Cutting Ties

With the exception of the top of my bureau, I'm anti-clutter (also, I contend that I know where everything is on there, it just doesn't look like it). And even though it may not take up any physical space, I don't like clutter in my Internet world, either. I try and keep my email addresses tied together (though it kills me that I have six of them) and I want the number of sites that I am tied to be as low as possible. If I'm not going to keep up with a blog or social media site then I feel like it's my duty to get rid of it.

Studies have been done and they find that about 70% of blogs are abandoned after a month. Apparently, people just don't have nearly the opinions they thought they did. Those that make it past that first month mark aren't guaranteed to make it over a long haul either - over 60% of blogs on the Internet have not been updated in over two months. But still they sit, popping up on search engines and slowing down people who may actually need to find an answer to their question. So, as I passed my second month of not checking on my MySpace page, it occurred to me that I probably wasn't going to get back into it. When you're aware that your ignoring something and that still doesn't compel you to action, that should speak volumes. I finally decided to take the step that so many people are reluctant to do - I deleted my MySpace page.

I probably had an easier time than most, given the fact that I got into MySpace later than everyone else. As a result I didn't have that many people on my buddy list and so it's not like I only connected to these people through the site. I physically know almost all of them. And those that I don't probably won't notice that I not there anymore. Not to mention, from one last look around it didn't appear that anyone else had stuck around on MySpace. Apparently the kids are all about FaceBook now (and no, I won't sign up for it, stop asking).

Personally, I think it would be a good thing for all of us to take an hour out of the time normally spent searching for the video of the water skiing squirrel to go back and clean up our Internet footprint. I know the web is made up of infinite space, but that doesn't mean I want to have to wade through site after site if they haven't been updated since the election in November. Delete your profiles from LiveJournal, Friendster and MySpace if you are no longer using them. Honestly, how many ways do you need to re-connect with people, when losing contact with them in the first place was probably a sign?