Think Deeper
When you first think of the word “digital” or “digital footprint”, do you think of computers? At first I did too. “Digital Rhetoric” from Project Muse helps us understand that ” Digital also referred to our fingers, our digits, one of the primary ways.” From their Latin definition, ” “of or relating to the fingers or toes” or “a coding of information.” (242)” For something to be digital, it has to have a code system. This system is normally made up of 1’s and 0’s. This code is then able to communication to the function of the space (fingers, computers, machines) to give out information. Other examples, like morse code and the braille alphabet are digital. Although one needs to be able to write these symbols in order to communicate, there is still a system behind each of the symbols. Each one has its own meaning that allows people to spread information.
Foot Print
In terms of having electronic digital information, people can leave behind what is called to be a “digital footprint”. According to Kaspersky, there are two types of digital footprints.
The first that Kaspersky talks about is an active digital footprint. They state, “…the user deliberately shared information about themselves”. (Kaspersky, 2024) When a user logs into any game, account, or website, they are in their active digital footprint. Things that could be found in here are posts or data of uses on the web. Interactions with websites, games, accounts, etc. are also logged in the active digital footprint. Passive digital footprints is what Kaspersky to relate to with “…when websites collect information about how many times a user visit, where they come from, and their IP address.” (Kaspersky, 2024) Passive and active digital footprints coordinate within each other. Information that comes from the digits of one’s fingers to be put on the web is connected to the digital footprint.
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