Brett L's Digital Footprint

Reflection:

A digital footprint is impossible to escape, however with the proper knowledge of what exactly it entails, a digital footprint is not always a bad thing. Many people unaware of what exactly a digital footprint is most likely don't want one, however for those who do know what it is and choose to clean it up, a digital footprint is something that can benefit them. 

While watching the YouTube video Digital Dossier the viewer is visually shown statistics on negative social media postings that can discourage employers from hiring them. With this knowledge it is easy to clean up social media into something that can professional represent oneself. Once cleaned up, a professional social media footprint is an example of a positive digital imprint. A positive digital footprint is like Netiquette because it is professional and presentable. Netiquette  is the internet term for etiquette, which is properly presenting yourself in public; which in Netiquette is the World Wide Web. 

I found a direct correlation between the knowledge needed to be a digital citizen and the digital footprint. A digital citizen is someone like myself; one who frequents the web daily. A digital citizen takes advantage of the vast information offered online. While taking advantage of this information it is easy to leave behind a digital footprint without even being aware. Every link clicked is another step in the digital footprint that digital citizens leave behind daily. 

Digital Footprint

Digital learning has evolved into a whole new phenomena. As mentioned in this weeks Session 1 reading on Sakai universities now offer classes online from other universities which are all interconnected through the internet. Digital Citizenship allows these students to attend one university but study a course offered online at another university. 

Report:

The DDL exam mad me become fully aware that I need improvement on my Digital Communication skills. As you can see Universities such as Western Ontario offer courses in Digital Communications for people like myself lacking in this digital development. Connections made in the readings of the Building Background and my explorations were similar. Digital footprints are left behind no matter how hard a user tries. Data is collected by companies from everyday amazon purchases to reserving your seat at the AVX cinema theatre. This information collected is pooled together and makes up my digital footprint. This session taught me that credit cards hold the most accurate digital footprint available. They collect not only how much you spent, but where you spent it and at exactly what time it was purchased. This could be gather in the digital context (online shopping) or simply at a mall not online. This made me realize that the internet is not responsible for starting a world of tracking humans through gathering cookies and data, because credit card companies have been doing it long before the internet even existed. Either way you look at it, you will always leave an imprint in your digital footprint every time you click that enter button to search a new site.