The days when our home and office life were clearly divided ended when we started leaving digital footprints all over the internet. Now many of us, managing multiple social media accounts, are struggling to draw the boundaries and protect our privacy. This presentation looks at how to manage your digital identities responsibly and safely, in order to make the most of what social media has to offer.

1. (Or, not putting your foot in it…)
HE Conference, Bishop Burton College, #rsche12
6th March 2012
Scott Hibberson
E-learning advisor
s.hibberson@leeds.ac.uk
@scotthibberson

2. • Define what is meant by ‘digital footprint’
• Identify key social media sites where
digital footprints are commonplace and
provide guidance on how to manage your
own digital footprint
• Explore the issues of having a digital
identity (through roleplay)

3. “A digital footprint is a collection of
activities and behaviours recorded when
an entity (such as a person) interacts in a
digital environment.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_footprint

4. Image by JD Shippel, available on Flickr under the creative commons
licence http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaydee92/4990252227/lightbox/

5. • Sample of 36 HE students at the University of Galway
Available from http://catherinecronin.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/525/

6. • A smorgasbord of…
…and more!

7. • Spezify (http://spezify.com/) for a visual
representation of your digital identity
• Pipl searches the “deep web”(http://pipl.com/)
• Google Alerts http://www.google.com/alerts)
• Museum of Me
(http://www.intel.com/museumofme/r/index.
htm)
• Digital Tattoo (http://digitaltattoo.ubc.ca/)

8. Image by J Burgin, available on Flickr under the creative commons licence
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jburgin/4654327542/

9. • Any social media post should be considered in terms
of discoverability and audience
• The digital landscape is constantly evolving - explore
the privacy settings on each social media site you use
regularly
• Remember, the people you share with can always
share your information with others

10. • Not publishing anything online about yourself
doesn’t mean to say that you don’t have a digital
footprint
• Educating learners in how to
navigate and collaborate safely and
responsibly using online networks
is only possible if you have an
understanding of how these
networks operate yourself
• Separation of professional and
personal networks is often complex
and needs to be considered case by
case rather than hard and fast rules.

11. • For current links and resources search the hashtags #digitalfootprint and/or
#digitalidentity on Twitter
• This Is Me learning materials about digital identity available under the creative commons
licence, modified by Nancy White, Shirley Williams, Sarah Fleming & Pat
Parslowhttp://www.lulu.com/items/volume_67/8327000/8327319/2/print/8327319.pdf
[Accessed 05/03/2012].
• Cronin, C. (2012) Resources for exploring digital identity, privacy and authenticity.
Catherine Cronin - learning/reflecting/sharing, [blog] 29/2/2012, Available at:
http://catherinecronin.wordpress.com/2012/02/29/525/ [Accessed: 03/03/2012].
• Hibberson, S. (2012) Managing your digital footprint, or, making sure you don’t put your
foot in it…. Scott's eLearning Library, [blog] 28/10/2011, Available at:
http://scotthibberson.co.uk/eLearningLibrary/?p=1479 [Accessed: 05/02/2012].
• Hopkins, D. (2012) Do students understand their 'digital footprint' and how it can affect
their employability?. eLearning Blog Don't Waste Your Time, [blog] 28/10/2011, Available
at: http://www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk/presentations/do-students-understand-their-
digital-footprint-and-how-it-can-affect-their-employability/ [Accessed: 05/03/2012].
• Keegan, H. (2012) The Paradox of Openness: The High Costs of Giving Online. Heloukee:
EdTech and Digital Culture, [blog] 04/09/2011, Available at:
http://heloukee.wordpress.com/2011/09/04/tyranny-of-authenticity/ [Accessed:
05/03/2012].