My starting position is that the education system is encouraging the Social Media Generation (SMG) to think about their digital footprints – Halleluja!   I agree with the principal that you should make ‘people’ aware that what their write about themselves can come back to haunt them.  Indeed, further, what they say about others may be an indication of their professionalism.   However, following a round table, it is also evident that what the SMG have done is created ‘virtual identies’  There is one, the public facebook which looks like they have never done anything exciting or broken any health and safety law (basically rather dull and duitiful), and then the series of private worlds where they use nick names to share the reality of their shared lives.

Therefore, the employer can now see a perfect digital history, which has been created for them, meaning that as an employer your online check is now as good as reviewing a CV.  You know it is beefed up, indeed Mr Employer did you know that I can now buy virtual (facebook) friends who make me look good (rock on Chinese entrepreneurs)

The SMG are extended their use of virtual identities further to their address books on digital devices (mobile phone)  The names of friends have changed from the shorted first name or the nick name you cannot loose to esoteric names such as “Master Frog” and “Mrs Smith”  enabling them to hide conversations and identity from their friends and others (especially parents)  Indeed it appears that some don’t tell the real person who or what they are called in their address book, so hiding identities if your phone is stolen or borrowed.

So are we encouraging the Social Media Generation to lie and hide now that they know that they can be tracked?

A weekly post cast by Jim Hopkinson who works for Wired.com

http://thehopkinsonreport.com/2010/08/19/episode-118-social-media-is-the-new-rock-and-roll/comment-page-1/#comment-88918

This one is a thought providing piece on Social Media saying that SM is for this generation the rock and roll of previous generations - worth listening to.

my view is that I like the analogy draw up but I am not sure if I agree with it all but it did made me think.

One aspect to consider is why the youth love technology/ social media?  One answer is (based on a massive amount of real research by FT/ Orange) is that technology/social media gives kids a place to go where parents don't have control.

This idea fits well with what the article says and to the roots behind other generational gaps/ ideals/ fashions.

If social is a place where "we" go today as parents don't have control, with all these new controls there will be new opportunities as the new generation or youth find a place where their parents (or heaven forbid) grandparents are not.

http://myfootprintsd.com/index.html

I am delighted that “Digital Footprints” is a common conversation in the world of teaching.  Most of the material, as with this one, are focussed on asking our kids to take care with what they say about themselves.   I would like to see this conversation extend to help them understand that this is the data that they control.  What others say about you, you cannot control; but what others say also contributes to your digital footprint. 

I understand that conceptually it is hard to teach that digital footprints also include data that describes what you are doing and your behaviour (location, attention, purchases, key strokes, search terms, clicks, time, activity …) but this hidden data is as important, and in many cases more important)

I believe that those teaching need to understand that the model of “public” has shifted.  Digital natives have grown up with the internet and the presentence of data; it is us old guys who harp back to the days of broadcast TV and newspapers where yesterday’s news is already forgotten. 

Going viral is the part of a digital footprint that provides the opportunity and threat.  You want it if your content is fabulous but not to become infamous!

There are four common interpretations of the phrase "digital footprint" and
they all share two common characteristics which are that digital footprints
are about an individual's interaction with a digital world and that the data
created from the interaction can be exploited. The differences depend on
how deep, or prepared, you want to look.

The most common definition of a digital footprint is the content you leave
about yourself in the web. This is content you create for a blog, comments
you leave, photo's you up load or your profile and content you create on a
social networking site. There is little difference between your
professional profile and your personal profile. This is used as a
definition in education circles to help children understand that what they
say provides a representation of them what is "Your Digital Footprint?" This
definition introduces the ideas of reputation.

The second definition is created by adding the interactions you have with
the web, with content you create. This is where a users activities are
captured, the types of details captured include web pages viewed, the
frequency of visits along with the intervals between them, clicks, IP
address, the time spent on each page, interactions with forms, landing pages
and downloadable content. In reality every interaction with the web can be
captured and stored. This definition introduces the ideas of attention.

The third definition is that a digital footprint is the content and captured
interactions you leave and the content that others leave about you in the
web. This is the move from you as a single person to you as part of the
social group. This is what you say about yourself and others about you.
This definition introduces the new idea of the social graph.
The forth definition extends the web to other devices and services including
mobile, TV, iPod and m2m (machine to machine)

The forth definition is the most complete and in reality this is what is
happening. It is possible that every interaction with every digital device
is captured and stored. The value from the analysis of this captured data
can be very high; indeed Google and Facebook are built on this data and the
willingness of users to provide data. User benefit in an exchange of data
for free services, and increasingly user don't have to complete forms as the
data is collected as they go about their routes and routines. "My Digital
Footprint" This extremely personal and private data is subject to strict
privacy laws which provide strong protection for the user. The analysis of
this data is where the value lies and that value can come from behavioural
analysis, profiling, targeting, prospecting, normalising, group profiling,
feature profiles, benefit trades and determination of who influences you and
who you influence. 

Finally the phase "Digital Footprint" is also used in two further context,
the first is by companies or individuals trying to show which geographies or
markets their digital services is offered "Our Digital Footprint" and by
companies taking about the size of a digital device, where footprint means
area.
June 2010

image - http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/mar/09/ukcrime-facebook

The response from Facebook to the tragic story of Ashleigh Hall today highlights a growing sense of unease about a digital world.  I am under no illusion that education and care play an important, if not critical, part in protecting those who will inherit our digital present. 

In the opening to my book I said that a “digital footprint” is like marmite; some like it and some don’t.  Reading the responses to the Ashleigh Hall story, it is clear that this is a sane view. Facebook and other social network supporters are out in strength and waving the banners about benefits and this is contrasted with the stark reality from others who have been harmed and violated.  There is common ground about education and ensuring that you follow well published and sensible guide lines about your information and how to behave.  

I am however worried about the view that somehow we should look to processes and technology to save us from our social failing and responsibility.  Technology, be it a knife, car, laser, stun gun, pepper spray, Facebook or mobile can be used in anyway that the holder of the technology sees fit.  Processes are unfortunately only as good as the people who run them.  We can clearly see how technology can make it easier, both to commit crime and solve crime, but neither bring accountability or responsibility.

Digital footprint data, if you opt in can deliver reputation and other benefits, but this digital world suffers from the same real issues as our physical life, some decide to opt out, lie and deceive.  We have been unable to solve the real, so why should a single button solve the digital?

image from the BBC

Words are both a blessing and a curse; phrases are fashionable, colloquial and always misinterpreted.  Today at the dentist I was told I had a “communication” and that got me thinking about how we use the same word in different professions and how the same phrase communicates different things depending on location and intent.  My interest here is “Digital Footprint” and here are the most common interpretations I found today….

1. Digital Footprint is an term that helps educate our children about the dangers of being on-line; followed by the following advise; if in doubt don’t do it and if you do it will be found (probably the most popular use)
2. Digital Footprint describes the data you leave in the Internet from your keyboard and mouse.
3. Digital Footprint is the data you leave in the cloud from you all your interactions, creating and consuming, passive and active with all digital devices.
4. Digital Footprints describe your digital identity and digital reputation.
5. A Digital Footprint is your history of financial transactions.
6. A Digital Footprint in the area that an integrated circuit/chip/silicon occupies
7. Digital footprint is the footprint (area) that a digital device occupies when placed on a surface (least Popular)

My insight from this is that more is needed to gain common ground and bring about insight.

Education of our children about their digital footprint is important. There are numerous good sources of data and advise out there – This one is US biased this one as it presents case studies, I like the video/ slide show – simple and sweet.