Self-Disclosedthe diaspora of your information

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Self-disclosed cost? What is the catch?

Self-disclosed is free. It was programmed and created by an Artist, Rebecca Mushtare, with the intention of it being an open and free platform for exploration. Those interested in expanding and developing the project should contact rebecca [at] cyberthread [dot] net.

And, seriously --no catch.

I want to create my own visualization tools and/or use software like Excel to manipulate my data.

Great! Feel free to download a comma delimited text file of your data by clicking on Visualize > Download Data to Text File.

Where does my information go?

The data you provide is stored in a database on our servers. Keep in mind you are not storing personally identifying data like your email address or phone number, just what entities have collected that data from you.

How do I use Self-Disclosed?

1. Create an account by clicking on Create Account button at the top of the page. Here you will need to enter in a username and a password. Your password is encrypted when it is stored, therefore the database manager will never “know” or have access to your password.
2. Log in by clicking the Log In button at the top of the page. Once you are logged in you are able to add data to your account and visualize any data already stored in your account.
3. Add data. You can add data in two ways:
   • Use the Add/Edit button at the top of the page. This allows you to manually add entities (websites or businesses that have collected data about you) and what data you have provided them with. In this situation you will need to click the radio button next to the blank box and add the web address (ex. selfdisclosed.com) to the box. Then click each appropriate checkbox to record what data you provided to that entity.
   • Use the automated formWatcher. Click on the formWatcher button at the top of the screen to install the formWatcher add-on for the Firefox web browser (Follow the directions located on that page). Once installed, in Firefox click on tools > preferences. In the preference window you can choose to automatically open the Add/Edit form when you have provided data to a web entity.
4. Visualize your data. Click on the Visualize tab at the top of the page.
   • Click on the Self-Disclosure Color Key tab on the left hand side of the screen to see what color is used to represent each data type. Click on an individual color to re-assign the data type’s color.
   • Click on the Self-Disclosure Visualization tab on the left hand side of the screen to look at a visual representation of your data. Click and drag individual nodes to create different compositions. Click on individual nodes to see what data types or entities they are connected to. Right click on each node to make its label visible. Use the “up arrow” on the keyboard to highlight all of the linear connections. Use the “down arrow” on the keyboard to turn off all of the highlights. Use “return” on your keyboard to reset the composition.
   • Click on the Self-Disclosure Table tab on the left hand side of the screen to look at a table representation of your data. Click the arrows at the top of each column to sort your data by that column.
   • Click on the Self-Disclosure Stats tab on the left hand side of the screen for a statistical perspective of your data. Each percentage represents the percentage of entities stored in your account that you have provided each given data type to.

Do I need any special browser plug-ins to use Self Disclosed?

No. You do need to have cookies enabled (to change the color key), javascript enabled (to access most features, especially the formTracer add-on), and java enabled (to use the Self-Disclosure Visualization).

What is stored in cookies?

Your color key choices are installed in cookies. If you delete these cookies your personalized color key will revert back to the defaults. Your user id is also stored in a cookie so that the website knows you are logged in and gives you access to the tools a logged in user has access to. Your username and password ARE NOT stored in cookies.

How do I report a software bug?

Please email a description of the issue you are experiencing, and a screenshot if possible, to bug [at] selfdisclosed [dot] com.

Can you explain each data type?

PRIVATE data includes race/ethnicity, income level, age range, zipcode, educational level (this is information about you, but not information that could identify you specifically).

• Biological data includes fingerprints, blood sample/type, DNA, x-rays, etc.

 

• Contact data includes address, phone number, mobile phone number. Note: it does NOT include virtual contact information like usernames or email addresses.


• Genealogical data identifies your relatives in some way, like providing your mother’s maiden name or providing the name of a spouse as a beneficiary on life insurance, and labeling that person as a spouse.


• Geographical data identifies your current physical location (not your home location or address). Your physical location is provided via IP Address, RFID chips (now embedded in many government issued IDs worldwide), and GPS coordinates (provided by devices like mobile phones).


• Governmental data is a government issued identifier like Social Security Number or your Driver’s License ID number.


• Intellectual Property data is any access to photos, illustrations, songs, etc. that were created by you and protected by copyright, patent or trademark. Note: any creative work in a physical form (like a photo) is automatically protected by copyright in the U.S.


• Monetary Standing data is any data that reveals your credit history or current credit reports.
• Monetary Transactions data is the result of any exchange of funds and often includes providing your credit card number or bank account number. NOTE: entities that use services like PayPal often have access to your contact data but not your monetary transactions data.
• Professional data is your employment history, your current employment contact information, your education, awards, etc. This is generally the type of information provided on a CV or resume.


• Taste data indicates your personal preferences. Taste data is often collected by sites that “recommend” products and services to you based on your previous purchase history or in response to items or ideas that you rank highly or label as a “like.”


• Virtual data is the type of information to reach you in the virtual world. This is often the names of avatars, screen names, personal webpages and email addresses.

Have a different question?

We would love to help you out. Submit additional questions to faq [at] selfdisclosed [dot] com.