A world without Facebook

IN her Talking Point article Jemma Blackwood asks who will fill the void created by Facebook pulling news off it’s platform, raising the possibility that it’ll be all fake news and conspiracy theories (Mercury, February 20). An answer appears earlier in her piece. TV and print have been doing it forever, and all have websites if that’s your preference. Traditional journalism has given us some of our best minds and is critical for interpreting our world. In contrast, the algorithm-driven headlines that pass for news on social media provide only the news that one wants to see, so it’s no wonder the world is so divided. Such news is no substitute for being exposed to a range of views and taking the time to read an article, much as the illusion of friends on Facebook is no substitute for the real thing.

The difference between the Facebook world and the real one is that understanding the world, as well as real friends, requires effort, patience and time. In a world without Facebook people would have the time for both.

Andrew Hejtmanek

Howden

DEEMING FIX

IF a retired pensioner is lucky enough to have some savings, the government deems them to have earned an amount that they then classify as income — irrespective of whether that amount was received or not. Why then can’t the government with all its experts calculate a deemed income from a business like Facebook (and others) and make them pay tax in the country in which that income was generated? This is completely unfair to Australians. If a worker claims expenses at tax time that seem a bit high, they are called in, made to produce years of records, then maybe fined if they can’t justify the deduction. All this effort for a few dollars but when chasing entitled millions — this is too hard?

David Zehmeister

Austins Ferry

RACK OFF, YOU AND YA MATES

CLARK Gable said in Gone with the Wind: I do not give a damn. Bit like what to say about Facebook leaving.

Tony Geeves

Rosetta

PRECEDENT

FACEBOOK and Google are trying to stop Australian laws in regards to news content because the European Union is bringing in similar laws which would cost these companies hundreds of millions to have to pay for news content . If they stop us enforcing these laws, (there are other search engines and places you can go for news), they can stop the EU as well.

Jan Smith

Blackmans Bay

DEAL-MAKER

I HOPE that the recent hissy fit by Facebook is an own goal. Normally, I don’t approve of the deals done in the clubs that don’t accept me as a member, and I don’t approve of secret deals, but this time, I’d be very pleased if the movers and shakers of industry and business generally, not just the media, could do a deal with our government to put Facebook in its place, preferably on the bench sobbing over a red card.

Facebook reminds me of the low quality magazines of the 1950s, like Australasian Post and Pix, and their latest decision seems to indicate that the standards of even these magazines are too high for Facebook.

Contracts are contracts, so an instant response might be difficult, but a secret agreement to leave expired advertising contracts unrenewed would certainly please me.

Keith Anderson

Kingston

STANDING UP

WHAT a pity the government can’t stand up to China the same way it has stood up to Facebook. As we all know, China hates losing face. So maybe now is an opportune time to close the book on China.

Michael McCall

Primrose Sands

NO MORE SMILES

THE decision of the American online social media and social networking service to block Australians from viewing or sharing news content has taken the smile off Facebook users.

Ed Sianski

West Moonah

FOREVER

HAS anyone else realised that it is virtually impossible to deactivate a Facebook account and hence the company retains all personal data — although in my case they have my year of birth as 1902.

Ian Broinowski

Battery Point