Digital Tattoo and Data Mines
In the past, I have Google searched my name out of curiosity to see what I would find.To be honest, this is something I do every so often for my Fiancé or myself because I find it interesting. I would like to know what findings come up on the web when I search us. How much information is there about
us on the web, both professional and personal. As much as I find it interesting, I also feel anxious when typing my name
in a search engine because I have no clue what will pop up! This week, I
discovered the actual name for this habit. It is called our Digital Tattoos and
Data Mines.
I first typed my name Carmen Ortiz in Google. The link that
came up had absolutely nothing to do with me. It is an attorney with the same
name. I went through the first 3 pages of Google and there was no information
on me. I then clicked over to the image portion of Google to see if I would
find a picture of myself or someone I was related to. There were no pictures of
me on there at all. Fairly, I was not disappointed.
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I then decided to use my middle name initial typing Carmen M Ortiz in the Google search box to see if anything about me would come up. Unfortunately, the same U.S attorney came up again with a few obituaries on some Carmen Ortiz’s. I went to the Google image portion again and most photos displayed were of the same attorney. I was not disappointed but I was shocked there was nothing!
I then decided to search my name through Radaris. This site
did have some basic information about me. Some of the information was accurate
and some was inaccurate. It listed some family member’s names, where I reside, and
old phone numbers. There were several people listed on my family related to
portion that I do not know. For me to see all additional information about me,
I had to pay a cost. I also decided to check out Pipl. It had similar information
as Radaris. Again, some of the findings were correct and some of the
information was incorrect.
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I enjoyed searching my name on these sites to see what information
comes up through the web. Although no information was found on Google, seeing
my personal information on the other two sites made me feel a bit uneasy. I
found it interesting how these sites knew some of my relatives and personal info in general. Overall, there
was not much information on my identity these sites provided that seemed too
alarming. I have wondered though, if I pay the fee for additional information,
would my identity be revealed to a random stranger and what accurate findings
do they have about my family or me.
I think this can be a good tool and engaging lesson to show students
about internet safety. I definitely feel this could start with middle school
students. I think the discussion could start with 6th graders and
then as the grades go up, the intensity of discussions can develop with the
students. It is important for students to understand and know what types of information
is out there on the web. Students are exposed to social media and use it
throughout their daily lives. Ultimately, teaching students about protecting
themselves on the internet and internet safety will be a valuable lesson.
Did you search using your username at all? Also, did your blog come up in search results?
ReplyDeleteHi!
DeleteNo, my blog did not come up in search results. I did not search through my Twitter username.
Hello Carmen,
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting that nothing was came up on your search of yourself. When I first Googled myself, I, too, only used my first and last name and nothing came up. However, the second time, I included my middle initial and that's when I was able to find information on myself. I think when you Google yourself, you need to make sure to put your name in quotations (e.g "Paola Huitron") to have a more specific search. I would try Googling yourself again with the quotation marks around your name and your middle initial included.
Happy researching!
Hello Carmen,
ReplyDeleteI also didn't find anything on myself when I typed my name, user name, and even telephone number. I'm a very private person so these results were not shocking to me either. Also, my name is very common so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.