The last 10 years of Internet use has left me feeling really weighted down. During a decade or so of Web 2.0, I tossed around an enormous amount of inconsequential data. One should not be saddled with a crystal-clear digital past. We all change over time but those old status updates don't. Over the past few months, I have been chipping away and cleaning up my enormous mess.Of course, getting rid of my Facebook account was the most important step. At least Google allows one to periodically clear all the crap they have saved. Why would I want them to have location data from 2002? Just because everything can be saved surely doesn't mean it should be. There may be a justification for convenience over privacy in the short term, but why allow a dossier to accumulate? Depending on the information, about one year is usually enough.
Being able to forget is a very human attribute. Our machines should make it easier to do the same.
I just deleted 15.4K of tweets from Twitter going back to November 2008. Many were automated copies of blog postings or photo uploads. There was a lot of wisdom in the mix but tweets are not the best way to save one's essence. So, I kept the account but have started fresh from today.
It feels great and I feel much lighter.