International Delete MySpace Account Day
Today is Januaray 29th, 2008. Only one day before the big International Delete MySpace Account Day. Yes. Someone has come up with the idea to set aside one day out of the year to delete MySpace accounts. I figured I would take this opportunity to ask you why stop at MySpace? 2007 was one hell of a year for social networks, web based services and anything having to do with the term web 2.0. If you were one of those people who signed up for any site that had a register button, take this opportunity to reflect on which sites and services you actually contribute to. Think about which ones you actually add value to and vice versa.
I’ve talked with Dave about this issue at one time or another and we both agree that after a period of time, a group of sites and services that you constantly find yourself using are what is going to be the cream of the crop for that particular individual. Also, think about how good your inbox will feel once you start deleting your accounts on all of those sites you don’t use. What a great way to cut back on the Bacn.
My cyberworld has been so much better now that I’m not receiving distracting alerts every 5 minutes.
January 30th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I for sure won’t be deleting mine!
I have 3 MySpace accounts,
1 for myself and friends only
1 is a landmark (and i have 850 friends,well more like random people, hehe)
1 for really nothing, use it sometimes generally acting as someone else (weird, yes I know).
So,
I use Vista
I use IE
I use MySpace
So yes im a colpete noob, haha.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I’m very careful about any website that forces you to register to use their service. Personal details? If it’s not a serious business website that I know I’m going to deal with on several occasions, say Amszon.com, then they’ll get my real details. If it’s a junk site or a place like Facebook? They get fake details and as little information as possible for me to use the site. If I have to leave an email address, it’s disposable or if I know I won’t need to get back to it, it’s fake. I opt out of everything they want to send me.
Everytime you log into one of these “fun” websites and give out personal details, it’s a dollar in the website owners pocket. They’re not providing content for fun, they want your details to sell to someone else. Think before you register online.
January 30th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
@Doug I am starting to worry about you… Seriously. At least drop the IE thing. That piece of software is corrupt in every way possible.
@Herne I am starting to worry about your paranoia. But I do agree with you in many respects. The thing about opting out of stuff - great point… they often hide these options in check boxes that they have gladly selected for you as being in the affirmative. Bastards.
January 31st, 2008 at 1:04 am
@Global Geek: I’m starting to worry about my own “paranoia,” actually. But these websites are becoming more and more invasive and evasive about the techniques they use to get your data. Consumer data = cash for them. Sometimes you have to be VERY careful when you read those check box fields too, often they’ll automatically check the opt-in field hoping you won’t read it, or they’ll word the statement in such a way that you think you’re opting out by leaving the box checked but you’re really opting in, etc.
“Maybe I’m not paranoid, maybe they ARE out to get me!”
January 31st, 2008 at 1:28 am
I did a couple of posts about IDYMAD. Personally, I look upon this as a way for those of us who have an account and never use it to clean up that bit of our Internet footprint.
I hold no illusions that the data we’ve given MySpace will actually be destroyed, but hey… at least it will be against their TOS if they keep and use it once the account is deleted.
As someone who actually spent a half-hour and read the Terms of Service for Facebook when I signed up, I have to say the wording is interesting. While you’re a member, they can do whatever they want with anything that’s in your profile. Once you leave them (or delete something from your profile) they lose the ability to use that information (”legally”).
January 31st, 2008 at 5:22 am
#MacLabRat - I agree about cleaning up your Internet footprint. Thats the gist of what I was trying to cover. What is amazing to me is the number of websites that don’t have an option to delete an account. I know I’ve seen Pownce have one, Facebook and MySpace, but there are many other websites where I’m apparently stuck in having an account with. What a drag!