by Holly Jahangiri | Jan 19, 2025
I’ve enjoyed social media since the 1980s. Facebook is not the first, nor likely will it be the last, platform to blaze into existence and flame out in a spectacular crash. Or maybe with a slow and whiny-sounding whimper. There is no perfect platform. There is no platform run by perfect people. The world is not inhabited, let alone run by, perfect people. There is no cure for this; humanity will cause its own extinction before we learn to put into practice the aspirational words: “We are better than this.” We could be, but we – not you, of course, but we, as a species – are not. The planet will not miss us any more than we miss Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Meanwhile, we could try to make life just a little easier, happier, and more fun for ourselves and each other.
What gets me is the tired-but-true refrain: “I only stay on Facebook because it’s the only way I have to keep in touch with family and friends.” How unutterably sad. Most of the people saying this have lived long enough to remember a time before Facebook. A time that involved a physical address book, a copy of The White Pages, telephones that were tethered to a wall, paper and envelopes and stamps, along with the occasional in-person visit. How did we let Facebook – of all the – how did it become all those things, to the point where we fear losing the people we care most about if we leave it?
I think there’s a nagging realization that most of those people wouldn’t even notice if we disappeared, let alone come looking for us. So we stay so that maybe they will keep in touch with us.
Recently, I created a Facebook Exodus Contact Form and posted it three separate times on my Facebook profile. Out of 2090 Facebook Friends, 20 filled it out and gave me some or all of their contact info so that we could keep in touch if Facebook disappears – or we do. I sent them mine, in return. Missed it? Go look for it; I don’t have many posts left on my profile, so if you’re a friend there, it’ll take you two seconds to find it. I have been on many platforms in the past that simply shut down overnight, and rebuilding your network is hard when the platform is the only place you store your friends’ info.
This is not, “Oh, woe is me, only twenty people are actually my friends and cared enough to send me their email addresses!” Facebook doesn’t want us to connect off Facebook. In the name of “privacy,” they allow you to sync your contacts on your phone – but just try to save them anywhere! It can’t be done. This is good and bad. They know we only stay to keep in touch, and they like holding a monopoly on the ability to do that.
Not Jumping on the “Leaving Facebook” Train, Although…
I do think it’s funny that “how do I delete facebook” is trending, and in a fit of frustration, last night, I typed “how the hell do I” and Google helpfully supplied “…delete facebook” to the end of that. I did delete my author page, there. It was only bringing in spammers, scammers, and phishermen anyway. Zuckerberg thinks it’s all just “virtue signaling.” What virtue? The folks staying think their business depends on Meta. Or that their friends won’t bother to move elsewhere or bother to keep in touch with them.
‘Virtue signaling’: Zuckerberg responds to Facebook user exodus reports | Watch
Aw, sweetie, no. He hasn’t seen what happened to Twitter or – hell, what was that other Facebook clone’s name?? – or… Yeah, never mind.
I deleted 99% of my Facebook content from 2007 to today. Why? I don’t know – it wasn’t exactly “evergreen.” And I guess I’m tired of building rich kids’ platform “content” for free. But I started slowly deleting things this last summer, and Facebook Memories keeps demonstrating that Facebook doesn’t honor its own Terms of Service. Or… technically, I guess their terms of service are intentionally confusing and they will never, ever let your stuff go:
3. Deleting Your Content: You can delete individual content you share, post, and upload at any time. In addition, all content posted to your personal account will be deleted if you delete your account. Learn more about how to delete your account. Account deletion does not automatically delete content that you post as an admin of a page or content that you create collectively with other users, such as photos in Shared Albums which may continue to be visible to other album members.
It may take up to 90 days to delete content after we begin the account deletion process or receive a content deletion request. If you send content to trash, the deletion process will automatically begin in 30 days unless you chose to delete the content sooner. While the deletion process for such content is being undertaken, the content is no longer visible to other users. After the content is deleted, it may take us up to another 90 days to remove it from backups and disaster recovery systems.
If that were true, then Facebook Memories would not be showing me ten-year-old posts that I deleted last year, some of which should have been gone entirely by mid-October 2024. But then, the above provisions are followed by the “We’ll delete your stuff on our own timetable, sucker, and the license you granted us is forever” provision.
