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DPChallenge Forums >> General Discussion >> Deleting yourself on-line
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07/30/2008 09:24:24 PM · #1
I've now successfully deleted my accounts from;

Facebook
MySpace
Bebo
YouTube

I cleared out message-boxes and galleries before deleting the profiles, in case any of my stuff was still searchable on the site. MySpace required a confirmation email link to be clicked on, and a couple of them said it'll take 24-48 hours before the request is processed. But generally it was straightforward enough.

The only place which won't allow me to delete or cancel my account was DeviantArt. I went through a laborious process of clearing out comments, journals, message, galleries and favourites, but my profile is still publicly viewable. (DeviantArt was probably the one I hated the most!)
07/30/2008 09:34:41 PM · #2
Out of morrbid curiousity.... why?
07/30/2008 09:35:47 PM · #3
you are saying that i cannot be deleted?
Darn all my hope of non-existence have been obligirated!
07/30/2008 09:35:59 PM · #4
I have a psuedo name I register under for everything
dont know how legal that is but who cares, I dont want people out there knowin my who what whens and whys
07/30/2008 09:42:05 PM · #5
Congratulations?

07/30/2008 09:45:56 PM · #6
Originally posted by Patrick_R:

Out of morrbid curiousity.... why?

A couple of things triggered it, mostly privacy-related; Facebook violating privacy laws, that recent Google case where they were on the points of handing over viewing data, security holes making private galleries viewable etc, etc.

Who can we really trust to protect our on-line identities anyway? And besides all that, I was getting uncomfortable with the whole social stalking...ermm.... 'networking' thing.

I think Sugarpie summed it up; "I don't want people out there knowing my who, whats, whens and whys"!

Originally posted by option:

Congratulations?

Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!

07/30/2008 09:46:49 PM · #7
Originally posted by Sugarpie:

I have a psuedo name I register under for everything
dont know how legal that is but who cares, I dont want people out there knowin my who what whens and whys


And I thought I knew you....
LOL

07/30/2008 10:03:48 PM · #8
Originally posted by jhonan:



Originally posted by option:

Congratulations?

Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!


Fair enough, it just seems counterproductive to me... the benefits of having a stong online presence far outweigh having a few weird secret admirers or a company selling a list of my favorite bands to advertisers, for me, anyway.
07/30/2008 10:10:26 PM · #9
Originally posted by jhonan:


Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!


Sometimes I wish I were a number...
07/31/2008 07:28:13 AM · #10
Originally posted by option:

Fair enough, it just seems counterproductive to me... the benefits of having a stong online presence far outweigh having a few weird secret admirers or a company selling a list of my favorite bands to advertisers, for me, anyway.

What are the benefits to having a strong online presence for your personal identity? - The only benefit I can think of is business related - i.e. if you're running a business which depends on your name and personal reputation.

I have an online business with a strong presence, but the branding and marketing is not dependent on my personal identity.

I've been with a variety of social networking sites for a few years now, and I find it nothing but a pita. How can I personally benefit from strangers reading about my life, or looking at my family snapshots? The only pleasant aspect I can think of is that it enables old friends to find me and get back in touch. But even that is questionable!
07/31/2008 10:26:42 AM · #11
Originally posted by jhonan:


What are the benefits to having a strong online presence for your personal identity? - The only benefit I can think of is business related - i.e. if you're running a business which depends on your name and personal reputation.



As a photographer, for instance?

Originally posted by jhonan:


I've been with a variety of social networking sites for a few years now, and I find it nothing but a pita. How can I personally benefit from strangers reading about my life, or looking at my family snapshots? The only pleasant aspect I can think of is that it enables old friends to find me and get back in touch. But even that is questionable!


Facebook is the number one method of communication between my peer group... the less visible you are, the more out of the loop you'll be. University friends, HS friends, snowboarding friends... its how we keep in touch and get ahold of eachother.

I have 224 potential customers in the Andrew Strain Photography Facebook group... 95% of whom are people under the age of 25, and about to become University graduates. A good deal of these people will get married in the next 5 years, and a good deal of them will come to me first for wedding photography (or engagement photos, if I want to drink at the wedding :-P)... just as an example.

