EMC's Digital Footprint Calculator

EMC provides a tool available for free on the internet that calculates your digital footprint--it is call a Digital Footprint Calculator. To start things off, a digital footprint is, in a sense, data about you. This info is given or shared by you and others through interaction in the digital world. Quite simply, any data usage by you adds to your digital footprint. This application, provided by EMC, helps you calculate your digital footprint by entering in information on how often you use devices such as a digital camera, smart-phone, PC or MAC, digital cam-corder, check e-mail, TV recording, playing online video games, streaming online music or videos, etc..

When referring to my own digital footprint, not all of these devices were included. I do not own a digital camera or cam-corder device so I was able to rule that out of the equation. I do not feel the need to have either when I already own a smart-phone that can take, send, and upload digital pictures and photos. This obviously means that I use my smart-phone for multiple uses (as a smart-phone should be) i.e. sending text messages, uploading videos and pictures, checking e-mail, checking bank accounts, updating Facebook, using the ESPN application, as well as talking on the phone (which I do not do very often). I use a MACbook Pro so that was obviously included in calculating my digital footprint. Checking e-mail, setting TV recordings, playing online video games or Xbox applications, and streaming online videos and music--also were included in calculating my digital footprint. 

I learned a few things while calculating my digital footprint:

1. The level of difficulty in figuring out how much you use digital devices is minor, but difficult nonetheless. Mainly this is because some days you use digital devices more than others. Entering in "average" information only does you so much justice. Regardless, EMC's application still gives you a good idea of how large your imprint is.
2. Anything that requires data usage is included when calculating your digital footprint. I was very surprised that recording TV was also included in your footprint, but makes sense nonetheless. It also makes sense why some mobile phone providers make you pay for your data usage (but not me because I'm with US Cellular :P).
3. The amount of data each individual uses builds up over time. I noticed this when entering in my averages in my initial usage of the Digital Footprint Calculator. For example, since January of this year I have used over 243 billion bytes of information. Thats a lot of information!! Hopefully it went to good use, heh. 

All in all, this application serves its purpose. The only recommendation I would give EMC for the next updated version of their Digital Footprint Calculator is to allow users to add additional digital devices to the calculations, as well as, allow users to collaborate with each other to find out how one class could calculate their digital footprint as a whole.