How To Remove Your Name From Search Engines and Social Networking Sites
Your Private Information Made Public
Folks, sometimes it is best to not reinvent the wheel; so today I am going to refer you to three excellent resources for the methods you need to know about if you are concerned about your personal information, and how websites (and the Gov’t) are collecting – and posting – it on the Internet.
If you are serious about protecting your identity and personal security, you should take actions now to block your personal information from public viewing.
Remove Your information from People Search Databases, Social Networks, and Search Engine Results— JessicaM
“Do you know what kind of personal information about you can be found from Internet? Do you know how to remove your name, address, phone number, pictures, bad comments and negative reviews from Google and other search engine results? Do you know how to delete your personal information from online people search database records?“
I am putting this one first as it is comprehensive and well researched. It is four pages long, and packed with good info.
How To Permanently Delete Your Account on Popular Websites — Cameron Chapman
“What we often don’t realize when signing up for all these accounts, though, is how difficult it can be to permanently delete our accounts when we’ve had enough. Some require complicated, multi-step processes that can stretch over the course of days (or weeks). Others take less time, but still require multiple steps by the user.“
This article outlines the steps for removing your account/profile on:
Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn, Google, Ebay, Wikipedia, Flickr/Yahoo!, Windows Live, StumbleUpon, WordPress, Amazon, YouTube, and PayPal.
If you want to stay inconspicuous while online, here are some products, services, and best practices to put to use.
How to Stay Anonymous Online — Erik Griffith
“Some might say that the Internet was built on anonymity. Without it, the Internet might not have become what it is today—a place where free speech reigns supreme (maybe to a fault). However, as social networks prevail—and über-companies like Google do all they can to market to you more effectively—your privacy on the Web comes into question. The good news is that you can take back control of what others see and know of you online. Here’s how.“
Subtopics: Safe Surfing, Anonymous E-mail, Social (Network) Security
The article contains links to programs and tools you may be interested in.. if your privacy is a concern to you.
Update: Here is another resource, brought to my attention by Rick Robinette:
“I came across a really cool site that, if anything, is a real education about online accounts and profiling. The site is called AccountKiller.
AccountKiller – Do you care about your personal data? We provide instructions to remove your account or public profile on most popular websites, including Skype, Facebook, Windows Live, Hotmail / Live, Twitter, MSN / Messenger, Google and many more. Want to create an account somewhere? Check our Blacklist first to see if it’s even possible to remove your profile!
What AccountKiller specializes in is collecting direct links and deleting instructions to make account termination an easier process.” Read more..
* * *
Bonus: additional recommended reading: Does a Blogger’s Opinion Really Matter?
Copyright 2007-2010 © “Tech Paul” (Paul Eckstrom). All Rights Reserved. 
post to jaanix.
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
| Share this post : |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
How To Uninstall Live Messenger
Microsoft’s Instant Messenger (IM) program, “Messenger” is now a part of the “Live” family of downloadable programs and utilities, (see, The “Live” Line – Microsoft’s *New* Product Family) and like the others, is now called “Live Messenger”. The “Windows Live” programs you can download are: Messenger, Mail, Writer, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker, Family Safety, and Toolbar.
Some of those are keepers for sure, but renaming Messenger to “Live Messenger”, and giving it a fancier look, um, er, well, let’s just say I don’t want it on my machine. If you have it, and do not want it either, keep reading.
How To Uninstall Windows Live Messenger (or other Live program):
1) The normal way to remove (technically, “uninstall”) programs from your computer is to use the “Add/Remove Programs” tool in the Windows Control Panel (called “Programs and Features” in Vista/Win7). And this is where you go to uninstall Live Messenger too.
“But Paul! I looked there already! Messenger isn’t there!“, you say? Well, yes it is, but it’s kind of hidden. So click Start > Control Panel > Programs and Features >Uninstall a program. And let the list “populate”.
The “pack” of downloadable “Live” programs – including Live Messenger – is called “Windows Live Essentials” so that’s is what you want to look for. (Click on images to see larger versions.)
2) Click on “Windows Live Essentials” to ‘select’ it, and then click the “Change/Remove” button. A new window will open.
3) Select the “Uninstall” ‘radio button’ (if it isn’t already) and click “Continue”.
