[ifh-hn]

Why do people keep chats? I have none, oldest is 6 months which is when I set my chat app to delete them. I'm the same with emails. Genuinely don't understand why you'd want to keep this stuff. I'd never go back and reread them.

[pingou]

Why do you feel the need to delete your chats? Is it to save space? Would you still do it if you had unlimited storage?

[olcay_]

I set my chats to be automatically deleted in 24 hours. This way when we have a small argument with someone, there's less chance of someone being triggered/angered by re-reading the chat. Although there have been rare cases where I had big arguments and would've liked to have the receipts.

[ifh-hn]

The only reason I default to 6 months is because 6 months appears to be the cut off after which the history is useless. It's occasionally saved my an arguement about what was agreed / said / planned. Otherwise I'd burn them after an hour.

[ifh-hn]

I wouldn't keep them in any context. I literally cannot see the point. Like I said I genuinely can't understand why you'd want to.

[pingou]

But if storage isn't an issue, why go out of your way to remove them? Don't you think there is an underlying reason you are changing the default to remove them?

[ifh-hn]

I don't go out my way, I just change the default. The underlying reason is it's useless data, why would I keep it? I don't transfer chats when I move phones either so...

I feel like you think there's something wrong with not collecting and keeping this data. I genuinely don't know why you would.

[pingou]

I do not think there is anything wrong with that (just that this is uncommon and surprising, so I'm curious), but in my hypothetical scenario where storage isn't an issue, having useless data stored should not matter.

Changing the default is not a big deal, for sure, but would you still do it if it required 10 minutes of your time every 6 months? If yes, I just cannot believe that you have no reason to do it. Perhaps it makes you feel freer, perhaps you think your device is more organized or cleaner, or something else.

But of course in real life data uses storage, but I feel like most people are on the other extreme and keep too much (data or possessions) because they cannot let go, but chat data footprint is usually minimal unless you receive lots of photos/videos.

[ifh-hn]

I just not that way included. I don't like clutter. And were it a 10 minute process id never use the service at all. Maybe I'm odd, I don't use social media either, and only use a single chat app currently on my device. I regularly delete chats as well, not just alter the default retention period. I'm just really not interested in chat history at all. I view it as useless data once it's a week or so old.

[ikr678]

I remove mine after about a year.

You keep saying storage isnt an issue, but having a large digital footprint is just more baggage to manage in future. I want to let these conversations/relationships evolve and change over time, I dont want to keep revisiting them at a certain point.

Each time I get a new phone, I go through and curate the photos/ files worth saving, back them up offline, then start fresh.

Just because you can store everything, infinitely, forever, doesnt mean you need to.

[sowbug]

Might depend on how old you are. If you're in your 20s or 30s, you probably still remember the silliest details like a childhood friend's middle name. But after that, bright memories start to fade, and trust me, it only gets worse. That's when you realize that having a little bit of memory scaffolding like old email, chats, and calendar is helpful for once-easy questions like "where did we go camping that one time when I was 28 or 29?"

[salviati]

I'm not sure if it needs to be said, but one thing that is possible only if you keep your old chats is the analysis TFA made.

[ifh-hn]

That's a weird reason.

Thought process: I'm going to keep all my chats and in 20 years time run an analysis on them and write a blog post about it...

[satvikpendem]

Well yes, if you see the other comments in this thread it does seem that many have had the idea to save their chats because they knew in the future a more powerful analysis tool would emerge for them. It does not seem to be an uncommon belief especially in the technically minded sphere.

[tokioyoyo]

My friends and I have 14+ year group chat, and we sometimes get drunk, scroll back, and make fun of ourselves. Worth every penny.

[vagab0nd]

You will wish you had them when you need them. There might be reasons in the future that you don't realize now. Plus the fact that storage is cheap. So the most logical thing to do is to keep them unless you have a good reason to delete.

[momento]

The author didn't keep the chats, the companies he interacts with did.

>Armed with GDPR and data access laws, I got myself archives with all my messages, reactions, and social graphs.

[ifh-hn]

So a third party stored them for the OP. Same difference. I tend to delete all my stuff.

[inanutshellus]

Did you keep your high school yearbooks?

[ifh-hn]

Hell no, I don't even think my school (British) did them. Nor would I turn up to a reunion. I'm not in contact with anyone I went to school with.