In week three we looked at online presence and reviewed our own digital footprint. A digital footprint is the trail you leave behind from the technology you use. It's scary to think that everything you do online leaves a trace of your presence! You may be asking, who can see this footprint? Well the answer is... anybody! Your friends, family, future employers. Does that make you wonder what your digital footprint looks like and whether it's a positive one? I know I certainly did - so I began exploring. (Just call me Mrs Sherlock Holmes).
I started with a basic Google search... "Jamie Manuel".
What I found was somewhat surprising! My search results were filled with images of a tall, extremely athletic bald man... definitely not me! Turns out there is ex British bodybuilder turned personal trainer with the exact same name as me - fascinating! I then typed in "Jamie Manuel NZ" and that sparked some genuine hits about me (the real me, not bald bodybuilder me). These hits were either articles from the local newspaper, information on my old high school website or my newly created LinkedIn profile - nothing to be concerned about. However I did come across a Twitter account with a picture of me. I had completely forgotten about this profile I had created back in 2011. I couldn't even remember the login details! I did, however, end up finding these out and subsequently deleted the account.
I started with a basic Google search... "Jamie Manuel".
What I found was somewhat surprising! My search results were filled with images of a tall, extremely athletic bald man... definitely not me! Turns out there is ex British bodybuilder turned personal trainer with the exact same name as me - fascinating! I then typed in "Jamie Manuel NZ" and that sparked some genuine hits about me (the real me, not bald bodybuilder me). These hits were either articles from the local newspaper, information on my old high school website or my newly created LinkedIn profile - nothing to be concerned about. However I did come across a Twitter account with a picture of me. I had completely forgotten about this profile I had created back in 2011. I couldn't even remember the login details! I did, however, end up finding these out and subsequently deleted the account.
Next was Facebook. Uh oh... What hidden (or not so hidden) gems could be found here? I logged into my Facebook account, clicked on my profile and went to the 'view as' button. This allowed me to see what my profile looked like to the general public. To be honest, it wasn't too bad. I had obviously altered a few privacy settings to make some of my page, including timeline posts, concealed from the public. However, there were a number of things I also wanted to change and make private, including profile pictures, cover photos, basic information etc. I meandered through the different privacy and security settings on Facebook clicking buttons and changing options, all the while checking my 'view as' page, until I was happy with my public Facebook profile. The changes I have made mean that anyone who is not a friend of mine can only see my current profile picture and cover photo. It also means that people who are not my friend, or a friend of a friend, cannot request to add me as a friend on Facebook. Upon discussion with my forum group at University I have discovered that my friends list is viewable by the public - this was something I had not thought to hide and I am now off to discover how to make this hidden from my public profile!
Remember, your digital footprint is an online version of you. And to some people, this may be the only version they get to see. Is your digital footprint positive? Would you be happy with future employers seeing this footprint and judging you based upon it?
Check out your digital footprint!
Feel free to look up my different social media accounts and leave me a comment on how positive you think my digital footprint is. Any tips or advice is warmly welcomed!
Remember, your digital footprint is an online version of you. And to some people, this may be the only version they get to see. Is your digital footprint positive? Would you be happy with future employers seeing this footprint and judging you based upon it?
Check out your digital footprint!
- Google yourself or use http://pipl.com
- Check out your Facebook profile - use the 'view as' tool to check out what your Facebook profile looks like to the general public
- Check out any past accounts or subscriptions you signed up to - can these be deleted?
Feel free to look up my different social media accounts and leave me a comment on how positive you think my digital footprint is. Any tips or advice is warmly welcomed!
Now, check out your own digital footprint and see what it says about you! Happy hunting!