Controlling your digital identity is as easy as 1-2-3

Google or You? Who Would You Rather Control Your Digital Identity?

While many users of the internet have accepted a passive digital footprint over which they have not taken control, Dean Shareski recently presented at #BLC10 on ideas for managing and manipulating what Google says about us. To do this, first it makes sense to 1) Get in touch with what your digital footprint says about you, 2) Determine if that is what you would like your digital footprint to say and if not, determine what you do want. 3) Start establishing your digital footprint. Here�s how.

1. Get in touch with your digital footprint.
   Do you know what your digital footprint says about you? If not, find out. Here�s how.


1. Google yourself.
   You can start in the obvious way and just Google yourself by typing your name into Google�s search box in whatever way(s) someone doing a search about you might i.e. John Smith, teacher. Take a look at what you see. Any surprises? Anything you wish were different?


2. Spezify who you are.
   Spezify is a search tool presenting results from a large number of websites in different visual ways. The site moves web search away from endless lists of blue text links and towards a more intuitive experience giving viewers an overview of a subject. The site mixes all media types: blogs, videos, microblogs and images. Everything communicates and helps building the bigger picture.


3. Check out your online Persona.
   Personas shows you how the Internet sees you. It is a critique of data mining, revealing the computer�s uncanny insights and inadvertent errors. It is meant for the viewer to reflect on our current future world where digital histories are as important, than oral histories, and computation methods of condensing our digital traes are largely opaque and socially ignorant.


4. Use Google Alerts to monitor what others are saying about you
   You can sign up for Google Alerts to receive email updates of the latest relevant Google results about you by simply visiting the site and entering your name. You can click preview to see the type of results you'll receive.

I want more �