20100121 Your Digital Footprint (2)

Your Digital Footprint

Think back to your activities this moring. When you took the subway, cameras at the station recorded your entering the station or boarding the train. Your cell phone company kept a record of the time and length of your phone calls. The websites you browsed stored information about you on their servers, and that is available to others. And your office recorded your data when you signed in. All of this adds to the size of your digital footprint.

Should you be worried? It all depends. Information you actively add to your digital footprint can be seen by anyone - and it never completely disappears from the digital universe. But most of that information is secure. Companies usually don't give out your information. Some companies use your digital footprint for your benefit. If you have ever gotten a recommendation for a product while shopping online it's because of your digital footprint. If you are worried about the size of your digital footprint, "walk" carefully. Don't share anything online that you don't want strangers to see.



think back 認為
=> think about things that happen in the past
eg: think back to your childhood memory

browse v. 瀏覽/翻閱
=> look around
eg: She browsed through some fashion magazines in the bookstore.
eg: I browsed through Rick's CD collection and found something interesting.
eg: I browsed the bountique's(精品店) new arrivals.

it (all) depends 那要依狀況而定/不一定
eg: I'm not sure which college I will go to. It all depends.
eg: "Will you go to the party tomorrow?" "It all depends."

secure adj. 安全的
eg: Our house is more secure now that we have an alarm system installed.

secure v. 轉緊/使安全
eg: Make sure you secure all the windows by locking them before you leave the house.




//== More Information ==//

Be careful on Facebook! Your digital footprint on your Facebook page may be used for more than just keeping friends informed of your activities. College admissions departments regularly check Facebook pages to ascertain the character of the applicant. Employers check up on poiential employees to find out more than resumes reveal. Even the taxman checks networking sites to see if those avoiding taxes made any references to financial matters.


//== Library ==//

sign in 簽到
sign out 簽退

sign off 再見
=> 用於電視或是廣播，主持人在節目結束時，可以sign off，即是說再見

sign up 報名/登記
eg: sign up for the singing contest