In this week's lecture we found out that traces of ourselves on the internet run deeper than maybe we first thought. It seems that everything that has ever been on the net, no matter how big or small, has left a permanent mark in the digital fabric of the world. Even if something is made "private" or even if something has been deleted, the web remembers. So if at anytime someone really wanted to find something about you, they probably could. Even the most security conscious people can't help having something about them uploaded to the world wide digital miracle, as some have called it.
I myself usually do my best to stay as off the radar as possible, when it comes the digital world. I have resisted many social networking sites such as facebook, twitter (until this course deemed otherwise), and multiple others. Not only because I do not wish to share every little detail about myself, but also because I not believe them to be of any use whatsoever. Call me old fashioned or sentimental, but I stand by those ideas. My band and my Karate organization are both on the web, which just about it when it comes to my exposure in the digital world. Pictures and videos of performances and a little info on our own website.
When it comes to anyone's digital identity, I think that people should be free to share as much about themselves as they like, it's their funeral. People lose jobs, friends, and scarily a lot more than that due to altercations that occur over the many digital interfaces we have at our disposal. When we are given the opportunity to share and explore with each other, we are encouraged to do so. This modern age has granted us the tools to connect with people all over. Now we can be as close to people from another country as we can to neighbors who may live right beside us. This being said, some people can go a bit overboard. Some people may call it outgoing or emotionally generous, but I call it really annoying. In my opinion there's an unwritten code of conduct online that many people either don't know or just choose to ignore. How we present ourselves online is of our own doing but we must always be cautious. Decisions made in the heat of the moment online... shouldn't be made. One click in the wrong place can turn a persons life upside down in the blink of an eye.
Also, who keeps track of all this anyways? Is there a digital Mantracker who can pick a scent and track us down? Who knows... someone does...
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