fading

It costs little to keep email, but that doesn’t mean you should keep millions of messages for years and years.

depreciating

Consumer eleectronics can decline in value quickly, so if you are planning to sell something you no longer use, don’t put it off for a few months.

defunct media

Before discarding a hard disk drive from your computer, take the time to thoroughly erase it or physically destroy it so that it won’t be possible for anyone to read any long-forgotten files.

old technology

Many technology items lose all their commercial value within ten years of the initial product release. Then it isn’t possible to sell the item at any price except by accident.

continuity

Don’t depend on files that exist in only one place.

shadow files

Think of a file on your computer that you hope no one ever sees. Consider deleting it.

final

To avoid future confusion, as soon as you have committed to a final document, delete the draft versions of the document.

guessword

Don’t choose a password that is easy for you to guess after you have forgotten it. Such a password is even easier for others to guess.

short history

Deleting the irrelevant corners of your digital history should be a regular habit, a subject you turn to at least once every year. Don't wait for something damaging or embarrassing to surface.

airplane mode

Travel might give you a chance to delete old files from your phone.

receipts

Save transaction records that matter, then delete them when they no longer matter.

picture

A successful digital image is one that makes the screen look better.

anti-glare

Instead of looking for something more interesting on the computer, look away from the screen.

inbox cleanup

Delete some obsolete email messages.

undial

Remove phone numbers from your contacts list for people you would never want to talk to.

blank screen

Nothing on your screen will save you from having to do the work of your life. But don’t take my word for it. You can see it for yourself.

digital delay

It costs almost nothing to keep old computer files and email messages. That doesn’t mean you should keep them.

stale device

If you haven’t rebooted your smart phone in a month, pick a convenient time and reboot it. If you don’t know how to reboot the phone, learn the process from the manufacturer’s web site.

digital decay

No form of computer file storage is completely secure. Consider what could happen if the world saw your content, and delete files when they are more embarrassing than useful.

bad data

Delete the computer files you don’t want anyone to find. That goes double for files on a mobile device or stored in a cloud service.