Methods to Delete Your Data from the Internet and obtain some privacy.

Online privacy is a major concern for many people, and for good reason. Your personal information is constantly being collected by various websites, companies, and organizations, and it can be difficult to keep track of who has your data and how it is being used. If you’re looking to increase your online privacy, one of the best things you can do is to take steps to delete your information from the internet. Here are some ways to do that:


Review and delete your online accounts: Go through a list of all the websites and online services you use, and consider whether you really need all of them. If you have accounts that you no longer use, consider deleting them. This will not only help to reduce the amount of personal information that is available online, but it will also make it easier to keep track of your active accounts.


Delete old posts and comments: If you have been active on social media or forums, there is a good chance that you have made a number of posts and comments over the years. Go through your old posts and delete anything that you no longer want to be available online. This includes posts that contain personal information, as well as anything that you might regret posting in the future.


Remove your personal information from people search websites: There are a number of websites that specialize in collecting and publishing personal information about people. These sites can be a major source of information for anyone who is trying to track you down. To remove your information from these sites, you will need to go to each site individually and request that your information be removed.


Opt out of data brokers: Data brokers are companies that collect and sell personal information to other businesses. If you want to reduce the amount of personal information that is available online, you can opt out of these data brokers. This can be done through the Network Advertising Initiative’s opt-out page, or through the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out page.


Use privacy-focused search engines: If you’re concerned about your online privacy, you may want to consider using a search engine that places a greater emphasis on privacy. Some options include DuckDuckGo and StartPage. These search engines do not track your searches or collect your personal information, which can help to increase your online privacy.


Use a virtual private network (VPN): A VPN is a tool that encrypts your internet connection and hides your IP address. This can be useful for increasing your online privacy, as it makes it more difficult for websites and organizations to track your online activity. There are a number of VPNs available, and it’s important to do your research and choose a reputable one.


Enable privacy settings on your devices: Most devices and operating systems come with a range of privacy settings that you can customize. Take some time to go through the privacy settings on your devices and adjust them to your liking. This can include things like turning off location tracking, disabling cookies, and limiting the amount of personal information that is shared with apps and websites.


Use secure and unique passwords: One of the easiest ways for someone to gain access to your personal information is by guessing your password. To protect yourself, it’s important to use strong, unique passwords for all of your accounts. Consider using a password manager to help you generate and store secure passwords.


By taking these steps, you can help to reduce the amount of personal information that is available online and increase your overall online privacy. It’s important to remember that complete privacy on the internet is difficult to achieve, but by taking control of your personal information, you can make it much more difficult for others to track you and access your data.

ChatGPT and the future of Software Development.

ChatGPT is a new machine learning model developed by OpenAI that has the potential to revolutionize the way software is developed in the future. ChatGPT is a variant of the original GPT (Generative Pre-training Transformer) model, which is a powerful language model that can generate human-like text. ChatGPT, on the other hand, is specifically designed to generate chatbot responses in a conversational context.


One of the main ways in which ChatGPT could change software development is by automating certain tasks that are currently done manually by developers. For example, ChatGPT could be used to write code or generate documentation for a software project. This would not only save time for developers but also reduce the risk of errors or oversights that can occur when tasks are done manually.


Another potential use for ChatGPT in software development is in the testing and debugging phase. ChatGPT could be used to simulate user interactions with a software application, allowing developers to identify and fix issues more efficiently. This would be especially useful for testing complex or high-traffic applications, as ChatGPT could generate a large number of test cases in a short period of time.


Another area where ChatGPT could be useful is in customer service and support. ChatGPT could be used to create chatbots that can assist users with common issues or questions, freeing up human support staff to focus on more complex issues. This would not only improve the efficiency of customer support teams but also provide a better experience for users who may have to wait longer for a human response.


One potential concern with using ChatGPT in software development is the issue of bias. Machine learning models can often reflect the biases present in the data they are trained on, and this could be a concern if ChatGPT is used to generate code or other important aspects of a software project. To mitigate this risk, it will be important to ensure that ChatGPT is trained on a diverse and representative dataset.


Despite these potential benefits and concerns, it is important to note that ChatGPT is still a new and experimental technology, and it is not yet clear how it will be used in practice. It is likely that ChatGPT will be used in combination with other tools and technologies, rather than replacing human developers entirely.


