Given how much I use the Internet, I am somewhat concerned about privacy, but not obsessed with it. I tend to approach these concerns with a keen eye on point #14 (CDT's Online Privacy Guide), "Use Common Sense."
Searching on Google by "Janice M. Mueller" returns numerous links on a University of Pennsylvania-based attorney, chemical engineer, author, teacher and patent law expert who shares my name. I don't even make an appearance (at least not on the first 6 pages, which is as far as I took the search). Taking another approach, I googled my preferred given name ("Jan Mueller"). Apparently, there are many male residents of European countries who also share my name. So, when it comes to cyberspace, I appear to be a void, which is just fine by me!
Actually, these issues came up often in course material and Blackboard discussions while completing my MLS. One professor assigned The Digital Person: Technology and Privacy in the Information Age, a 2004 publication by Daniel Solove. Overall, it was an interesting read. Positing that in today's Information Age, everyone has a "digital dossier" wherein shards of data from our everyday existence are being compiled and analyzed by business and commercial interests, the author also discusses new ways of viewing and protecting our privacy. He also makes the following statement, with which I agree: "Life today is fueled by information, and it is virtually impossible to live as an Information Age ghost, leaving no trail or residue" (p.8). With this in mind, exercising vigilance and common sense when selecting privacy settings for social networking sites, Internet browsers, or other online interactions seems to be the most effective and proactive approach to protecting our privacy in the Digital Age.
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