Internet Security & Privacy
What Others Think
Natalie Gauvin ETEC 676 Summer 2015
Talk Story Sessions For this study, I engaged in separate conversations, or “talk story sessions” with five different individuals in my close sphere of influence. The respondents either gave me oral accounts, which I member checked for accuracy before including, or they provided me with their written opinions by email. The more general questions asked in these sessions were the following:
Q1: Who is responsible for Internet security and privacy?
Summary of common responses:
● Internet security and privacy are everyone’s responsibility. ● It is very important to be selective about what gets posted online for security or reputational purposes.
Key differences among responses:
● Each person seemed to have a different degree of engagement with the Internet, social media, and with who they share posts. ● Some wanted to have the freedom to engage more deeply, while others preferred to remain on the outskirts. ● Desire for control also varied.
Q2: How important is it to you to be selective about what gets posted online (about you or others)?
A university professor
“
As an educator, I try to stay on the cutting edge of technology, using social media and other publicly viewable publishing platforms such as blogs and websites. The challenge we face is managing student privacy and adhering to FERPA rules while not stifling a student’s freedom of expression. We often have to balance between monitoring students’ posts to ensure that they do not include anything that will put their personal privacy at risk, as well as satisfying administrators who are often weary about such public platforms of expression, sometimes calling for the removal of published content for various reasons.
”
A mother of two young children
“
The Internet is a fun, yet scary place. As a mom of two kids, I made the decision not to post pictures of my children on social media sites. I’ve seen too many reports about how people can find the location of your kids by the photos you post. This is something that has often been hard to manage because if a friend takes a photo of my kids at an event with other kids, those photos often automatically get posted to Facebook, since many are fine with posting family photos to social media sites. I then have to be the party pooper asking them to remove the photos.
It’s funny because once a photo starts getting traction with comments and likes, people are a little more reluctant to take it down. Most of my friends know my stance and are fine with it, but it’s come to the point where people who know my position will kindly ask my kids to step out of a pic if they know they want to make it public, and I’m fine with that. I say to each his or her own, but please respect my right and decision to protect my kids as best I can, while I still can.
”
An IT manager
“
In my field, Internet security is imperative. We create a variety of web solutions for our clients and have to make sure that what we create is as safe as possible from hackers and spammers. What gets represented online is also important, particularly where businesses allow a place for public comments on their sites. It is always advised that they manage the comments before allowing them to go public, so that they can have some control over what gets published about them, forming a public sphere of opinion about their business, product, or service. For hiring new employees, I definitely make use of social media to search the profiles of various candidates on Facebook or Linkedin, before their interviews to get an idea of who they might be, and yes, I do form a first opinion about them based on the content I see.
”
An undergraduate student
“
I think that Internet security of very important. It’s up to each indivitual to curate what they post online and be responsible. I don’t have a problem with people posting photos of me to their social networks. I try to set my privacy settings so that only my friends can see my profile. I also never post anything that I wouldn’t want my parents or future employers to see. I have witnessed many cases where friends have gotten offended because of conversations taking place in comments. I just simply say if you don’t want to enter into a debate about something, don’t post it to social media, where it could be open to public scrutiny.
”
A senior citizen
“
I do not use social media. I much prefer face-to-face interactions with PEOPLE. Some might call me old fashioned because I do not trust things like Internet banking, and would much prefer to speak with a bank teller in person. Young people, nowadays, tend to put everything online, whether it be good or bad. There used to be a time when we did not air our dirty laundry out in public. Everyone is too involved with their “smart” phones and don’t take the time to connect with others, which, in my opinion actually makes them “dumber”! It’s everyone’s responsibility to use good judgment to protect their privacy and integrity online. Parents and educators alone, cannot watch every move their kids make online. Young people have to learn to be responsible, from an early age.
”
A Few More Stats Q: How important is it to be selective about content posted about you or others? (scale of 1 to 10)
10 8 6 4 2 0
Q: Do you think that individuals make good ethical judgments when interacting online? (scale of 1 to 10)
10 8 6 4 2 0
Internet Security & Privacy
*Certain graphical elements in this document were obtained from allfreedownloads.com but were modified