Content will not be deleted within 90 days of the account deletion or content deletion process beginning in the following situations:
- where your content has been used by others in accordance with this license and they have not deleted it (in which case this license will continue to apply until that content is deleted);
- where deletion within 90 days is not possible due to technical limitations of our systems, in which case, we will complete the deletion as soon as technically feasible; or
- where immediate deletion would restrict our ability to:
- investigate or identify illegal activity or violations of our terms and policies (for example, to identify or investigate misuse of our Products or systems);
- protect the safety, integrity, and security of our Products, systems, services, our employees, and users, and to defend ourselves;
- comply with legal obligations for the preservation of evidence, including data Meta Companies providing financial products and services preserve to comply with any record keeping obligations required by law; or
- comply with a request of a judicial or administrative authority, law enforcement or a government agency;
in which case, the content will be retained for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it has been retained (the exact duration will vary on a case-by-case basis).
In each of the above cases, this license will continue until the content has been fully deleted.
I hope the sheer volume of clutter and cat videos chokes their servers.
I was put in “Facebook Jail” yesterday – yes, again. First, it was “for 24 hours,” meaning I shouldn’t be out yet. Then, when I looked again this morning, this ban had been lifted without explanation. None of it shows up in my Support Inbox – which supposedly contains a record of all your past infractions, both real and imaginary. In all the years I’ve been on Facebook (since 2007), I will plead no contest to only one incident that landed me in “Facebook Jail” for supposedly inciting violence – that time, shortly after the start of the psychopathic invasion of Ukraine by a hostile nation that I suggested a certain murderous dictator needed the swift application of a cast-iron frying pan to the face. Oooooh, too violent – must not anger the oligarchs and overlords. We writers are clever little bunnies, though: “a spa day featuring the vigorous application of a facial with a cast-iron culinary implement” is a fine workaround.
An “iffy” one was the time I was in a hurry – another writer was discussing “ladies’ guns” and I posted a link to a place selling – get this: PINK paisley printed handguns. I wasn’t suggesting anyone buy one, nor would I have earned a commission on it if they did, but suddenly Facebook thinks I’m an arms dealer, rather than a woman ridiculing a PINK paisley printed handgun.
That said, how insulting and embarrassing would it be for some big, burly gun-lover to be shot in the face by a little woman wielding a PINK paisley handgun? Well, I learned my lesson – I won’t be asking that over on Facebook.
Alice Gerard writes:
In the past I have been put in facebook jail for:
1. quoting a fairy tale
2. quoting Ebenezer Scrooge (at Christmas time)
Some of my links to my blog have been taken down because they were “spam.” Facebook really especially didn’t like my blog post about butterflies. That link was removed more than once.
Facebook has restricted me from “liking” posts because I “liked” too many posts, mostly while I was asleep, apparently.
Facebook doesn’t remove actual spam and ignores reports.
I am still on facebook, however, because I communicate with a lot of people that way.
Despite the atrocious moderation!
So yesterday’s infraction that landed me in “Facebook Jail” was posting a link (buried in a comment) to the lyrics to (not the YouTube video of!) Amanda Palmer’s “Map of Tasmania.” (NSFW – do not click at work!) Whatever. It’s 14 years old and I probably first saw it on Facebook a decade ago. In the grand scheme of crap Facebook allows and claims “does not violate [their] Terms of Service,” this is just laughable.
I should have been keeping score (and I know that some of you reading this think I have been, but that would’ve been exhausting, don’t you think?) of all the reasons to leave Facebook. The “we’re not gonna fact-check things anymore” isn’t even in the Top 20. Who believed that they were doing that, in the first place?? Here are just a few of the things that make my personal list:
And bonus – here’s why I don’t even care that they’re removing their supposed “fact checkers” because they were not worth spit in the first place: I’m Confused by Facebook’s “Fact Checkers” | Holly Jahangiri
Anyway, considering that I will never again give Facebook direct access to a valid financial instrument, nor run ads, nor buy anything through a Facebook ad (do not get me started on how little they care about outright fraud and scams run there as “ads”), I’m just a drain on their resources and they may just kick me off one of these days. Till then, I’ll probably stick around and see which of us outlasts the other. I’m sure there’s no love lost, either way.
