Author and entrepreneur Tony Fish has released a book called My Digital Footprint, in which he explores where next for the Web, the emerging business models, how value and wealth will be created, and who owns the digital you.
The book looks at how, irrespective of personal preference, we all leave digital footprints behind us, that are about much more than just identity. Digital footprints are about where we have been, for how long, how often; with whom, and the inter-relationships we formed in getting there. Digital footprints are memories and moments, they are not your personal identity, your passport, bank account or social security number.
My Digital Footprint is about this digital data created from our interactions with electronic devices, including mobiles, PCs and TVs. This data has significant value when analysed in real-time, Fish argues, to create services with colour, focus and relevance for consumers, as well as for brands who want to own your whole digital life experience. The premise of the book is that digital footprint data is valuable, and is the reason why the ownership of this data class is the Webs next battleground.
The dark side of My Digital Footprint is big brother on steroids, with no control, no trust, no privacy and no value. The more enlightened says that consumers will have value in exchange for privacy, as companies wrestle to control and own your data.
Tony instinctively asks the right questions about the convergence of mobile and digital, demonstrating the emerging importance of mobile as a media platform and the rich data which it can provide for brands to leverage consumer behaviour, says Pekka Ala-Pietil, co-founder and CEO of Blyk, and President of Nokia between 1999 and 2005.
Rory Sutherland, Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy Group, adds: It was Oscar Wilde who first suggested that one's life was a work of art over which one should be able to assign rights. Now, with this suggestion, Tony is successfully applying Wilde's suggestion to the digital world. It is a vital suggestion to break what will otherwise be an interminable deadlock in the debate over privacy.
As explored in the book, value is created in capturing and analysing data from customers. By applying this insight, the publisher has come up with an innovative way to monetise the book. You can go the traditional route and buy the physical or electronic book from Amazon. Alternatively, you can read the book for free here. Or you can register on the website and participate in a collaborative exchange of views and comments, enabling the author to monetise this self-selecting community.