Friday, February 12, 2016

The Importance of a Positive Digital Footprint

 

     Did you know that what you put online can stay there for all the world to see? This is true even if you are private. People can see pictures of you even if you didn't put them up. The trail you leave online is called your digital footprint. Having a positive digital footprint is very important when developing your career and getting your name out there. Having a negative digital footprint can have many serious consequences such as preventing you from getting a job or getting into the school of your dreams. Jack Vale shows us how easy it is to find out information through Instagram through his Social Media experiment video. So, it is a necessity that we use our social media accounts in an acceptable manor.
     
     In "What's your digital footprint?" by Lisa Nielsen, online identity is discussed and what you can do to keep it positive. Lisa states that your digital footprint is the word used to describe the trail and traces that you leave online. Digital images and emails both give away personal information to others. She reminds us that what we do online is permanent. Also, when establishing an identity online there are three things to consider. These are that at 13 you are legally ready to establish your digital footprint, use your real name, and use a consistent username. Lisa offers statistics on how many colleges and employers are viewing possible students and employees on social media.

     In the Youtube video titled "Digital Baggage" an instance of a negative digital footprint is portrayed. In the video, a woman is interviewing a man named Jared to see if he would be a good hire. While Jared goes on and on about how work oriented and well driven he is, the interviewer is searching his name. She finds many pictures of him drinking and getting into trouble. While Jared is leaving the interview, he is telling his friend on the phone that he nailed it. When in actuality, he has no chance of getting this job because of his poor reputation shown through social media.



     In "12 Things Students Should Never Do on Social Media" by Stephanie Buck, 12 social media mistakes that students make are discussed. Posting illegal activities on social media is a huge mistake because  not only can students get expelled, but also charged with criminal prosecution. Bullying is also something students should avoid online. It has terrible consequences and brings terrible attention to a persons character. Relying on privacy settings is another mistake. It is best to assume that anything you post is fair game because it can possibly be seen by your school, parents, and strangers.

     Previously in class, we had the pleasure of having a Google Hangout session with Cameron Brenchley. Cameron is the Vice President at Collaborative Communications. He also worked at the Office of Digital Strategy and the US Department of Education at the White House. Cameron said his job is very different everyday due to different projects and clients. Also, he told us of the big transition he faced when changing from a government job to a private sector. The pace of his job now is much slower and the hours are shorter. Brenchley recommended Linked In and Twitter for professional networking. Overall, Cameron Brenchley made it very clear that it takes talent and time to have a successful account.

     Chapter 1 of Untangling the Web by Steve Dembo and Adam Bellow focuses on curation tools. Joshua Schechter, who introduced blogs, created a website called Del.icio.us that allowed people to save bookmarks and share them publicly. This eventually allowed users to navigate their resources and gather the rewards of their efforts. Not only did this create intrinsic and extrinsic rewards but also removed technical barriers. "Blogs, podcasts, and wikis dramatically increased the amount of content for people to sift through and social bookmarking tools allowed users to collect, organize, and share out what they found" (Dembo, Bellow 2). Today, curation tools are more advanced, consistent, and diverse. Different curation sites suit different people based on their needs. Three of the best curation sites for educators are Symbaloo, Diigo, and eduClipper.

No comments:

Post a Comment