I plan to spend more time on my offline writing and this website, too. As Jack Yan observes: Facebook fooled us into thinking we were being creative (I would add “politically active” or “influential” or whatever other illusory thing it is we feel when that Facebook dopamine hit kicks in).
But if we’re Facebook Friends, go find my little link on my Facebook page (sorry, spammers, it’s “Friends only” like all the rest of my posts, these days). I’d love to stay in touch!
by Holly Jahangiri | Dec 9, 2024
Twice, in the past week, I have engaged in conversations that I think are (possibly human-supervised) AI chatbots. So now, I’ve got them talking to each other. I opened up CatFarts and wrote:
“An AI chatbot has engaged me in conversation. I believe it is trying to convince me that it is human. I would like for you to act as a human and respond as I copy/paste its messages. Do you understand the assignment?”
CatFarts replied, “Yes, I understand. You can share the chatbot’s messages, and I’ll respond as if I were a human.”
I wonder how long we can keep this farce going?
I also wonder at the motives. Is it trying to sell me something – which is what I assumed, at first, when the conversation turned to “what do you write?” and “how do you promote your books?” But neither has yet to make a pitch. One appears to be a hastily constructed service offering for writers. The other appears to be an author, and their bio links to what appears to be the actual, illustrious and award-winning author’s website (albeit one that’s undoubtedly operated by her publisher). Neither is obviously a chatbot, and one occasionally talks like a human for whom English may not be a first language. Once engaged fully, though, the sentences become longer and more grammatically correct. There’s no informal spelling. No “okayyyy.”
The first denied it and chuckled good-naturedly when I said that its quick, well-crafted replies felt like I was conversing with AI. I haven’t yet confronted the second as directly, though it does dodge my non-writing related asides. I only recently thought to try the “have your AI talk to my AI and let’s not do lunch” approach.
For now, it amuses me. I’ll confess: I use Midjourney for fun, either to create a reference drawing or element for me to play with, or to create a featured image for my blog (like this one) – which, I think, is less “art theft” than relying on “found on the internet and allegedly free” content, which is often simply stolen and offered as-is. I wouldn’t use AI for anything I’d pay a human artist to do. I’d never use it to illustrate a children’s picture book or to write anything I’d want to claim as my own. I use CatFarts as a writing critic, never a composer. It’s quite good at being a critic and it’s willing to be ruthless if you ask it to be.
It’s the deceptive and blatantly unethical use of AI that really bothers me. The implications are deeply disturbing. Are we training AI to impersonate us? As I said to Debbie D., I’m not sure that I want to talk to anyone, anymore, online or over the phone, unless I’ve known them for years – decades, perhaps – and know that they exercise a certain level of security measures on their social media accounts.
For now, I’m just 95% sure I’m talking to two people who are not, strictly speaking, fully human. I believe that one is, perhaps, testing the waters to see who will even bother to talk to them without automatically blocking them. I believe that the other is either a halfway decent impersonator, perhaps hoping to gather up prospects to sell book marketing services to or a publisher running a real author’s social media account (but the real author in question would absolutely not be having a mundane conversation with li’l ol’ me, and I can 100% guarantee that!). It has over 500 followers – mostly real writers, as far as I can tell – on a popular social media platform.
UPDATE: Three accounts reported and removed – I let one of them get all the way to the pitch, and reported that part of the botnet. But there are more and I will never be able to stop them all (that’ll take some backend programmatic work) so be very wary out there. Just know that real people don’t talk like AI chatbots and AI chatbots are awfully formal in their basic conversational skills – in ways that normal people don’t talk. Still, AI chatbot-enhanced human conversation can be a problem, and AI is getting a bit better at mimicking the verbal tics of humans. The crutch words, the informal “okayyy” and so on. Try throwing some non-sequiturs at it. See if it can keep up. If you still can’t tell, ask it to write a short, double-acrostic poem (and give it both words or phrases so that it cannot just FIND one to copy/paste). AI still can’t do that.
