Your Digital Fingerprint

Almost everyone has a digital imprint, but how aware are you?


Something new happens on the net and you're curious, so you jump on the bandwagon. This is what happened to me and I found myself establishing a virtual me without even knowing it. It started with Myspace, then Facebook, and before I knew it when I googled my name there was a digital me that I did not recognize.


My awareness arrived prior to my last year of undergrad when I realized I would re-enter the professional world of work and I needed to delete the digital me that I'd unknowingly created. I deleted most of my online social network files, enabled custom privacy settings on any sites hosting family photos, and googled my name daily to make sure I did the job right.

Next, I made plans to re-invent my digital imprint. I studied the way we communicate throughout the internet and chose a form of communication that would work for me. Web writing offers less restriction to freelance writers as well as a wide selection of opportunities. 

I google my name in all sorts of variations on a weekly basis. I closely monitor all of my social networking accounts, write on a daily basis, and continually search for new software or techniques to improve the scope of my print. 

Be careful of the photos you post online because anyone can "save your image to desktop" and use the photo for their own purposes. Also be careful about what you say online because what you say now may come back to haunt you later. 

Be aware of your digital fingerprint because you might not recognize what you see.