Thing 16: Your Digital Footprint

This Thing raised an important issue which frankly I think deserves more attention.  In fact, the curious dichotomy of this entire course is that on the one hand we are taken through all sorts of online tools and taught how tweet and bleat and whatnot, and then on the other hand we are warned how dangerous all of that is!  I think integrating the two rather than treating them as separate issues would drive the point home more effectively. For example, when doing a Thing on Facebook and Twitter, it would be helpful to get pointers not only on how they can be harnessed to work for you professionally, but on the potential pitfalls and not so smart ways of engaging with them.  That would give participants a more informed idea of the tools at their disposal.

Now to the list of diagnostic points.  I never, ever give personal information to unfamiliar websites.  I rarely shop online and when I do, I only use tried and trusted websites such as Amazon.  I have on occasion purchased stuff from less-known website but only on recommendation of friends who have used the same service, or after having googled around and satisfied myself of its safety and reliability.

I never respond to any phishing emails or click on links attached to dodgy looking emails.  Having said that, phishing emails can sometimes be tricky to identify but a good rule of thumb is if it's from someone you don't know, don't touch it.

I don't download software unless I am a hundred per cent satisfied that it comes from a reliable source and is fully above board.  I have invested in good antivirus software which among other things scans all downloads and prevents me from downloading anything stupid, should I experience a moment of madness.

Wi-fi is not an issue for me as I don't possess a smartphone, and the antique mobile that I have can only be used for making and receiving phone calls and sending and receiving texts.  I have a laptop which I occasionally take with me but only as a note-making tool, I have never connected to the internet with it outside of my home.

Terms and Conditions - ah, there's the rub.  The trouble with these is that if you want something that comes with Terms and Conditions, unless you click that you agree with them you won't be able to get what you want!  It has always bugged me that people using services are at the mercy of those offering them and have no say in anything.  And do I diligently read through Terms and Conditions every time they are slapped in front of me?  Heck no!!

I avoid using Facebook and Twitter and never post any text or images about myself unless it is something completely neutral or work-related, nor would I dream of making comment about anybody or anything else on social media.  Years ago, my best friend became the object of a vicious smear campaign by a colleague who took a dislike to her, and she went through eighteen months of hell in a struggle to get all the offensive material removed from the internet.  It made both of us very, very social media shy and for a good reason.  Thankfully it also made us aware of how the internet works and how to go about tackling a problem of this nature should it ever happen again.

I am reasonably good about passwords, using random alphanumeric combinations and completely different ones for each website.  The massive downside of this is of course that I cannot remember a single one of them so have to keep a file on my computer on which they are listed.  I know there are various software packages available for storing and using passwords but I don't trust them sufficiently to use them.  I do try and change my passwords once every couple of years, at least for sites like Amazon and PayPal, but I admit I could be a lot more diligent in this regard.

Image: 'We ALL Leave a Digital Footprint' on Flickr by OllieBray, Creative Commons License CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0