Developing a digital presence

Overview

When we use the Internet, we leave a trail of where we’ve been, what we’ve said, how we feel. You can leave a positive impression of yourself just as easily as you can leave a negative one.

In this article we look at:

• Why it’s good to have a positive digital presence

• How to build a positive digital presence

• Tips for staying safe and respectful

Developing

Having a positive digital presence, online presence or digital identity, is part of being a good digital citizen. It includes what you write and share, websites you visit, the usernames and profile pictures you use, and your behaviour toward others.

You should think about how you appear to others online as early as possible. A photo of you getting drunk when you’re 18 could be found by a potential employer years later. Even if you delete something you’ve posted, there will be a digital footprint (it will be archived somewhere) and others might have clicked 'share' or taken a screenshot.

When you create an account, such as for a social media platform, think about your username. BoofHead might seem funny now, but you may regret it later. Usernames are usually not able to be changed. Think about your profile picture – if you don’t want your face shown, that’s ok.

Respect others – don’t make your profile picture one with you and your friends, or you and your children. Likewise, don’t tag someone – they might not want their family or friends knowing they were at the pub or at a concert. Make sure when you post, only your friends can see it. People surfing the Internet shouldn’t be able to see what you’ve been up to.

Stay safe – use passwords that people or bots would find hard to guess. Don’t share details such as your home address, birthdate or car licence-plate. Every so often, use an incognito Google search on yourself to find out what others can learn about you online, and check Have I Been Pwned to find out if your personal details are circulating in a security breach.

Skilled

You should occasionally check the settings of your online accounts. The owners of online platforms often change how the platform works, and you might have no idea your settings now give them permission to give your details to advertisers, or that the platform now owns the photos you shared.

Be aware of copyright. Much of what you see or read online is covered by copyright. Get to know about Creative Commons – images, words and more for which the copyright owner has given users certain permissions.

Treat others courteously. You wouldn’t abuse someone in the street, and neither should you be rude or bullying to someone online. If you see a flame-war online, walk away or report it to the owners of the platform.

Adept

Your digital presence can be your brand. On sites you use professionally, such as Twitter and LinkedIn, use a single profile image. Keep information up to date when you change workplaces, finish courses or if your Interests change.

Network with others, sharing their posts and making a thoughtful comment. Read anything before you share. For example, if you’re sharing a news headline, go to the news site and read or skim the article before sharing.

Know how to use online platforms for conferences. Know how hashtags and tagging people work.

Before signing up for paired sign-ins, where you give one site permission to access one of your other accounts, think about what they could learn about you. It might be better to create an account on each site and not link them for the convenience of not having to sign up or login as much.

Helpful resources

Etzscheid, O. (2016). What is digital identity? Issues, tools, methodologies. OpenEdition Press. https://books.openedition.org/oep/1235(https://books.openedition.org/oep/1235)

Rowell, C. (2019). Social media in higher education. Open Book Publishers. https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/945(https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/945)

QUT. (n.d.) Create a Better Online You. https://www.library.qut.edu.au/a-better-online-you/#/