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Comment by jakebasile | Hacker News Reader

I regret deleting my original Facebook account. I made it around the time they opened to every college in the US and there was a lot of history there, photos and videos and text. Sure most of it was worthless and maybe even embarrassing but that data is gone now.

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For anyone worried about this, Facebook gives you an option to download all of your data in a single zip file before deleting your account.

https://www.facebook.com/help/131112897028467

Yeah, I wish I would have done that (if they had it at the time, I don't think I even looked).

Just because you don't value the data FB has now doesn't mean you won't in the future.

I'm sure if you ask REALLY nicely, they'll just 're-activate' your 'deleted' account and magically all the stuff that was 'deleted' will suddenly be back. /sarcasm

Why sarcasm? Sounds reasonable

When you delete your account, Facebook implies that they will (eventually) purge your data from their systems.

Given the current costs of storage, many are skeptical of this.

I think the point is that its not actually deleted at all. Its Facebook thats in control of your data not you.

I felt the same way about my livejournal account from college. I was just really worried at the time, it could be an issue, when just entering the workforce. I use facebook now, much the same way I used livejournal, keeping track of links, photos, and things I'm working on. At the time I started, search was pretty terrible. But I figured it would improve, which it has. Still, every once and a while, I'll be working on something and go, "Ah man, I had that written down in the livejournal!" Oops.

don't worry, your data is safe and still in FB hands; you just don't have access to it anymore ;)

I did the same and I regret it too, I wasn't really thinking of the consequences at the time.

I rejoined FB last year or so, but their "recover your deleted data" feature recovered nothing, presumably they do a permanent delete after 2 years or something rather than a soft one.

Just create several accounts and segment your social life.

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