When you walk on sands, you leave your footprints behind. Similarly, when you are online and use internet to either search information or post something, you leave Digital Footprints. You are unknowingly sharing your information with people whom you do not know. Every time you are online clicking a Like button, tagging a place you visited, you are leaving a trail behind..A story to reveal who you are, your food habits to your personal preferences about anything ranging from clothes to your Fitness regime.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_gj3oRn8s
Your Digital Footprints reveal a lot about you. Even the things you did not intend to.
And every information you leave has a commercial value.There are least to say more than 600 Technology Tracking companies collecting individual data which would then be traded to third party Advertising Agencies.
Ever wonder that after checking out the dress or that Gadget you always wanted on a shopping forum, appears on any other Web Page that you are browsing? Or get emails from popular forums sending you emails with images of your favorite or recently viewed items as "Suggested For You?" Ever wonder how can they know your preferences when it comes to style , color or a particular category and the make ?
That's because the items you recently viewed, the items from your wishlist, the items that you regularly checked - All this information is stored. And this will be used to channel customized email campaigns based on your commodity preferences.
Are you logged in to Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus? You are likely to be tracked with every "Like", "Tweet" or "Plus 1" button.
Your likes, places visited, information that you searched for, all of this information is stored. And this information stored, can affect your credit rating and even result in identity theft.
Think before you post.
The digital information can be misused or misintepreted. For example the information you searched for can be assumed that it applies to your situation. Or if you used your Debit/Credit card to make payment at a Pub/Bar for a group of friends, it could create an impression of you that you might be a person who drinks a lot. Is the third party authorized to draw those conclusions based on the data of your Debit card/ Credit card ? No. Is there a way to stop it? Sadly, No.
Reputation is a social interpersonal judgement. Everything that you do online is stored forever. A high school teacher was fired because she posted hot pictures of herself on Twitter. Can you control what people think about you or data collected about you states about you? No.
But you CAN control what data is shared and with whom. For example, you may share your medical condition with family and close friends, but not your Boss and definitely on social media. You Religious beliefs, should again be available only at selective places.
With today's internet tracking mechanism, internet-surfers have no choice and control about their information being spread. There is no choice or voice of the surfers to say "You can share 'THIS" information about me to the third parties, but not "THAT".
Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo to name a few, has law enforcement , have released User-Data Governance on demand, as there is a growing concern about third parties leaking personal data.
Online Data can also cause damages to your reputation - People can draw conclusions without bothering to check the facts based on what they see.I can vouch that many a times information which I thought was totally harmless indeed proved harmful for my reputation. I had once posted an innocent looking bumper sticker on Facebook which said "Trust Me You Can Dance - The Wine"
Later on I got to know that my colleagues had a Field-day discussing my post. Thanks to my Indian-Salesforce Ohana Family, I was labelled the "Partying type" and "probably drinks too much" whereas sadly, the truth was far from that. So far that it actually seemed from another planet.
But did people stop a moment to reflect or even bother to find out the truth? They just saw the bumper sticker and drew inferences. And that label, I am afraid is going to stay forever. Once you post something out there, it is etched deep into cyber-memory. People may soon forget that silly post, but you have already left your Digital Print for prospective Companies/Recruiters/Investors to create an impression of you.
Even other people's digital footprints can sometimes affect your own Credit worthiness; One Honeymooner, after returning was shocked to find out that his Credit Limit had lowered from 11,000$ to 4000$. The credit company later explained that the other customers at the establishments that he had recently shopped had a poor repayment history. Based on similar inferences and data Financial services companies could steer you into credit card offers with higher interest rates but lower credit limits.
Information that you leave online can be distorted to suit the onlookers, and people seldom check for facts.
Are you are about to post something on Facebook/ LinkedIn, or about to Comment on something that you just saw? Take a moment before you post anything online, review the stuff that you are sharing now...
If the statement "First impressions are the best impressions" is true, it is truer in today's world. Many do not get a chance to actually get to meet their prospective Clients/Bosses as they have already created a certain image in their minds via Digital Footprint.
Photos that you have posted, pictures that you have been tagged by colleagues/friends , articles or posts that you have liked are data about you that are stored forever. Think before you Click!!
Ever Googled yourself? The results might surprise you. Everything is stored - Your choice of food to the recently created Playlists on a popular Music channel.
It is never too late to start positivity and to repair the damages. Start building your "Brand"
We feel the necessity to introduce ourselves. Which is great, but always reflect before posting any information about you.
