Week 1: What it means to live in this technological era

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Almost everyone you know has a digital footprint by now. It is nearly impossible for anyone that owns a computer or a cell phone, not to have one. That is why following proper netiquette is important in order to maintain a positive digital footprint. "Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life". Everything you do online leaves ongoing traces that can be monitored through resources such as Google Alerts or Social Mention. These websites alert you every time your name is used online by sending you an RSS document. 

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Managing your digital footprint provides you with an opportunity to create a positive, on-going public presence about yourself as a digital citizen since anything that goes online is basically addressed to the entire world. Although digital citizenship potentially begins when a person participates in any electronic function, such as signing up for an email address or posting pictures online, the process of becoming a digital citizen goes beyond simple Internet activity. A digital citizen generally has access to the Internet through electronic devices, as well as extensive skills and knowledge on technological information to engage in society by using the Internet regularly and effectively. You are NOT the center of cyberspace and should therefore exchange information in a short and concise manner.

Obtaining a perfect score on the Digital Driver's License Exam by Riddle (2011) was not too much of a surprise since I consider myself an avid digital user. Having a computer growing up was extremely beneficial in allowing me to become the digital citizen that I am now since it is easier to learn new things at a young age. As I had mentioned on my previous post, however, I was never really interested in being involved in social media sites such as Twitter and Pinterest. Reflecting back on how little or how much I choose to involve myself online, I believe my reasoning behind it was that I wanted to maintain a positive digital footprint and was afraid that the more engaged I was in the digital world, the greater the risk was of damaging my digital footprint. Now that I have involved myself further into the World Wide Web and my digital footprint is expanding through my pins on Pinterest and weekly blogs, I must be conscious about EVERYTHING I post - because once it's out there, it will ALWAYS be out there. Knowing that anyone can gain access to your digital presence (including potential employers), as well as the potential risk of someone stealing your identity (Heartbleed Virus), is especially scary. That being said, I have created a Google Alert about myself so that I'm aware of how my digital footprint is being portrayed online. Additionally, I have increased the security settings on my Facebook and have gotten into the habit of changing passwords often for my multiple accounts online. I still believe I have a lot more to learn about how to protect my information online, so Digital Security is an area I would like to spend more time learning about.