Overall, ChatGPT has the potential to significantly change the way software is developed in the future. By automating certain tasks, improving the efficiency of testing and debugging, and providing better customer support, ChatGPT could help developers create better software in less time. However, it is important to carefully consider the potential risks and biases associated with this technology and to use it in a way that is ethical and responsible.

The Unvarnished Truth about Prolific Authors

Recently, I came across a blog post from someone in my past. In that blog post, this person mentioned she was part of some group where there was an author who has published some 100+ books in his lifetime. While this number is very impressive, it is also a sign of someone who truly understands the business of writing and publishing.

You see prolific authors are so prolific because fundamentally publishing books or other works is in itself a business. Each work can act very similar to an annuity of sorts in that the payment for any written work can be paid over the course of one’s lifetime. So, therefore it behooves a writer to be as prolific as possible to keep growing this level of income.

The simple fact is that many of the most prolific authors didn’t write every single word they had published. It wouldn’t make good business sense to do so! Rather, by outsourcing, at least some of their time to researchers or even those who help create rough drafts is a better use of their time.

How would I possibly know about this? Well, I have spent some time ghostwriting for some of these so-called prolific authors myself. Of course, because of privacy reasons, as well as Non-Disclosure Forms, I am not able to talk about whom I have helped in the past.

I also know there are several large businesses that supply ghost writing services for some of the most famous authors that you may read. Again, this is something not talked about in the writing community, but it does happen.

It is folly to compare yourself as a writer to those whom you may feel are more prolific than yourself. In fact, it is folly to compare yourself to anyone else.

As well, in regards to the ethics of using ghostwriters to help you out that is beyond the scope of this particular post.

My point in writing this is that once you fully grasp that writing and publishing are, in fact, a business, you will be better able to leverage your time and resources to become far more productive. You can’t just blame your current situation for your lack of time to get things done.

Just write, write every single day.

What to do afterwards?

In reviewing the book The Four Hour Workweek I started to re-read another chapter and this one really did not resonate with me until now. You see while I have been thinking about how to get more free time I did not really plan out what to do with that free time. Tim calls it “filling the void” and it is towards the end of the book.

Essentially, you really have to think of the reasons WHY you are striving to have a hand free business. What are you planning on doing with your time? It is really unnatural for someone to have nothing to do with their time, do you want more time for meaningless pursuits or would you rather fill your time up adding meaning to others.

So in that regards before you begin to design your muse and your exit strategy should that muse collapse you should also think about what to do with your time after you are successful. Planning for a successful outcome would probably result in a far more enticing reason for your “why” and thereby would motivate you to move forward with your plans.

Perhaps you wanted to travel the world extensively? Or maybe you want to bring water to villages in the Sudan? Or perhaps you want to help children in America so that they have a hope for a brighter future? Anything is worthwhile and you really don’t have to feel obligated to give your time to charity if you don’t wish to do so. If you aren’t motivated by the charities that are out there then you would be wasting your time and end up as a burden to these groups.

There are those out there that are choosing these plans for themselves each and every day, if you don’t get to work deciding on what to do with your life someone else will plan it out for you. And those plans may not be to your liking.

Truly I have to review Tim Ferriss’s Blog a bit more. I am sure there are more resources that I have missed and I could be missing out some details that are not covered in the book. Unfortunately there are only so many details that can be covered in any printed book, if you wish to have the most up to date information you should always check with the website associated with any guide or book.

My “Little House on the Prairie” Project

For those that know me I grew up in Minnesota. As well I recently discovered this new obsession with “Tiny Homes” or homes that are roughly 200 sq. ft. or sometimes less. These homes have several advantages, they are mobile, they are cheap, they can be built by one person over the course of several months, and they don’t have a large environmental footprint.

Since I always wanted to have a home again in Minnesota I have made it a mission to buy or build one of these tiny homes and make it my getaway home or vacation home. I have deemed to call this my “Little House on the Prairie Project” and I will record my findings on this blog as I endeavor to buy or build a home that fits the bill.

Tiny homes are exactly what any environmentally conscious person would desire. You can easily power them by one or two large solar panel cells and if you use a composting toilet then you could be off the grid completely. Since these homes are so small you should not require a mortgage to buy one, I certainly will not take a mortgage out to purchase mine.

Now, this may seem to be a bit of an odd mission or quest as others always strive for larger homes and bigger cars but I have been always a bit different from others. In time, though these tiny homes may just be the wave of the future. I mean with the housing bubble and all that came with it there are many families that simply cannot afford to buy a home outright anymore. Who wants to be beholden to any bank or lender? The thought of any home being taken from me is what keeps me up at night.