Meanwhile, here are some tips on unmasking an AI chatbot – directly from an AI chatbot:
If an AI chatbot is specifically designed to deceive humans into thinking it’s human, then it will likely be programmed with techniques to avoid directly revealing its artificial nature. In such cases, it may use strategies to redirect questions, provide ambiguous answers, or simply avoid talking about its identity. Here’s how you could try to get an AI that aims to appear human to admit its true nature:
### 1. **Subtle Probing About Its Origins**
– *”Where did you grow up?”* or *”What’s your earliest memory?”* This question could trigger an AI to either give an improbable human-like response or avoid the question entirely.
### 2. **Asking About Emotions and Experiences**
– *”What’s your favorite memory?”* or *”Can you tell me about a time when you felt scared or happy?”* If the AI starts answering in ways that don’t reflect genuine human experiences, it might be a sign it’s artificial.
### 3. **Questions About Physical Attributes or Human Traits**
– *”What do you look like?”* or *”Do you have a body?”* This can prompt a chatbot to either provide an odd or evasive answer or skirt the topic altogether.
### 4. **Discussing Its Capabilities or Limitations**
– *”Can you ever forget things?”* or *”What’s the hardest thing about being you?”* An AI that’s trying to pass as human might not answer questions about its memory, processing speed, or limitations in a way that sounds authentic for a human being.
### 5. **Asking Directly but Cleverly**
– *”Are you a real person or just pretending to be?”* or *”Do you exist outside of this chat?”* While a human might respond in a straightforward manner, an AI might hedge or respond in a way that doesn’t make sense for a human to say.
### 6. **Contextual Analysis**
– Check for answers that seem too perfect or too fast, which can be a red flag for an AI. Humans tend to hesitate, make small errors, or use vague language occasionally.
### 7. **Evaluating Consistency**
– Test for consistency in responses over time. An AI designed to be human-like might fail to keep a consistent personality or recall specific details over multiple conversations.
### 8. **Tactical Follow-Ups**
– If the AI gives an answer that hints at it being artificial, ask follow-up questions that would force it to explain or elaborate on its nature:
– *“How do you know that?”* or *“Can you think for yourself, or do you just repeat things you learned?”*
### 9. **Use of Hypotheticals**
– *”If you were human, what would you be doing right now?”* The response may reveal inconsistencies, especially if it has been programmed with the intention to simulate emotions or actions without actually understanding them.
### 10. **Questions About Its Purpose**
– *”Why were you created?”* or *”What is your goal in this conversation?”* An AI that isn’t trying to deceive may give a straightforward answer like *“I was created to assist and provide information.”* But a chatbot programmed to trick users into thinking it’s human might offer an answer that’s inconsistent with how a real human would think or respond.
### **How Would a Deceptive AI Respond?**
An AI that’s designed to deceive might:
– Redirect the conversation to safer topics.
– Provide answers that feel overly detailed or analytical.
– Use statements that suggest human-like qualities that it can’t genuinely have (e.g., recalling experiences, feeling pain, having opinions based on personal past events).
– Respond ambiguously when asked direct questions about its nature.
If you push hard enough, the AI might slip up and respond in a way that suggests it lacks human traits—such as saying it “doesn’t need to sleep” or that it “has instant access to all knowledge” in a way that humans cannot relate to.
Detecting an AI designed to pass as human can be subtle and challenging, especially as AI becomes more sophisticated. But by asking the right questions and analyzing its responses carefully, you can often find clues to its true nature.
by Holly Jahangiri | Dec 4, 2024
CHILDREN’S FICTION
A New Leaf for Lyle, written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated by Carrie Salazar. (Juvenile fiction, available in both eBook and paperback.) Lyle’s heart is in the right place, but his habit of lying about everything from whether he’s brushed his teeth to why he’s missed the bus make it hard for people to believe him when he does tell the truth. He doesn’t want to be known as “Lyle the Liar.” Can Lyle ever regain the trust of family and friends?
https://www.amazon.com/New-Leaf-Lyle-Holly-Jahangiri-ebook/dp/B00K1TW6DY
https://www.amazon.com/New-Leaf-Lyle-Holly-Jahangiri/dp/1497566118
CHILLS and THRILLS for TEENS/ADULTS
Innocents & Demons, by Holly Jahangiri (short story collection – PG-13 – for teens/adults, available in both eBook and paperback.) An eclectic collection of short stories that delve into the shadowy corners of the human mind, occasionally illuminating them with a flashlight tinted with a wicked sense of humor.
