How Can I Reduce My Internet Footprint?

Alvah

Life is what you make of it.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Messages
313
Reaction score
31
Location
U.S.
How, specifically, can a person reduce their internet footprint?

I realize you can get your name off Classmates, but how can
you make yourself unfindable by Zabasearch or People Search,
or just plain Google?

Thanks,
 

L M Ashton

crazy spec fic writer
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
5,027
Reaction score
518
Location
I'm not even sure I know anymore...
Website
lmashton.com
1. Never use any personally identifiable information. Never use your real name in anything, including in any email address or in any posts. Never post your address, telephone number, or anything else that identifies you as an individual anywhere.

2. There is no step two.

If phone companies or other such organizations provide your information to online searches, databases, and the like (I don't know how it works where you are), then get yourself an unlisted phone number. However, people can still use the old number to track you down until you move to a new address.
 

HeronW

Down Under Fan
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
6,398
Reaction score
1,854
Location
Rishon Lezion, Israel
As long as there are records from DMV, credit cards, taxes, associations you belong to, registries for ordering online, etc, you are trackable.

By changing your name legally, always paying cash, never signing up for anything either in person, on the web, on the tel., or by mail, using aliases and different email accounts for different sites--that can reduce the time your name shows up and the amount of spam you get.

We do live in an information age. According to a person's ability and comp knowledge, anything you do or have done leaves a paper and an electronic trail from the birth certificate to shopping, to voter records, etc.

You can opt to reduce or omit tracking cookies, never online bank or pay bills, don't use IM programs, don't send email, don't personalize home pages, don't upload or download anything. Never give your real name online, or to anyone who gets online.

If you have stories posted anywhere, even if you remove them, they may still be in a database somewhere.

If you're worried about identity theft, you need to contact your bank, credit card, insurance, utilites, and anyone else with whom you have a financial relationship.
 

stephenf

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 29, 2008
Messages
1,199
Reaction score
335
You can download Tor( www.torproject.com ) it's free and prevents ISPs from determinig which sites you are visiting.You can also goto(http://vancouver.cs.washington.edu) . It's a online test that detects if your ISP is trialling a device like Edge Technology's Data Alchemist,used to monitor browsing history.
 

Alvah

Life is what you make of it.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 14, 2007
Messages
313
Reaction score
31
Location
U.S.
Don't use your real name in anything online -- including purchases, etc.

That's about it.

Well, If I use my credit card on line, for Netflix for example,
I assume I have to enter accurate information in order for
the credit card number to be recognized as valid.

For online banking I have to give the bank my true name in order to get
access to my account.

The only way I can see is to do nothing online that requires accurate information about me. No subscription to Netflix, no purchases
from online vendors such as Amazon or eBay. That's possible
but in this day and age, it's not practical. It means going back
to the way commerce was done in the 1970's, before the
internet existed.
 

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
38,197
Reaction score
4,544
Location
The End of the World
Well, If I use my credit card on line, for Netflix for example,
I assume I have to enter accurate information in order for
the credit card number to be recognized as valid.

For online banking I have to give the bank my true name in order to get
access to my account.

The only way I can see is to do nothing online that requires accurate information about me. No subscription to Netflix, no purchases
from online vendors such as Amazon or eBay. That's possible
but in this day and age, it's not practical. It means going back
to the way commerce was done in the 1970's, before the
internet existed.

Yep.
 

benbradley

It's a doggy dog world
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 5, 2006
Messages
20,322
Reaction score
3,513
Location
Transcending Canines
If you have stories posted anywhere, even if you remove them, they may still be in a database somewhere.
Such things may be in Google Cache which I don't think you can do anything about, but if it's at http://archive.org (you can't search there, but you can put in the URL of any page that exists or existed earler and see what what it looked like at different points in time whenever they saved a changed copy of it) you can ask them to delete it from their archives.

I don't know of others specifically, but you can be sure these two aren't the only sites that attempt to "save a copy of everything every put on the Internet."
 

Beach Bunny

The Provocative One
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Aug 5, 2008
Messages
3,146
Reaction score
2,971
Location
Where angels fear to tread
Ah, I didn't see this thread yesterday. But, I did post an answer in this thread where the issue was originally brought up. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3010205&postcount=67

Well, If I use my credit card on line, for Netflix for example,
I assume I have to enter accurate information in order for
the credit card number to be recognized as valid.

For online banking I have to give the bank my true name in order to get
access to my account.

