It starts the moment you open your browser. Your computer starts tracking the websites you have visited and websites store cookies onto your hard drive to help identify users interests. If you ever fill out information on a website you may be asked if you want the website to remember this information or it may just store a cookie on your hard drive to help remember you the next time you log in. Some cookies only last as long as your browsing session and there are some that last until they expire.
There are also they websites that you register for such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, or any type of messenger. There are many parameters that go with websites such as these:
- Anything you post usually becomes the property of the website.
- Many of the profiles are public, meaning that anyone can view what you post unless you manually change your settings to private.
- When it comes to instant messaging apps or snapchat, what you send may go through a variety of servers before it reaches its destination so there are many opportunities for those files to be compromised.
As teachers it's going to be important for us to teach internet safety and etiquette to our students and it must be done so at a young age because today's youth are being introduced at younger and younger ages.
I have a Facebook profile, a twitter account, an instagram account (rarely been used), a ShowMe account, an about.me page, a myspace account... I actually have too many to count or keep track of because it always seems that you have to register or login in to use any website that is part of a social network, used as an organizational tool or to just take part in some forum talking about the latest trades in the NHL so I am sure that I have missed quite a few.
When it comes to posting online I always stick to this rule of thumb. "Don't post anything online that you wouldn't want on the front page of your local newspaper." because there always seems to be a chance that it can end up there, no matter how private you think your post may be.
Weeeooowwww, Steven, NICE intro - very English-y. I also had a little giggle inside my head when I saw that you felt the need to point out that you "rarely" use Instagram - you've gotta keep up that macho reputation, I'm sure :P (I'm just buggin' you).
ReplyDeleteBut silliness aside, you put it perfectly when you said that "there always seems to be a chance that [an online post] can end up [on the front page of a newpaper], no matter how private you think your post may be." This is something that I will be sure to tell all my students in the future, because I really do believe it's true. Technology gives us the opportunity to make our personal life public - and so, it is up to us to choose just how much of it we want to share.
Hey Steve, as Brittani said great post, Skinner would be very proud. You saw the issues and identified the legal problems you might face. I totally agree that proper internet etiquette needs to be taught to students and also the ramifications of internet misuse. One does not want to leave a giant dirty digital footprint in the wake of on-line usage. This is ten-fold the truth for teachers.
ReplyDeleteRegards, Jeremy