Journal 3- Students Dig up Dirt to Learn About Internet Safety

Morehouse, J. (2011). Students dig up dirt to learn about Internet safety. Learning and leading with technology, 39(2), 34-35. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-september-october-2011.aspx

In the article, Students dig up dirt to learn about Internet Safety, the writer invents an engaging lesson plan to let students see first hand that their “image” on the Internet is far from private. He elaborates on the steps to present this real life situation to students who use sites such as Facebook and Twitter to social network. After reading this article, I too am curious about what I can do to protect my anonymity and integrity of my web presence. This exercise is also a lesson on credibility, and proves that a researcher must check their facts before simply accepting written words. It also illustrates how falsely presented information can be misconstrued by the finder to use to their advantage. This is important to the upcoming generation of social networkers who might not be aware of such threats as they navigate through their supposed confidential networking world.
Question #1: Are there people who use this information to present themselves in a better light because they know people are looking? I believe that there are people who are more concerned about their Internet presence than they are about how they conduct themselves in real life. Just from considering the people who sign up for Internet date services or sign on with LinkedIn, could very easily provide false information. Is this to be believed?
Question #2: What can people find out about me now that I have a broader web presence? …Let’s find out. Looks like someone’s on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook- even one that’s not me, but that’s okay because the profile picture appears quaint and it makes me want to visit Savannah, GA. I found my old addresses in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts simply by doing a Google search! You might be led to believe that I have passed away.