Don't Touch That Dial

"Social Network" or Digital Footprint?

Posted by Harry Stoetzel on Feb. 21, 2011

It seems the runaway favorite for the Oscar this year maybe "The Social Network". (King's Speech getting last minute push).  The Social Network is the story of the founding and growth of Facebook.  Originally started by a handful of colleges to stay in touch and well...socialize.  It has grown into a billion dollar corporation and spawned dozens of other digital communication applications.  Instant one-on-one with anyone in the world.

This technology has been the basis for new types of commerce growing at ex-potential speeds.  Research, banking, retail and politics have all benefited from the idea of linking all of those with the same goals or ideas. Let's not forget hooking up with old flames from high school.  I had 3 friends in high school and they know how to find me, so doubt I'll be getting poked from any of the other 650 graduates.

How many social networks do I belong to?  Exactly zero.  Not completely true, I joined one of the high school alumni sites back in 1999 because of an upcoming reunion.  Haven't been on the site in 7 years but once you're in...you're in!  I have a good reason for not joining the daily invites from friends and acquaintances. It's called the Digital Footprint.  Each time you join a network, forward an email, buy on line, or register for anything on line, you are adding bits of information to that footprint.   The problem?  You can't get it back, ever.

In the movie "Doubt", one of the main characters tells a story about a gossiping parishioner who is instructed by her minister to take a feather pillow to the top of a tall building and cut it open to release the feathers into the wind.  Once done, the minister asks her to pick up or retrieve all the feathers, thus illustrating the impossible task of taking back her gossip.  The digital footprint is much the same.   Although you may not be putting hurtful information out there, the information about yourself continues to expand giving those who would like to exploit you a better shot at it.

Simple photos on Facebook can give clues to location, assets, loved ones and destinations to name a few.   When you combine that information with whats is available through public records, phone books and Google, you can see our personal little world becoming a global target.  Once again the technology has made life easier and better in many respects.  That being said, everyone should take care when they hit that "enter" key.  I found a link to a web page I had set up to practice on back in 1997.  I used it for 2 days and never went back to it.  Here we are 14 years later and it's still on someones server.  As hard drive and server space move into terabytes terabytes and exabytes, there will be no reason to purge the drives and therefore the feathers will sit waiting for someone to pick them up.  Be careful out there on the information highway, the speed limit is going up.  I prefer the old cocktail party for socializing.

THIS WEEK ON CHANNEL 14

Reel Movie Talk...Matt and the boys are back with an Oscar preview and a list of their Top 10 Movies of 2010.  There is no live Oscar show this year as we weren't paying attention when best picture was announced last year and missed it. (Very embarassing)

MFHS Basketball - The last home basketball game for the Menomonee Falls cagers will be against Brookfield Central and Channel 14 will be there with Bill Hintz and John Mercure to bring you the action.  As a reminder the WIAA does not allow us to cover tournament games for those who are homebound or unable to attend the games.

MF Optimist Club "Distinguished Young Women" - Formerly know as the Junior Miss Pageant, competition between 5 impressive and talented young ladies at Menomonee Falls High School.

 Village Voices - Leadership Menomonee Falls sends representatives to talk about their project " Hometown Heroes"

MF Optimist Club - Special guests from the Honor Flights program talk about their experiences and service to Our Country.

AS ALWAYS...STAY TUNED