Digital Tattoos

DIGITAL FOOTPRINT VS DIGITAL TATTOO

The digital world we live in is permanent and, with each post, people are creating a digital tattoo. What was once called a digital footprint is now known as a digital tattoo because of the permanent nature of a person's actions and communications online. Once something is posted online, it can be difficult or impossible to remove completely, which can have lasting implications for people's personal and professional lives.

Image Source: @sylviaduckworth

It is important to be aware of these implications and to take steps to manage your digital tattoo responsibly. Information that you share, comments you make, and sites you search on could be seen by a school that you are applying to or a potential employer years in the future. Your digital tattoo can be both good and bad. It could show impressive things you have accomplished that you are proud of or it could show things that you might be embarassed about later. Remember to be mindful of the information you share online and the content you create.

DATA MINING YOURSELF

Data mining yourself referes to the process of collecting, analyzing, and extracting insights from your personal data. This can include information from your digital activites, such as social media posts, online purchases, health and fitness data, browsing history, and more. The goal is to gain a better understanding of your own behavior, preferences, patterns, and online presence, which can be valuable for self-improvement, decision-making, or simply self-awareness. It is important to note that data mining yourself can be a sensitive topic, as it involves collecting and analyzing your personal data. 

THE RESULTS

I began the process of data mining myslef by starting with a simple Google Search of my name was a little surprised by what all I could find. First, there are several Peter Drinans out there, one is a chef and entrepreneur, one is an accountant, and one is also a teacher. 

Image Source: screen capture of Google Search

After sigting throught the results there were things that I found that seemed pretty mundane like my social media accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, X/Twitter), my profile and contact info on my school's website, and a link to my blog. However, I also came across several other things that surprised me a bit, likemy grandfather's obituary, a link to a podcast I hosted years ago, registration information and times for 5ks that I participated in, and old newspaper articles from a school I used to work at.

If I could find all of this with just a Google Search, what could I find if I looked a little deeper? So I expanded my search a bit by looking at Facebook and X/Twitter. What I found on Facebook was more or less what I expected; just a whole bunch of pictures with family, friends, and my wife and kids. I joined Facebook pretty late in the game and have the privacy settings set fairly high so that I can control the majority of what gets posted there. The same was true with X/Twitter until I searched "Mr. Drinan." I couldn't believe the number of posts from 7-10 years ago from my previous school and from former students that were out there.

Image Source: @NazartethLGP

Image Source@NazarethLGP

There were pictures from when I dressed as a drop of blood for an National Honor Society Blood Drive, pictures from when I played tennis in a P.E. class, and numerous references from former students.

Now I was hooked! I had to see what else I could find. So I tried a few more sites like Nuwber, Radaris, and People Finder. I was shocked at what I found! There was the standard info like my name, age, and date of birth, but I also found professional records, a list of relatives, addresses of former residences, and even lists of neighors that own the surrounding properties.

Image Source: Radaris

Image Source: Radaris

I began to wonder how much info I could find. So I went even further; I searched PeekYou, Fast People Seach, and Zaba Search. At this point much of what I was finding was not new information. However, I did find some detailed information on my home address, home value, and taxes.

Image Source: Fast People Search

From my deep dive into my online presence I learned a few things. First was that there was little to no information that I found that I was truly uncomfortable with being available. I'm not crazy about my address and property value and taxes being out there, but it is public record so there is little that I can do about it. Second was that I need to grow my "brand." My online presence is not very robust. I was late to join social media which has its advantages and disadvantages, but I have yet to harness its power for good and that is something that I look forward to doing as I continue to learn and grow as an educator.