A few dates. I began this blog in February 2008, and I joined Facebook three years later. The blog is a sustaining, living entity and community, and I have no plans to abandon it as long as my faculties hold up. Facebook is another story.
Today I received a message from a California musician I’ve encountered once, on friendly terms, someone older than myself. The message said he was having trouble getting back on Facebook and would I help him get a code. Ordinarily I regard such messages with suspicion, and have set up small hurdles. If the person asking for something presents with the name of (let us say) a guitarist I know, I might write back, “Name a Charlie Christian composition,” or “Why did Eddie Lang have a sore throat?” And the robot or the spammer either responds with silence or with hopes that I am having a good day or have heard the latest news, and I can end the conversation and move on.
Today, perhaps because of jet-lag or a desire to be more helpful than suspicious, I did as I was asked, and all of a sudden I could not access my account, and friends were emailing me, asking if I’d been hacked. One dear friend even called me from Los Angeles.
Then I spent the better part of two hours in cyber-frustration trying to reclaim by Facebook identity, which required many attempts through a second email, codes, and more. I decided then that my days with Facebook were ended — perhaps paused — but certainly my (perhaps foolish) trust had been violated. So I began the process of deleting my Facebook page, a process which, hilariously, will take thirty days to complete. Perhaps that is to give me time to feel that my days and nights are now empty. I am, mild-mannered and even dull as I might be, a valuable commodity to Facebook, for any moment I might decide to buy something that turns out to be useless or deceptive.
But for the present, I will do my best to go on this new unencumbered path, joining others who have had enough. Of course you can always find JAZZ LIVES here, and I would be happy if you told others that this is the blog’s real home. I’d rather be uploading videos and writing about delicious music than fighting invisible scammers.
That’s the story, and no doubt, more to come.
May your happiness increase!
JAZZ LIVES 
I’m glad you clarified. I received a confusing Facebook message and didn’t know how to proceed. Was tempted to email you but didn’t know how to do it aside from posting a public blog comment. All the best! Lisa B (Lisa Bernstein)
A thumbs up for not tolerating the sometimes awfulness of cyberspace. Though I concede it’s an easy way to communicate with cherished pals when it works right, it just is not worth time and effort when it doesn’t. Love me? Write, call or find the space where I am comfortable communicating.
All the best to you?
joel
Joel Albert
Jralbert37@gmail.com
I just posted about problems I was having getting to digitiΩed records that were once easy to access. It is simply incredible.
Corresponding Member, Academia Mexicana de la Historia Consulting Editor Estudios de Historia Novohispana
Surely you will have Zuckerberg at your door begging you to not abandon him but be strong!
Kafka lives on!
I hope not . . . you couldn’t delete the authorities in his nightmarish works!