Time passes and things change. People do it every day, every minute. So, I can’t expect any less from corporations. The net has brought about so many interesting things and avenues of communication. It felt pretty free and naive at the beginning. A lot of that data was impermanent. Were people’s lives even referred to as data then?
Kind of like cleaning out an old closet is the same thing to apply digitally. Even though space seems almost endless, it still isn’t. It’s immense, but at the same time, who really wants to maintain all that data? If you’ve got accounts out there that you never use anymore, that already means you don’t want to maintain it yourself. I find that I too, no longer use accounts I’ve made over the years. As I learn more info on what is happening to these start ups or other companies, it definitely turns me off using the service.
Livejournal, I’ve deleted. Tumblr, I’m cleaning up also. Facebook is on the list, once I figure out a way to export some contacts. Instagram I’m torn over. It’s owned by FB but people actually still use it. It must absolutely be a tool for corporate, but perhaps if I continue to control what I post, maybe I’ve convinced myself I’m in control. Maybe not. Snapchat seemed to me like an interesting alternative, but even now I can see people use it a lot less. At least it’s still a company on it’s own, but you and I know that it’s probably only going to follow in FB footsteps as it struggles to be a profit making company. Not going to lie, just contemplating how to get out of google’s or amazon’s grasp is a doozy. Yahoo is one of my oldest accounts and I’m pretty annoyed that it’s probably going on my hit list next. Check out “How to opt out of Yahoo Mail’s invasive data scanning” if you still use Yahoo too.
I know some people will say it’s too late, corporate has everything on you. Just remember, yes they have a lot, but they do not have everything. Time passes and things change and the person you were at that time when you made that post 5 years ago, may not be the same person who shops for whatever now. You should be the only one in control of your life, your date. Right?
