Digital Tattoo's, aka Digital Footprints, become more vast with each new social media website or online resource that is introduced. I have tried to control my digital tattoo as it comes to personal privacy information (phone number, phone address), but it's a part time job with how quickly information gets updated and refreshed. It wasn't until I learned more about the benefits of enhancing ones digital tattoo that I considered how this could benefit me professionally.
Let's consider this . . .
If you are in educational technology in any respects, and someone can't find you on the internet, have you demonstrated your competencies in utilizing the internet? This was the exact question that I have contemplated this past week. I think it's important for me to reflect on where does the balance lay. Personally, I want to keep a clear distinction between my personal and professional life. To some extent, that should be reflected in my digital tattoo as well. I think an appropriate place to start is to gain a baseline of where I stand. If someone was to search for me, what would they see? I used a number of techniques to locate myself online: First and Last Name, First and Last Maiden Name, with and without my middle initial, and frequently used User Names.
*Click on any of the pictures below to be taken to the listed website to check your own digital tattoo.
Nuwber
Nuwber is the first site I conducted a search on. I was able to locate a previous address, it did give a correct age range, and listed an old phone number. This doesn't offer any value to my professional digital tattoo, so this would be one that I may monitor to make sure that my personal life remains private.
Pipl
Pipl is another site that I may monitor for some personal information, but it also provides some useful professional information. It does list career, but mine is not accurate. I had an old website, that I dabbled in a long time ago, and it lists this as a career. Both phone numbers are very old, and places is only half correct. While alias' and family members are correct, it does not portray an accurate picture of who I am. I will also note, that the picture that is listed, is my most current facebook picture (that was updated about 2 weeks prior to this search).
Intellius
Similar to Nuwber, this provides a map of ones personal address. It also provides a list of extended family members and a list of previous, personal home addresses. While I don't like to admit my current age, that is correct, as well as the high school that I graduated from.
Social Mention
I was excited to run a search on Social Mention, but was disappointed by the results. I ran a search with multiple versions of my name and screen names, but "Jennifer Calito" was the only one that populated any results. Even in that, the only thing that was displayed was a Podcast that I started over the summer with a colleague of mine.
This is definitely a site that I could benefit from monitoring from a personal perspective.
I want to make sure that I can be found when someone searches for me online. I could see the benefit of using this site if an employer is investigating a potential new hire in a tech related field.
Radaris
This site, similar to the first three, provides more personal information. It's interesting the differences in information that this one gives, in relational to relatives, compared to the others, it lists my nephew and grandfather, but lists two people that aren't related to me. It does provided two versions of my current name as well as my maiden name. It has two old numbers (one different than another that was provided), and an address that is ~ 14 years old. Unfortunately (or fortunately) is does list my correct age!
Instant Checkmate
One first glance, I got a little worried when I saw the fingerprint, but all is well. The second and third are results that are mostly accurate for myself (yes including my age). It lists prior address and relative. To get more detailed information you would need to pay to get the full report.
Google Search
As basic as what a google search may seem, it can be the most extensive and widespread from those that I have investigated. The ability to use quotation marks to indicated exactly what I want was helpful when there are others who have similar versions as my name. The top hits both for sites and pictures do represent the real Jennifer Calito!
Although many of these sites seem intrusive, I tried to identify how I could turn them into a positive. These sites administrators would love their product to be as accurate as possible. Many welcome the opportunity to update the information if submitted by the individual they are reflecting. By providing each with a request to update my information (versus deleting them and limiting the information), I can control some of the information that is part of my digital tattoo.
What information did you find on these sites? What are ways you could use these sites to benefit your digital tattoo?