This post written from Starbucks in Sea Girt, NJ 

I walk from room to room with my head hung low as I try to recover from a life event that may haunt me for all my remaining days.

I switched from MyYahoo! To iGoogle – There, I said it! That’s right; I made the move from my long time (eight years) home page, MyYahoo! To the younger better looking iGoogle. – I feel so dirty.

It started out innocent enough, we’d meet up once in a while just to see what was new. We’d move some content around, add some widgets but it was all just good clean fun. Every night I’d come home to MyYahoo! I thought I could handle it, I now look back and realize I was a fool to think I could pull off seeing them both – I was living a lie and it was eating me up inside.

At first it was harmless content moving but then it happened, we started adding RSS feeds. First we started with just a couple of marketing Podcast feeds but before I knew it were going at it twice a day, adding Marketing Blog and mashup feeds like animals! Before long I was hooked, my widgets have never been moved like that before – I had to do the right thing and make the move permanently.

I surfed my way back to my old homepage; it was the longest click I’d ever taken. I was dreading the conversation with MyYahoo!

Me: We need to chat.

MyYahoo: I had a feeling this was coming.

Me: First off, it’s not you, it’s me.

MyYahoo: Cut the crap.

Me: You’re right, you deserve the truth. I never meant for this to happen, it just did. We’ve been together a long time. When we met things were new and exciting, it was a different time a different world, but as time went on we really just never kept up with the changing times. I have needs damit!

MyYahoo: Oh, so I suppose that iGoogle does all those things you wanted me to do?!?

Me: And more.

MyYahoo: Hmmmfff. So that’s it, you’re not even going to try? We can go see a developer.

Me: It’s too late for that; I’ve already changed the home button on my browser. Come on, cut that out, you know I can’t stand to see you refresh.

MyYahoo: I can’t help it, my server is overwhelmed.

Me: Look, we’ve had some good times and you’ve made me happy for a long time but I need more. I need quicker response times, faster feed updates, more choices and lets face it, iGoogle really works to keep looking great, you stopped caring about that years ago.

MyYahoo: I have a lot on my page!

Me: I know you do. I’m not saying…

MyYahoo: So I’m supposed to just wipe my cache of you and move on. Well it’s not that easy. You know iGoogle will never respect your privacy the way I do. Everything you do will be under the microscope. Every search and feed click will be recorded and eventually it will be used against you. iGoogle doesn’t care about you, you’re just being used.

Me: I know.

MyYahoo: And you still want to go?!?

Me: Yes.

MyYahoo: Fine! Then go – you’re no different than all the other users out there. All you really want to do is interface!

Me: Come on, lets not end it like this…

MyYahoo: Just click.

So I clicked. I didn’t know what else to do. I can’t say I’ll never look back or that I won’t have regrets down the road. I’ll definitely miss my old home page.  I can’t explain why I am making this move to iGoogle, I’m a marketing guy, an Internet marketing expert. I wrote an Internet marketing book for goodness sakes! I know better than anyone that my privacy is at risk and all of my search history will be recorded and eventually used and sold to advertisers. I can’t explain it?!?

– Maybe I’m just thinking with my pointer?