Message edited by author 2008-07-31 10:33:20.
07/31/2008 10:39:15 AM · #12
Why would you post anything you would mind everyone in the world knowing anyway?

If you wouldn't, what's the harm?

I've used social networking sites, Facebook in particular, to re-establish contact with friends from high school and college that I now live thousands of miles from and haven't seen in years.

The only time such sites pose a problem is with people who divulge personal information that they shouldn't. Such as college kids posting pictures of their trip to Cabo of them getting stupid drunk, naked and doing the horizontal mambo on their easily searchable MySpace profile. Not a good way to make an impression on a prospective employer.
07/31/2008 10:41:14 AM · #13
Originally posted by jhonan:

I've been with a variety of social networking sites for a few years now, and I find it nothing but a pita. How can I personally benefit from strangers reading about my life, or looking at my family snapshots? The only pleasant aspect I can think of is that it enables old friends to find me and get back in touch. But even that is questionable!


I've been a reluctant member of facebook and myspace for years and i hate them both ... but I understand their usefulness as well. I really enjoy viewing pictures of friends, and even long lost friends without actually having to talk to them :)

I really wish personal blogs (blogger, wordpress, etc) would outgrow social networking because i much prefer those. At 35, I don't really feel comfortable on social networking sites, but they're a means to an end (keeping up with people).
07/31/2008 10:57:18 AM · #14
Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Why would you post anything you would mind everyone in the world knowing anyway?

If you wouldn't, what's the harm?

Once I've removed from the equation all my personal information, beliefs, opinions and photos - it doesn't really leave much of value to post, rendering these memberships pointless. I've only left one blog up, and that's some technical details about Linux, as more of a notepad for myself.

How can it be of any benefit to me for a stranger to know where I live, when/where I'm going on holiday, how old I am, how many children I have and what their names and ages are etc..etc.. It only leaves me open to stalkers (Facebook), insulting posts (Youtube), and possibly worse. Speaking from personal experience, I don't get much pleasure from that. And I no longer want to take these risks.

(There is a single underlying reason I've taken this action, a very valid one, relating to Facebook - But again, I don't want to post the details here as I have the same username!)
07/31/2008 10:58:48 AM · #15
Originally posted by hopper:

At 35, I don't really feel comfortable on social networking sites, but they're a means to an end (keeping up with people).

I think there's a age thing going on here, social networking is perhaps targeting younger people. I'm 39, and I even hate using mobile phones at the best of times!
07/31/2008 11:19:21 AM · #16
Originally posted by jhonan:

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Why would you post anything you would mind everyone in the world knowing anyway?

If you wouldn't, what's the harm?

Once I've removed from the equation all my personal information, beliefs, opinions and photos - it doesn't really leave much of value to post, rendering these memberships pointless. I've only left one blog up, and that's some technical details about Linux, as more of a notepad for myself.

How can it be of any benefit to me for a stranger to know where I live, when/where I'm going on holiday, how old I am, how many children I have and what their names and ages are etc..etc.. It only leaves me open to stalkers (Facebook), insulting posts (Youtube), and possibly worse. Speaking from personal experience, I don't get much pleasure from that. And I no longer want to take these risks.

(There is a single underlying reason I've taken this action, a very valid one, relating to Facebook - But again, I don't want to post the details here as I have the same username!)


What personal information is available on Facebook? Besides your name and possibly the town where you live. You can also choose to only display your information to people you approve as friends, so unless you choose to give your info to strangers, it's not available. I'm sure you could have your street address and phone number displayed, but you do have to use common sense. As for your email address, use a yahoo, hotmail or other disposable address. Of course, if you put stuff like your bank account numbers and your SSN on there, you really deserve to get scammed.

You really just sound paranoid.
07/31/2008 11:20:12 AM · #17
Originally posted by jhonan:

I think there's a age thing going on here, social networking is perhaps targeting younger people. I'm 39, and I even hate using mobile phones at the best of times!


