Ryan Block, the former editor in chief of Engadget and founder of gdgt.com. (Ryan Block)
He just didn’t “like” it.
Ryan Block, the former editor in chief of Engadget and the co-founder of Gdgt wasn’t upset by Instagram tweaks that may have led millions to leave, nor was he bothered by the concerns about privacy that have dogged social networking giant for years.
He just didn’t find the world’s largest, most powerful social network to be particularly useful.
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“In the case of Facebook, I’ve simply never been fond of the service and intended to remove my largely inactive account for years. In the case of Instagram, I’ve fallen out of love with highly filtered square photos of sunsets and (often delicious-looking) plates of food,” Block wrote in an editorial on The New York Times.
“In my search for technology products and services that somehow enrich or add value to my life, Facebook and Instagram have been a net negative not only in their usefulness, but also in other, subtle ways most people don’t often consider,” Block said.
He’s hardly the first person to quit Facebook or label the photo sharing site silly. But as a leading technology influencer, Block’s blasé attitude may signal a shift Facebook would be wise to watch. Citing friend requests he had missed and the “constant diligence” required to maintain multiple profiles, he advocated a rethinking of the web’s most popular sites.
“People wondering what there is to gain by thinning their online accounts sometimes ask: ‘Why quit?’ Instead, I think every once in a while we should all ask ourselves: ‘Why stay?’
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