4) Place a check in the checkbox for Messenger (and any others you no longer want) and click “Continue”. Follow the steps until it says “Finished”, reboot if necessary, and that’s it, you’re done. Live Messenger will be gone.
Today’s free download: For my Instant Messaging (aka “chat”) needs, I use Trillian Astra, which lets me monitor multiple ‘identities’. (Works on Macs now too.)
Connect to IM & Social Networks. Trillian lets you connect to multiple IM and social networks at the same time, managing contacts and real time status feeds efficiently.
AIM , 
Yahoo! , 
ICQ , 
Windows Live (MSN) , 
MySpaceIM , 
Google Talk , 
Jabber/XMPP , 
Facebook , 
Twitter , 
Skype , 
Bonjour.
Copyright 2007-2010 © Tech Paul. All Rights Reserved. post to jaanix.
>> Folks, don’t miss an article! To get Tech – for Everyone articles delivered to your e-mail Inbox, click here, or to subscribe in your RSS reader, click here. <<
| Share this post : | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Vista’s Photo Gallery Feature
Quick & Easy Photo Editing Tool Also A Free Download
Do you like one-click simple? Do you like free? Are you tired of Mac fanatics smugly telling you how great iLife is? Do you ever e-mail photos, and need to do a little touching-up (cropping, maybe) first?
If you answered “yes” to one of these questions, you might find the “Media Center” program Photo Gallery to be just the ticket, and if you have a Vista machine or XP Media Center Edition, you already have this neat little app at the click of your Start button — it’s built-in.
(I use the crop, and 1-click red-eye removal the most..)
- Enhance your photos
Enhance your photos by adjusting things like color and exposure. Improve your photos with simple crop and red-eye fixes. Create a panoramic view by combining multiple photos. Capture the moment by adding captions. - Easily share your photos
The “Publish” button makes it simple to share your photos and videos online. Or you can easily e-mail as many photos as you’d like to friends and family. You can also display your photos with cool screensavers and slideshows. - Quickly find and organize your photos and videos
Import your photos from your digital camera; the Windows Live Photo Gallery will automatically organize them based on date and time. Keep your images organized by name, date, rating, and type. Locate similar photos with tags you add. - Download photo albums
Photo Gallery allows you to download entire albums from Windows Live Spaces at high resolution.
If you aren’t using one of those two OS’s, you can download the program. It is one part of Microsoft’s line of “Live” services. I wrote about Microsoft “Live” previously, to read that article click here. Also, if you’re curious about what else is offered (free) as part of “Live”, please read fellow Tech blogger Rick Robinette’s vignette, Windows Live…
This screenshot shows the photo editing mode. You can see that there’s a 1-click “auto-adjust”, and a 1-click red-eye removal, as well as a 1-click Undo. There are more ‘advanced’ color and contrast adjustments as well.
The bottom controls are for the built-in slideshow feature, and rotate (useful in folder view, after an import.)
This program is one of the ‘enhancements’ in Vista that most everyone can appreciate and make use of. It’s quick. It’s basic. And, I think that it’s fairly decent of Microsoft to make it freely available for download.
Today’s free download: Windows Photo Gallery. Simplify the way you work with photos. Windows Live Photo Gallery makes it easy to import, organize, edit, and share your digital memories.
Copyright 2007-9 © Tech Paul. All rights reserved. post to jaanix
| Share this post : | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
• About Tech Paul
I am a Retired computer & network technician. I used to think the machines were pretty cool. Now I don’t.
They’re anything but.
I regularly posted how-to’s and tricks & tips and general computing advice here starting in 2007. (Use the Search tool to find answers. But be aware, many are rather dated.) Sometimes I answered (your) specific questions in an article if I believed the answer was generally helpful to “everyone”. All the writing you see was my own, typos and all. There always is/was an implied “IMHO” in what you see here.
Note: You are responsible for using this blog and its content. I am in no way liable for any losses caused by user error, viruses and/or other malware, hardware or software failure, or any other conceivable reason.
-
Say "thank you!" Buy Tech Paul a cup of coffee (and keep T4E ad free).
-
-
McAfee® Cybersafety Resource Portal, an online help center designed to assist victims of computer crime and provide information on how to avoid becoming a victim.
-
Subscribe to Tech--for Everyone by EmailRecent Comments
-
-
-
-
Also:
-
-
Tech - for Everyone 