My understanding of Lindsey C. Kim’s article, “Understanding and Maintaining Your Privacy When Writing with Digital Technologies,” provides basic information but includes more in-depth details. I appreciate that Lindsey Kim expands on that information. Many people briefly touch on privacy concerns, but Kim goes further. She doesn’t just discuss what to look out for; she also explains how to navigate these challenges effectively. For example, she highlights best practices: Use Encryption, Limit Data Sharing, Understand Permissions, and Backup Locally.
Out of all these practices, I find Understanding Permissions the most important. I rarely read permissions myself because of the overwhelming amount of information. Instead, I accept and move on. However, if I ever wanted to sue for any reason, clicking “accept” would work against me. Companies could argue that I agreed to the terms, regardless of whether I fully understood them. Claiming, “I didn’t feel like reading it,” wouldn’t hold up in court. Even though companies know the agreements are long and dense, they rely on this to protect themselves from liability. There has been times where people some how found loopholes and I find that to be hilarious. Then the company would change the permissions so they don’t get sued for that again.
Its a rare occurrence but making sure what you’re doing online should always have a lot of thought behind it. You never know what can come up but to cover your “ass” read the permissions.
The second most important practice is Limiting Data Sharing. Oversharing personal information, especially in collaborative or public spaces, can be risky. What seems like a little information to me could mean a lot to someone else, especially if they have too much time on their hands. This practice reminds me to be mindful of what I share and to keep personal details private whenever possible.
Leave a Reply