly bizarre opinion on privacy, I decided to run for the hills.

The hills of Google+.

Ironically, I wrote an article some time ago about Google and its potential to know everything about you. I may have even mentioned Big Brother.

I’m also fully aware that Eric told everyone that if they don’t want people finding out stuff about them, they shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.

And yet, I trust Google+ more than Facebook. Perhaps it’s because we know they’re an advertising company already. Perhaps it’s because while Larry and Sergey are smug and own planes, they seem somehow less smug than Zuck.

I have a friend who is in a relationship with a Facebook engineer. As far as I can tell, said engineer is respected in his field. I don’t begrudge him for being a Facebook employee either, because everyone has to eat.

But I don’t think I’ll be returning to Facebook.

Google+ is what I wanted Twitter to be like when it grew up. I have over 350 people in my circles. Most of what I post is public. Like Twitter, most of what I post is reposting what someone else said, that I find interesting or controversial and think my followers would enjoy.

I think rationalising social networks is a mistake. We need to talk to others. I squee when Jeri Ryan comments on a comment I made. I like that Edward J Olmos follows me on Twitter. I do it because it’s fun and I can do it on my own terms.

Facebook seems to be forcing people to have fun on its own terms. And then it wants to sell you stuff.

Just because 800 million people are doing it, doesn’t make it right.

That’s how wars get started.