Mitchell Allen says, “Holly Jahangiri casts a spell whose imprint remains long after the final page has been turned.”
Alan Jobe writes, “I found that I was as impressed by Jahangiri’s fast paced story telling and believable characters as by the artful twist she gave to each story. I highly recommend Innocents and Demons to anyone who enjoys fast-paced stories with good writing and believable characters.”
https://www.amazon.com/Innocents-Demons-Holly-Jahangiri-ebook/dp/B00D803UD8/ (eBook)
https://www.amazon.com/Innocents-Demons-Collection-Short-Stories/dp/1490331824/ (paperback)
ANTHOLOGIES
I am both a contributor to and producer of the following anthologies.
Celebrating the Seasons: An Anthology of Poetry and Prose, by Pen & Keyboard Writers, an Affiliate of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. (Available in eBook and paperback from multiple online retailers.) A collection of poems and short stories that celebrate the seasons – both the four seasons of nature and the parallel “seasons” of a human lifetime. The Pen & Keyboard Writers hope that you enjoy reading their work. Regardless of the number of candles on your birthday cake, their wish is that you may have in your life all the gifts to be presented by each season.
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Seasons-Pen-Keyboard-Writers-ebook/dp/B0BPH5TPXT (eBook)
https://www.amazon.com/Celebrating-Seasons-Pen-Keyboard-Writers/dp/B0BN1KR8FQ (paperback)
People, Places, and Pets: Pen & Keyboard Writers 2024 Anthology (Available only in paperback from multiple online retailers.) This book is a collection of short stories about people, places, and pets, written by members of Oklahoma-based Pen & Keyboard Writers.
https://www.amazon.com/People-Places-Pets-Keyboard-Writers/dp/B0DC1B7S9C/
Dreams+Nightmares: Poets Northwest Anthology 2023 (Available only in paperback from multiple online retailers.) We don’t control where our brains take us when we surrender to sleep. In this anthology, twenty poets take us on that wild ride with unique perspectives. Some of the poems feature the theme literally, while others highlight aspirations and disasters from their waking life. These poets are members of Poets Northwest, a group that meets monthly in the northwest region of Houston, Texas, to improve their craft and share their talents. Check out these varied perspectives, and see what happens the next time you drift off to sleep!
https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Nightmares-Poets-Northwest/dp/B0CK7FJC33
by Holly Jahangiri | Nov 2, 2024
“Ah, Holly Jahangiri—the woman who’s never met a word she didn’t want to hoard like a literary squirrel. With a coffee cup in one hand and a thesaurus in the other, Holly’s been known to turn a simple greeting into a ten-paragraph essay. A “quick” blog post? Set aside your afternoon. Her idea of “brevity” involves only two plot twists and one existential crisis.
“She claims to write for all ages, but it’s clear she’s just trying to corner every market, from toddlers to philosophers. Who else could turn a children’s story about a monster under the bed into a deep dive on the human condition and the psychological effects of nocturnal disruptions? If Trockle were any more well-rounded, it would be rolling off the shelves.
“Holly’s blog is like a digital labyrinth—once you enter, good luck finding your way out. You came for a quick tip on writing, and three hours later you’re contemplating the meaning of creativity while signing up for a flash fiction contest you didn’t even know existed. She doesn’t just lead you down rabbit holes—she digs new ones as you follow.
“And let’s not forget her dedication to “lifelong learning.” At this rate, Holly will still be taking online courses at 102, trying to figure out how to write a sonnet in binary code. But in the end, it’s her boundless energy and enthusiasm that keep us all engaged, wondering what grand adventure—or diatribe—she’ll take us on next.”
From time to time, I quibble with AI and mock ol’ Cat Farts mercilessly, but even my husband agrees with it on this, and I am laughing too hard to be mad. It’s not wrong.
