You Digital Identity Is Worth Protecting

Lunch Time – Friends go shopping on a Chicago street, as construction workers take a lunch break. Monochrome Photograph. Copyright 2008 Frank J Casella.

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In today’s digital landscape, the concept of identity has taken on a whole new dimension. With the prevalence of online services and the constant stream of personal data being generated, it has become increasingly important to safeguard our identities. And one of the key components of our digital identity is our email address.

When it comes to email, many people rely on Gmail as their go-to provider. It offers a user-friendly interface, robust features, and seamless integration with other Google services. However, what often goes unnoticed is how Gmail plays a significant role in shaping our online identity.

You see, when you use Gmail, you are essentially always logged in to your Google account. This means that Google can connect various pieces of information about you, such as your search terms, GPS location, photos, YouTube views, and more, all tied back to your real-life identity. It’s a comprehensive picture that Google can paint about who you are and what you do.

Furthermore, every time you sign up for a new service and provide your email address to create an account, Gmail is the one that knows about it first. It acts as a central hub, recording your digital footprints across different platforms and services. While this convenience may seem appealing on the surface, it also raises some privacy concerns.

However, it’s worth noting that securing your communications is just the first step towards reclaiming your online identity. It goes beyond simply protecting the content of your emails. It’s about understanding the intricate web of data collection and taking back control over how your personal information is used and shared.

Taking proactive measures to protect your online identity involves being mindful of the data you willingly disclose, being vigilant against phishing attempts, and regularly reviewing your privacy settings across various platforms. It also means diversifying your online presence, utilizing encrypted communication channels when necessary, and being selective about the services you choose to engage with.

Email is no longer just a means of communication; it’s an integral part of our digital existence. As such, safeguarding our email accounts and the associated data is essential in preserving our privacy and maintaining control over our identity. By taking steps to protect our identities online, we can navigate the digital world with confidence and enjoy the benefits it has to offer.

The Thing About Email Domains

Photo: ‘Friends Walking the Wetlands Trail’ – Color Photo Copyright 2018 Frank J Casella

Just thinking, I have to say that email service domain names are a bad online ID that we use for most everything. We all have an email address, or usually need one for subscribing to social media and the like, even though an email address was never meant to be secure (but that is for another blog post). Many of us got our first email address from our phone company or Internet Service Provider (ISP), but they all have awful domain names that benefit the brand more than those of us using them. And the free and paid services have mostly done the same. The two exceptions I know of are mail.com and fastmail.com, they have both a good brand name that says what they do and benefits the user, plus they offer dozens of other domain names to choose that say what we do. On the other hand, protonmail had a good name until it went to just ‘proton’, and vivaldi.net (I have to mention because it hosts this blog) is a memorable name, though I think should do the opposite and change to vivaldimail.net (or vmail.net or VM.net), it has a better ‘ring’ to it and personally makes me smile. As humans we often take the path of least resistance, and this is why I think there is no real demand for better email service domain names. As long as the service works and meets our needs, we don’t care if it benefits the brand we are using, never mind the best way for them to be in business is to serve the customer.