Chatting with People
The majority of my interpersonal communication takes place via gmail, Facebook messenger, and Slack. A couple of days ago I read that Facebook has started fully encrypting their messages, so I guess there is no way that could be used as a data set. In the evening I had a conversation with a friend that I’m sure was picked up by their Amazon Echo. I also intermittently messaged friends via Signal throughout the day, an app we use specifically because it does not retain any information on sent messages.
Moving Around Town
I started the day by tapping my van into the MIT commuter lot by Simmons. From there I tapped into the Z Center for a workout before heading into lab (which was definitely caught on security cameras). I didn’t leave the lab for seven or eight hours, but I filled my water bottle several times at one of those smart water fountains that tracks water usage. I also took pictures and videos of my work throughout the day which includes time and location metadata. In the evening I went to work in Darwin’s Coffeeshop, where I was recorded on CCTV and I made a credit card purchase. I also logged onto the Darwin’s WiFi.
Getting Online
The non-communication websites I visited today are Reddit, Instagram, YouTube, Google Drive, Dropbox, and the Solidworks Forums (all of which I have personal accounts with, allowing them to track what I view). I played some video games through the Steam App, watched some Netflix, and used the streaming services Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Podcasts. Can’t miss a single minute of NPR! I also logged onto the Data Storytelling Studio website 🙂
Other Breadcrumbs
I used Venmo to pay my rent this morning, filled out my absentee ballot (which is not yet online data but soon will be), and operated a 3D-printer that was connected to the internet. Finally, I signed off for a friend’s package with UPS so in a way I gave my data fingerprint (but I would argue that since I signed my friend’s name I did not really reveal anything about myself).