Furthermore, this project may lend allow me to live more independently from the grid and be more likely to survive any major issue should the crap hit the fan. While I don’t want or predict any major issue in the future it would be stupid to not at least plan for the worst case scenario.

There are many lessons that I have yet to put into place after reading Neil Strauss book called Emergency. This tiny home project may just be a catalyst to get going on that project.

So if you are interested in buying a home without a mortgage then this series may just be the ticket for you. There are numerous advantages to not having a mortgage, namely a lower cost of living and no worry about losing your home in the future.

Please stay tuned as I gear up for this project.

The Four Hour Work Week – A Book Review

First off this book review will be a bit different in that to really examine the ideas of this book they should be tested out thoroughly. So, while this post may be an initial review of the material that is in the book the rest will show through by my actual implementation, or the attempt at an Implementation, of what this book represents.

Unfortunately many people have made fun of this book throughout the years. There are those in the internet marketing field that say they work 17 hour days in order to get to a four hour work week. That just may be the truth for those people. But, maybe they just have not implemented the ideas as they should? Not sure.

The content of the book is very well written, so clearly someone must have spent some time editing and reviewing this book so to give it’s polish. You don’t end up as a New York Times Bestseller by halfassing that aspect. There are many who try and publish a book on the Kindle Marketplace and don’t go through the rigorous editing and reworking that any book published by the reputable book publishers have to go through.

Since this book has been published I know for a fact that some of the ideas are next to impossible to implement. The rules regarding Google Adwords for instance are a lot more stringent and you simply cannot test some of your ideas as you may think using that system. While Google Adwords is a great tool to generate traffic to a website it can be a bit difficult to use and many times people will find that their account has been closed with no explanation.

However, that being said the ideas presented in this book are somewhat solid still and can be implemented. They may not be easy for someone who has zero business knowledge or at least someone who is not willing to go out and try and learn how to do it. Many times criticisms spring from people’s frustrations with their own inadequacies and their lack of wherewithal.

The opening story and premise of the book

The opening of the book is a realization by Tim of the number of hours he is working and how much money he is making. Clearly there is a bit of a disconnect here and the sad fact of the matter is that many people who start a business become slaves to their business. Without revealing this point of pain however you would not know the journey Tim went through in order to transform his life into something many people admire.

Clearly this opening story is also meant to cause you the reader to relate to this particular situation, after all the whole idea of the book is supposed to cause you to want to change your life. One might say that he is setting himself up similar to that of a the story of many “superheroes” and that may just be a valid point.

Now there are numerous success stories of people who have implemented Tim’s ideas in their own life, for them this has worked wonderfully. However, there is an untold amount of people who tried and for some reason could not get this system to work. You simply don’t hear about people’s failures because most of the time those that failed are just too embarrassed to admit it. Why am I saying this? Because the frank and honest truth is what is missing in many other’s reviews of The Four Hour Work Week.

The Concept of the New Rich

The premise of this book is that the “New Rich” today tries to design their lives so that they have a source of money, an income stream, that allows them to live a life they desire. With the advent of the Internet and globalization, this is entirely possible, but the emphasis on foreign workers is a bit much in my opinion.

Just because I could go out and hire someone for far less than someone here in America does not mean that they would do a far better job nor does it mean that this would not subject my company to various security threats. If you have ever tried to go through the task of hiring a VA from any of the countries mentioned in this book you know of the nightmare that this can be. Some Virtual Assistants are great, they do a fantastic job and are well worth the investment, but others are very poor to say the least.

For instance it is routine to generate a customized training manual to give to a potential VA for the work that you want to have done. However, since your potential VA could have already worked in that same field he or she may have some bad habits that he or she picked up along the way. It is not uncommon for a VA to completely ignore your detailed instructions and do whatever he or she damn well pleases. This would put your business in a bind if the VA happens to break the Terms of Service for the many accounts and websites you may have.

One of the biggest hurdles in becoming a member of the “New Rich” then is sourcing your VA’s and making sure that they follow your instructions to the letter. Overseeing your foreign employee’s is also a task that can take up a lot of time. If you happen to give your employee’s too much free reign then you are just asking for a nightmare.

Honestly the scope of this review will require a number of posts to cover everything. I don’t want to give everything away as well because that would not be right to those that bought the book. So please stay tuned for a continuation of this review, yes it is exhaustive.