The only way I can see is to do nothing online that requires accurate information about me. No subscription to Netflix, no purchases
from online vendors such as Amazon or eBay. That's possible
but in this day and age, it's not practical. It means going back
to the way commerce was done in the 1970's, before the
internet existed.
I get along just fine without online banking, Netflix, ebay or Amazon. To be honest, I would rather go down to the bookstore and browse. By doing so, I find books that I would never come across by browsing Amazon. I find that it takes a heck of a lot longer to browse through the same number of books on Amazon than it does walking down an aisle in the bookstore. I spend less time and I get less frustrated going down to the bookstore and perusing the shelves, than I do searching Amazon. Same goes for videos and Netflix. And Netflix doesn't send the special features disc of a two volume set. They only send the movie disc. :Shrug:
 

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
20,569
Reaction score
4,814
Location
youtu.be/QRruBVFXjnY
Website
www.ifoundaknife.com
It means going back
to the way commerce was done in the 1970's, before the
internet existed.

Well, yes and no. You're only going back to the early 90's. But you also have to stop using credit cards, checks, library cards, and probably those silly video rental cards that every little mom and pop tape place used to give out. All of those folks are sending that info across the 'net these days.

So, cash basis, when the store asks for your zip code give them all 5's,

Oh and trac phones/disposable phones. Paying for minutes in cash at store that doesn't care what information you give them.

Hmm, let's see. You probably can make yourself invisible "from this point forward", but your past is harder to erase.

I'm not sure if you can "opt out" of court records and county records (like birth certificates) that are being scanned and placed for digital delivery.
 

kuwisdelu

Revolutionize the World
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Sep 18, 2007
Messages
38,197
Reaction score
4,544
Location
The End of the World
Don't forget the scanners in your home. They are always watching.

My mother is convinced her cell phone is bugged.
 

Tirjasdyn

Outline Maven
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
2,182
Reaction score
183
Location
Mountain of my own Making
Website
michellejnorton.com
Ah, I didn't see this thread yesterday. But, I did post an answer in this thread where the issue was originally brought up. http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3010205&postcount=67


I get along just fine without online banking, Netflix, ebay or Amazon. To be honest, I would rather go down to the bookstore and browse. By doing so, I find books that I would never come across by browsing Amazon. I find that it takes a heck of a lot longer to browse through the same number of books on Amazon than it does walking down an aisle in the bookstore. I spend less time and I get less frustrated going down to the bookstore and perusing the shelves, than I do searching Amazon. Same goes for videos and Netflix. And Netflix doesn't send the special features disc of a two volume set. They only send the movie disc. :Shrug:

I doesn't matter if you do none of these. My grandfather has never owned a computer, yet if I do a people search on him I can see where he's lived for the last 30 years.

All public records are available online.
 

Tirjasdyn

Outline Maven
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 21, 2005
Messages
2,182
Reaction score
183
Location
Mountain of my own Making
Website
michellejnorton.com
Well, yes and no. You're only going back to the early 90's. But you also have to stop using credit cards, checks, library cards, and probably those silly video rental cards that every little mom and pop tape place used to give out. All of those folks are sending that info across the 'net these days.

So, cash basis, when the store asks for your zip code give them all 5's,

Oh and trac phones/disposable phones. Paying for minutes in cash at store that doesn't care what information you give them.

Hmm, let's see. You probably can make yourself invisible "from this point forward", but your past is harder to erase.

I'm not sure if you can "opt out" of court records and county records (like birth certificates) that are being scanned and placed for digital delivery.

Also don't travel except by car...which is also traceable because you have to have a license and insurance.
 

Alphabeter

Player of the Letters
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 12, 2005
Messages
948
Reaction score
205
Location
NW Iowa
...My mother is convinced her cell phone is bugged.

It is (sorta) Every cell phone (plan, pre-pay, etc) has a SIM card in it to allow it to connect with towers to 'make' the call. Its unique to every phone (though models vary) and allows for tracing and tracking among other things.

As to whether the NSA is monitoring her every call...unless she uses a lot of terminology that trips a filter to make them curious, she's probably ok.
 

dclary

Unabashed Mercenary
Poetry Book Collaborator
Requiescat In Pace
Registered
Joined
Oct 17, 2005
Messages
13,050
Reaction score
3,524
Age
55
Website
www.trumpstump2016.com
What the others have said. Once you're ON the internet, you'll never be OFF the internet.

And uh, yeah, if you truly want to be "off the grid?" Maybe think about not renting movies and paying bills online.