I agree! I don't understand the need to be constantly plugged in. I have a cell phone, but I carry it for emergencies and work. My wife couldn't live without hers. In a typical month I rack up less than 100 minutes, my wife always runs up at least 700 minutes (not including time on our land line), and her sister always has over 1,000 minutes.

As for facebook and myspace, in my line of work they are fabulous for tracking people down, I hope more people sign up :). One of the first things I did when I started my job was set up generic facebook and myspace pages.
07/31/2008 11:20:31 AM · #18
Originally posted by jhonan:

Originally posted by hopper:

At 35, I don't really feel comfortable on social networking sites, but they're a means to an end (keeping up with people).

I think there's a age thing going on here, social networking is perhaps targeting younger people. I'm 39, and I even hate using mobile phones at the best of times!


I'm older than both of you and it's OK with me and lots of other people in my age group.
07/31/2008 11:26:12 AM · #19
Originally posted by Spazmo99:

What personal information is available on Facebook? Besides your name and possibly the town where you live. You can also choose to only display your information to people you approve as friends, so unless you choose to give your info to strangers, it's not available. I'm sure you could have your street address and phone number displayed, but you do have to use common sense. As for your email address, use a yahoo, hotmail or other disposable address. Of course, if you put stuff like your bank account numbers and your SSN on there, you really deserve to get scammed.

You really just sound paranoid.

Coming from someone aged 90 with a name of '. .' and no location in their DPC profile? You sound very trusting of social networking!

You don't know all the facts behind my decision. A decision I made and acted on, and feel much happier and safer as a result.
07/31/2008 11:30:35 AM · #20
Originally posted by LanndonKane:

Originally posted by jhonan:


Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!


Sometimes I wish I were a number...


What number would you like to be? If we get to be numbers I get dibs on 42.

P-ness
07/31/2008 11:52:45 AM · #21
Remember: You cannot delete information from teh Internets. Once it's out there it's too late. Facebook, etc. still have your data. If you don't want something to be available online, don't put it there...
07/31/2008 12:07:27 PM · #22
Originally posted by Pedro:

Originally posted by LanndonKane:

Originally posted by jhonan:


Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!


Sometimes I wish I were a number...


What number would you like to be? If we get to be numbers I get dibs on 42.

P-ness

24601 please
07/31/2008 12:29:56 PM · #23
Originally posted by KelvinC:

Originally posted by Pedro:

Originally posted by LanndonKane:

Originally posted by jhonan:


Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!


Sometimes I wish I were a number...


What number would you like to be? If we get to be numbers I get dibs on 42.

P-ness

24601 please


My name is Jean Valjean
07/31/2008 12:43:03 PM · #24
quote=hopper]At 35, I don't really feel comfortable on social networking sites, but they're a means to an end (keeping up with people). [/quote]
Originally posted by jhonan:

I think there's a age thing going on here, social networking is perhaps targeting younger people. I'm 39, and I even hate using mobile phones at the best of times!

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

[I'm older than both of you and it's OK with me and lots of other people in my age group.

Ditto here.....53, and I stay as plugged in as I can....participate in forums and GTGs everywhere.

If someone wants to get to you, trust me, your non-presence on MySpace and Facebook is certainly not going to stop them.

Your best protection is to stay on top of what the information about you is, WHERE it is, and how it's distributed.

What you have to reconcile is that there always WILL be private info on yoyu publicly available to whomever knows how to work a system.

You get mail, newspaper, subscribe to services, go to the grocery store, get gas, electricity, maybe a home phone, a cell......

You think your info is protected?

Dream on!

You cannot cloe yourself up in a vacuum in this day and age, get used to it.

Oh......and don't forget about things like tax rolls, voter registration, and organization listings.....i.e., professional groupsn that will give contact info for you with your job.

Lighten up!
07/31/2008 12:52:52 PM · #25
Originally posted by Pedro:

Originally posted by LanndonKane:

Originally posted by jhonan:


Thanks! - I am not a number, I am a free man!!!


Sometimes I wish I were a number...


What number would you like to be? If we get to be numbers I get dibs on 42.

P-ness


Pi
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