I do this:
- RescueTime monitors pretty much every action I take, and while the data is locked in there (you need a premium account to see your own data in full details), I am confident I can/will take it out sometime in the future.
- Last FM records every song I listen to on my profile.
- I have a keylogger which saves every keystroke.
- I have a clipboard utility which automatically saves the clipboard into a log file.
Why is this helpful?
- I tend to understand better that I am constantly monitored, and take actions.
- I am fully aware of what does it mean to have the whole Internet know what you are listening to at any given second.
- I know that if my RescueTime account gets hacked, there’s lot of data in there which I would prefer to keep it a secret.
- I know that if the logs the keylogger and clipboard files are made public, this would reveal things which I prefer not to make public.
- All the above actions make me more aware of the risks I make when going public with things. By over-exposing myself online, I tend to be more aware of my actions. In other words, if I am used to having lots of highly sensitive and private data stored on some servers, this helps me better understand what Facebook / Google / other networks know about me.
Should you do it?
- If you take lots of caution in keeping the data safe, and having a secure online activity, yes.