The moment we start using a computer, whether it be to log in to facebook, read a blog, book a flight, buy groceries, do the banking or look up the weekends weather forecast, we have already begun to formulate our digital footprint.

Essentially your digital footprint is a trail left by you, the user, that forms a network of data that becomes an online representation of the real life you.

We have both a passive digital footprint, which can be any information collected online which hasn’t been initiated by the person, ie public records or postings and we have an active digital footprint which is created when we deliberately release information about ourselves. When we post things on facebook or Twitter, upload photos, email, message and chat with others we are continouously adding to this network of data. Regardless of the intention for these things to stay private or not, all the information that exists online becomes part of our digital footprint.

You will notice too, that the advertising on sites such as Facebook is very relevant to you, to the searches you have recently researched, items you have bought or topics you have talked about. This is not a coincidence, but a very real and deliberate analysis of you, your interests, what you are likely to buy, from who, where, when and how much you are likely to spend. [Read more...]