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Is It Possible To Erase Yourself From the Internet?

Posted by samzenpus on from the back-in-the-shadows dept.

Barence writes "Do you remember what you posted on that music forum in 2004? Or which services you tried for webmail before Gmail? We often forget online services, but they don't forget us. PC Pro has investigated whether it's possible to retrospectively wipe yourself from the internet. It discusses how difficult it is to get your data removed from Facebook, Google and other popular web services, as well as reputation management services that promise to bury unwanted internet content on your behalf."

8 of 295 comments (clear)

  1. What about slashdot? by dnahelicase · · Score: 5, Funny

    How do I get rid of all those incriminating posts from all that time I wasted on /. while I was at work?

  2. Is It Possible...? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 1, Funny

    Of course it is, do you have a very large asteroid handy?

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  3. It's complicated by caywen · · Score: 4, Funny

    I have a solution, but it involves simultaneous use of biological viruses and nukes. At a minimum, my solution will at least erase anyone's desire to care.

  4. Re:It's the New You by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Get back to work Chris, I know it's you.

  5. "You can't delete something from the Internet." by Tumbleweed · · Score: 4, Funny

    "It's like peeing in a pool. Once it's in there, it's _in_ there." - some old 90s sitcom

  6. Re:It's the New You by Seumas · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yeah, I don't get it. Whenever I hear shit like this, I think "wait, why is this a problem?! Why are you using your REAL IDENTITY everywhere?!".

    I mean, granted, I use my real first name -- but everyone knows I'm a fucktard within like two minutes of meeting me, so hiding my stupidity is sort of a lost cause.

  7. Re:This problem is easily solved by WinstonWolfIT · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thoreau and Kaczynski tried it, but then they couldn't resist writing a manifesto.

  8. Re:change your name by greg1104 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Not necessarily. True story: I once had "Greg Smith Equipment Sales" try to buy my web site because I was messing with their search rank. What really killed both of us was a baseball player with that name though. Once ESPN started writing about him I was done with being in the top 3. I wouldn't recommend just any common name; what you really want is the name of a celebrity. I use "Michael Bolton" now.