For many, there will come a time when you’re "connected" to too much stuff on the internet. You know you’re too connected when you simply can’t keep up with everything you’re signed up for. Whether it’s email subscriptions, RSS feeds, YouTube channels, MySpace/Facebook friends, AIM buddies and so on, all this information being blasted at you can be too much to handle.

If this sounds like you, maybe it’s time you do what I call The Purge.

There’s the basic purge and the extreme version. We’ll start with the extreme version.

Extreme Purge

1. Make a list of all the stuff you’re currently subscribed to. And I mean all of it. For some it make take time to get this list completed. To make it easier to get your list together, use a password manager like KeePass.

2. Go on an account canceling rampage and do it in such a way where you absolutely cannot get the accounts back. At the end of it all you should only have your primary email and a few instant messenger accounts left – but no more.

3. Commence freaking out for at least 1 to 2 days because you canceled so much stuff.

4. Accept what you did and know your life is better off for it.

Basic Purge

Similar to the Extreme Purge except you don’t actually delete accounts. Instead you remove any public presence the account has and discontinue all notifications, be they in-system or email.

Example using Facebook:

First, login to your Facebook account, go to Settings then Notifications, then tick every single option to Off. For some this will take a lot of clicking but it’s worth it.

Second, adjust your profile and privacy settings so you are not indexed whatsoever.

And that’s it.

Most of you out there will opt for the Basic Purge because it’s not so nerve-wracking.

Indicators that you need to purge

Information overload

This is mentioned above. You have so much info coming at you that you cannot make heads or tails of it anymore. Moreover you’re getting interrupted from receiving the information that’s truly important in your life.

More than 50% of the info blasted your way is worthless or doesn’t entertain anymore

The email notices from your bank are important. The services you pay for that send you notifications are important.

The "joke of the day" daily email isn’t. The incessant blabbering from friends in the form of bulletins isn’t. The YouTube comment notifications aren’t.

You get the idea. Stick to stuff that’s important to you and cut the fluff out.

You receive system notices from web sites you don’t even use anymore

You signed up for a bunch over the past few years and you’re still receiving updates from them – even though you haven’t so much as logged in to those sites in the last six months. Time to cut ‘em out.

What you’re signed up for is literally wasting time and money

Got a "pro" Flickr account but don’t upload photos anymore? Cancel it.

Do you pay for web hosting but do nothing with your web site, nor do you receive any significant traffic? Cancel it and use a freebie WordPress blog instead (or a freebie Blogger or Spaces or LiveJournal or whatever else you want to use).

Efforts to be more internet social only turned out to fill your email inbox full of crap

Social networking is one of those things that takes a fair amount of effort just to make it work for you. But if from your social networking stuff you’re just sitting on the sidelines watching other people use the system while you say, "Why do I even have this?", it’s time to get rid of it. That or at least turn off the notifications because it’s not doing you any good.

Consider doing The Purge as defragging your internet life, so to speak. Sometimes it just needs to be done.

Have you ever purged?

Did you ever reach a point where you said, F&@K IT, I’M DELETING EVERYTHING, and actually did it?

Or are you close to that point?

Let us know in the comments.