At least once a month I get a strange email from one of my contacts. Sometimes it is a link which is masked as a funny article I must look at. Sometimes it is a plea to send $1000 immediately to Costa Rica because they are stranded there with their family. How and why does this happen? There are two
Read more →
There is a scenario today that is becoming all too common and it goes something like this: Girl on internet meets guy that she doesn’t know Guy befriends girl over hours, days or months Girl becomes comfortable with guy Guy, innocently asks girl to see her nude, PROMISING never to share the image or reassuring the girl that it is
Read more →
I’d like to talk about the safe places to store your digital pictures that you DON’T want seen. Spoiler Alert: there aren’t any. Once you have captured a digital photo on a device that is connected to the internet, there are no guarantees that it will stay where it belongs. When we hear about compromising photos, the reference is often to nudes.
Read more →
It has been over a year since Edward Snowden outed the NSA for secretly spying on people using their digital data. This was a real eye-opener to the public, who once assumed much of their online information was safe. When we consider how much we do online these days (banking, bills, shopping, social networks), it is scary to think any
Read more →
It probably won’t surprise you to know that I do most of my research online. Sure, I have a mini-library of actual books on big data, privacy and parenting ‘in the digital age’, but all the latest and greatest info needs to be sought in real-time. Thing is, I am not alone. Many people, especially kids, use the internet for
Read more →
This one is for the parents, caregivers, teachers, educators and anyone who knows a child they care about. It is important because the internet changes so quickly and kids often experience something before we (as adults) even know it exists. For many youngsters, the internet is a way of communication and community. For some, it can be exposure to content they
Read more →
Binary Tattoo’s message has always been to educate people about the technology they are using so that they can enjoy it while understanding the pitfalls and risks. As such, I find I tend to focus a lot on the negatives and why social media can be dangerous. This time I wanted to extol all the virtues of social media. I
Read more →
Self Quanti-what?? “Self Quantification” is a fancy way of saying “measuring and analyzing your life”. This is a huge trend in technology and it continues to grow. First we had machines that measured our data (step counters, heart monitors, sleep machines). Then we had applications that analyzed the data you entered (baby growth charts, running logs, calorie counters). Now we have
Read more →
For those that missed it, or those that like things in writing, here is the gist of my Ignite Waterloo talk. Looks are everything. This is not likely what your mother taught you. In fact, it was probably more along the lines of “it’s what’s inside that counts”, and that’s true when you get to know someone BUT
Read more →
A guest post today. The lovely people at Fix.com have shared their text and infographic on the effects of social media on your health. Like all good things, ‘in moderation’ is usually best. We all love social media. From Facebook check-ins to Instagram and Pinterest, there’s always a way to connect with others. But could it actually be dangerous for
Read more →