digital footprints in the sand

Alright, I’m about to say “Enough!” to all the digital profiles, online accounts, and private networking sites. I know this may well be “career suicide” for someone who manages Web and social media content for a national non-profit, and just took on the new role of  “Community Manager” as well, but seriously.

It’s getting close to impossible to manage one’s own online identity in this digital age. Turns out, the ease with which we can now post about our daily lives on the Internet(s) is a double-edged sword. We can (and in many cases, have to) create an account to comment on news sites and blogs, follow topics on other Websites, communicate with friends and family, bookmark URLs online — the list is almost endless.

Is this necessary? I don’t know. I’ve seen stories of journalists who’ve tried to disconnect, at least from social networking platforms, and from what I can tell it never quite “took.” I doubt I’ll ever go so far as to try to disconnect socially, but the thought of erasing my digital footprints in the sand is pretty intriguing.

Do it, Google yourself. See what comes up? Half your freakin’ life if you’re like me!

I’ve decided for 2012 to start making a list of all the places I have created accounts. If you see me “out there” somewhere and it’s not listed here, let me know:

• Google (and it’s affiliates, including YouTube, Picasa, Google+, Google Groups, Google Docs, Google Calendar, etc. And Google, if you’re paying attention, I’m ready for my microchip to be embedded)
• WordPress (of course)
• The DNC
• Twitter
• HootSuite
• Facebook
• DeviantArt
• Yahoo! (formerly for email, but now just for Flickr and Yahoo! news)
• Delicious
• Digg
• Posterous
• WashingtonPost.com
• Pandora
• WAMU (local NPR network)
• Pinterest (this is a new one, I doubt I’ll spend much time on it)
• Etsy
• Amazon
• Women’s Health magazine
• The Nation magazine
• Ticketmaster
• Bit.ly
• MyBO
• NaNoWriMo
• HuffPost
• Technorati
• Mashable
• Audible
• iTunes
• Reddit
• Bloomingdales
• Ann Taylor
• Banana Republic
• J. Crew
• Stumbleupon
• VoteBuilder
• National Field
• My bank
• Pandora
• Picknik
• Gilt
• Living Social
• Deals for Deeds
• One Kings Lane
• Hallmark.com
• My HOA website
• Quora
• to be continued….

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