I created my first email account in 1999, and it’s the one I use for just about everything to this day. A couple of weeks ago I got fed up with constantly reorganising it. No number of rules or folders really solved the problem. There was just too much shit in there, and I have too much shit in my brain as it is. I deleted all of it. Saw a few flashes of emails to my childhood friends, from my first girlfriend, deceased family members. For a split second I thought “shit, no, these are my memories”. But no. Not anymore they aren’t. You’re free.
I don’t usually delete stuff on purpose, but I am not as diligent as I “should” be about backing all my data. Sure, I back up the most important things, but the rest of it I won’t really miss if it gets deleted.
For example my Bookmarks/Saved Posts/Watch Later/Read It Later lists, they sometimes get deleted when I move devices and I don’t bother restoring them even when I can. Most of the things I add to those lists I know I am never going to read/watch. I add them anyway just to be safe, but I don’t feel bad if I don’t ever get to them. There’s only so much time in this world.
The things you own, end up owning you.
Delete it all and accept the transitory nature of existence.
I’m an amateur data hoarder and what you just said is blasphemy.
Pop it all on one harddrive/server, then it’s just one click or key to be free of it all.
deleted by creator
I created my first email account in 1999, and it’s the one I use for just about everything to this day. A couple of weeks ago I got fed up with constantly reorganising it. No number of rules or folders really solved the problem. There was just too much shit in there, and I have too much shit in my brain as it is. I deleted all of it. Saw a few flashes of emails to my childhood friends, from my first girlfriend, deceased family members. For a split second I thought “shit, no, these are my memories”. But no. Not anymore they aren’t. You’re free.
That’s a morbid take, but I agree.
I don’t usually delete stuff on purpose, but I am not as diligent as I “should” be about backing all my data. Sure, I back up the most important things, but the rest of it I won’t really miss if it gets deleted.
For example my Bookmarks/Saved Posts/Watch Later/Read It Later lists, they sometimes get deleted when I move devices and I don’t bother restoring them even when I can. Most of the things I add to those lists I know I am never going to read/watch. I add them anyway just to be safe, but I don’t feel bad if I don’t ever get to them. There’s only so much time in this world.