Privacy Camp DC 2010: 3 words [#privacy2010] | digiphiledigiphile.wordpress.com
Is there any privacy really? Work email can be monitored at any given time, credit card information captured, shared, and all of a sudden you have placed numerous orders for scuba gear from Norway…you’ve never been to Norway, you don’t dive.
I wonder, how do you fight for your privacy, or do you just hold your breathe and hope nobody cares enough about little, old you to steal your identity or say terrible things about you or post inappropriate pictures. Hmmmm am I sounding a bit paranoid?
I do my best to add privacy settings to my facebook account, log out religiously from my online banking, and gmail, and I have, over time, become more thoughtful about pictures that I’m in. Now the good thing about being me is I am not a TV star, or a big sensation on the web. So currently , nobody’s saying much, and that is just fine with me.
Photo Credit: kimubert via Compfight cc
And then I googled myself.
Wooooo Hooo a sigh of relief! I am NOT a big web sensation. In fact, as you can imagine there are millions of Susan’s out there. Some are pretty amazing, some, well, are making very public errors in judgement, however, none of them are me! Yippee!
Yes, I know that I should be leaving a bigger digital footprint on the web, sharing my employment successes and innovations, thoughts, feelings, musings, education, and vacation hotspots. Using it for all the positives it can bring. And there are some real positives. I am working on it. But I want some time to figure out what it is I want to say, join, share and do. I want to choose. I want some control at least. I want to make a blog for professional development and link it/send it to potential employers myself. I want to showcase myself, my way. COETAIL for me is a great beginning ,helping me develop my professional network slowly but surely.
So even in this age of the overshare, I think, that I will live as loudly on the internet, as I feel like, and not have Google spill the beans like a bad friend….sorry Google, I love you in that emotionally distant kind of way.
Photo Credit: anitakhart via Compfight cc
So thinking about privacy, are we running after something that doesn’t really exist anymore? Is it possible to have any real privacy. In the article from Beware:The Internet could own Your Future the author states that our notion of privacy in the digital age is “outdated” I have a tendency to agree. Everything we do is up for grabs. Who knew we were all so interesting every minute of our day…so is privacy obsolete and are we, the bloggers, the tweeters, the updaters, setting new precedents in regards to what is considered private. What are the rules for what should remain private and what do we share?
Things that we used to save for conversations with a best friend or closest family member are now being shared publicly. Even the most mundane parts of our day now have greater importance…”eating ice cream everybody and loving it! #strawberry.”
So I guess, as I reflect on my thoughts about privacy, I am trying to maintain it, at least some of it. More importantly, I am trying to share things that I have approved for public viewing. I blog, but everything I write, I am conscious of the fact that everyone can have access and I appreciate that. I want my students to keep that in mind as they comment and report and share ideas. It doesn’t have to be scary but it does have to be considered.
If I am upset, or in a jovial mood, or feeling many things, and am writing an email, I wait. I wait until what ever emotion I am having resolves itself a bit and then respond or make contact. That’s what I am making lessons about in my class. Teaching reflect before you post, comment or respond to anything because what you put out into the digital world can really matter positively or negatively and is always connected to you.
As my students embark on creating their own blogs, this will become even greater in importance. Asking them the question How do you protect your privacy in a digital age?
I think as I write this blog post I am getting a greater sense of my personal beliefs about privacy and want to teach that you have the right and (obligation?)to participate in what is out there about you and it can be amazing!
So one day, you may type in my name and will have to scroll through all my accomplishments, my associations, my education, my interests and my opinions. To that I say Google on Garth!
But for now, I am at the very least….getting rid of my cookies.
P.S. I would also like to thank another COETAIL-er Trina for finding some of these great links I have used. Thanks Trina!