Reputation is a social interpersonal judgement. Everything that you do online is stored forever. A high school teacher was fired because she posted hot pictures of herself on Twitter. Can you control what people think about you or data collected about you states about you? No.
But you CAN control what data is shared and with whom. For example, you may share your medical condition with family and close friends, but not your Boss and definitely on social media. You Religious beliefs, should again be available only at selective places.
With today's internet tracking mechanism, internet-surfers have no choice and control about their information being spread. There is no choice or voice of the surfers to say "You can share 'THIS" information about me to the third parties, but not "THAT".
Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Yahoo to name a few, has law enforcement , have released User-Data Governance on demand, as there is a growing concern about third parties leaking personal data.
Online Data can also cause damages to your reputation - People can draw conclusions without bothering to check the facts based on what they see.I can vouch that many a times information which I thought was totally harmless indeed proved harmful for my reputation. I had once posted an innocent looking bumper sticker on Facebook which said "Trust Me You Can Dance - The Wine"
Later on I got to know that my colleagues had a Field-day discussing my post. Thanks to my Indian-Salesforce Ohana Family, I was labelled the "Partying type" and "probably drinks too much" whereas sadly, the truth was far from that. So far that it actually seemed from another planet.
But did people stop a moment to reflect or even bother to find out the truth? They just saw the bumper sticker and drew inferences. And that label, I am afraid is going to stay forever. Once you post something out there, it is etched deep into cyber-memory. People may soon forget that silly post, but you have already left your Digital Print for prospective Companies/Recruiters/Investors to create an impression of you.
Even other people's digital footprints can sometimes affect your own Credit worthiness; One Honeymooner, after returning was shocked to find out that his Credit Limit had lowered from 11,000$ to 4000$. The credit company later explained that the other customers at the establishments that he had recently shopped had a poor repayment history. Based on similar inferences and data Financial services companies could steer you into credit card offers with higher interest rates but lower credit limits.
Information that you leave online can be distorted to suit the onlookers, and people seldom check for facts.
Are you are about to post something on Facebook/ LinkedIn, or about to Comment on something that you just saw? Take a moment before you post anything online, review the stuff that you are sharing now...
How to stay safe:
- Religiously Log out after every session.
- Treat your Passwords like Toothbrush - Do not share Passwords with anyone.
- Wanna share something about you? - Sure, do so but share positive stuff about you. Such as: Your Achievements, Articles that you've written, artifacts
- Self-Reflect before Self-reveal
- Think before you Click!!
Shaping your Digital Footprint:
Many recruiters, companies, investors, review your social profile and make an impression about you based on your posts even before you set your foot into their office.If the statement "First impressions are the best impressions" is true, it is truer in today's world. Many do not get a chance to actually get to meet their prospective Clients/Bosses as they have already created a certain image in their minds via Digital Footprint.
Building your Social Profile for Effective Networking:
Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, twitter - Every presence that you have is out there to be seen by anybody and everybody. And people can make impression about you, even before meeting you.Photos that you have posted, pictures that you have been tagged by colleagues/friends , articles or posts that you have liked are data about you that are stored forever. Think before you Click!!
Ever Googled yourself? The results might surprise you. Everything is stored - Your choice of food to the recently created Playlists on a popular Music channel.
What to Post:
- Any Positive stuff about you - Accomplishments, Certifications, Awards & Honours from Organizations, Blog posts - (Avoid posting any posts which are controversial in nature. Steer clear on subjects such as Religion, Politics and sail smooth on more common subjects such as Travel, Blogs on Food, Tips on travelling, Managing Finances, Savings etc..
- Monitor what's online, the moment you think a picture or a bumper sticker that shows information that can be seen in a poor light or can be distorted, take it off, immediately!
- People, do not have time to find out the truth behind pictures. What they see is what they believe. And some pictures can tarnish your image, your reputation . And in worst scenarios, the company's image where you work for!
- Check your settings before publishing anything. Review your target audience.
- Always review the posts before allowing friends to tag you.
- Invest in your Personal Brand - Because your Personal Brand is what's gonna get you hired/Fired and make great connections which can be beneficial in the long run.
- In future, your Digital Footprint will talk more about you than you can ever put on the resume.
- What does your email address say about you? (Example: Boozybugger@gmail.com; easysuzy@yahoo.com)
- Is this for professional use or personal use?
- What does your online name say about you?
- What do you want your online identity to be?
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