President’s Day – Becoming a data point

Below is a log of potential data points I created by interacting with the world and technology on February 19th, 2018.

Data collected/created on my devices:

  • Phone
    • Browsed FaceBook, multiple times in the day
    • Used FaceBook Messanger to send and receive messages.
    • Check new email messages in the Gmail application
    • Used safari to check my MIT email, opened new messages and replied to one
    • Googled movie times for Black Panther at the AMC Boston Common theater
    • Browsed Instagram, used the explorer feature to look at new accounts and dog pictures
    • Received and opened Snapchats
    • Health data – steps and floors gained
    • WhatsApp – opened new group messages
    • Used the Transit app to check bus times, allowed location services to know where I was
    • Photos created celebrating partners birthday
  • Computer:
    • Created a new Microsoft Word doc and saved it to Dropbox
    • On DropBox, uploaded two documents onto Stellar, downloaded multiple PDF’s for classes and stored them on my DropBox
    • Used Spotify application to listen to a Spotify generated playlist.
    • Rented a movie from iTunes with my AppleID and iTunes gift card money
    • Used Asana website to create new tasks and mark some as complete
  • PS4:
    • Opened HBO Go app, watched TV Series Big Little Lies
    • Opened YouTube app and watched two videos
  • House:
    • Water and electricity usage in apartment by me and my partner

Data collected/created in the world:

  • Travel data:
    • Charlie Card used on E Green Line, at Kendall red line stop, and on the 1 bus
    • Captured Security camera footage from multiple trips.
  • Lunch:
    • Physical receipt from lunch
    • Data created in operating system of Veggie Galaxy for food ordered
    • Debit card transaction for meal
  • Out about town – security camera footage at Pandemonium, Bookstore, Cheap-o records, AMC Boston Commons
  • Birthday memories for my partner, birthday wishes created in the world

Scott’s Data Log: 2/20/18

From my devices

  • Web history and many Google searches
  • App login and usage: Facebook, Instagram, Spotify
  • Cell phone use – when/where I connect to the cell network and WiFi networks
  • Sent emails, texts, Slack messages, G chat, WhatsApp, phone calls (sent, received, missed)
  • Paired earbuds with my phone

From other devices

  • Log in to CRON (computer lab)
  • Key card access: gym, computer lab, DUSP student lounge, my building
  • Customer service representative at Micro Center recorded phone number, email, laptop serial number

In the cloud

  • Created Google Doc and shared with classmates for a group project
  • Created several notes in Evernote
  • Uploaded/updated many files in Dropbox – transcribing tabular census data from images to Excel files

Pen & paper

  • checked-in to yoga class
  • feedback forms for class presentations
  • comments recorded in DUSP healthy masculinities group

Yihang’s Data Activity Log: Feb 20

Data collected from the mobile devices: Phone and iPad Usage

  • All day: Received emails from MIT, friends and online shopping website
  • All day: Chatted with friends and families through Wechat
  • 12:10 PM: Scheduled a meeting reservation and added it to my calendar
  • 12:30-12:45 PM: Watched a short video on Youtube App
  • 1:00 – 4:30 PM: Took pictures of slides during lectures
  • 5:00 PM: Reviewed my Credit Card usage on Chase App
  • 5:13 PM: Made a phone call to the PCP
  • 5:22 PM: Updated my iPhone system
  • 5:31 PM: Updated the Apps on my iPhone

Data collected from computer

  • All day: Received emails from MIT, friends and online shopping website
  • All day: Searched on Google, including news, weather, and python guidance
  • All day: Watched videos on Youtube
  • 7:55 AM: Made changes to the meeting slides and uploaded to Dropbox folder
  • 8:00 AM: Started the Webex meeting through my computer
  • 9:35 AM: Downloaded the Atom software for class
  • 9:50 AM: Cloned the class material from Github
  • 10:43 AM: Connected to lab server and downloaded the test results
  • 1:00 – 4:30 PM: Used Evernote to take notes during lectures
  • 5:34 PM: Browsing on Everlane.com
  • 6:18 PM: Searched for a flight ticket
  • 7:00 PM: Wrote thesis on Overleaf
  • 8:47 PM: Installed python packages using pip install
  • 11:36 PM: Wrote the blog

Data collected from provider:

  • 11:15 AM: Paid for my lunch using the credit card
  • All day: Electricity usage of my apartment
  • All day: Geospatial data collected from FMS (MIT Mobility Survey App)
  • 8:15 PM: Pharos MIT Printer

Alicia’s Data Activity Log: 02/18/18

I wrote this in diary style because I found that the most amusing. I would also post the picture that was taken, but privacy request. Sorry!

10:00 AM I check the weather app in NYC using the wifi in my boyfriend’s apartment. I’m sure somewhere the internet provider can identify my device

10:20 AM I check Google Maps where the restaurant is. I might have freaked out for a solid minute when Google Maps says it’s closed, but then calm down when the website says it’s open. Google Maps obviously has my GPS coordinates.

10:21 AM Facebook Messenger notes that I’m active as I relay to my cousin. He then promptly freaks out because he made the reservation for the wrong day.

10:35 AM The restaurant sends me a text to say I’m confirmed on their waitlist. There’s data from texts, right?

10:40 AM I use the Yelp app, which takes my GPS coordinates, and put myself down on a restaurant’s waitlist. Five minutes later, take myself off.

11:40 AM Finish brunch at Empanada Mama. I use my credit card to pay for my part of brunch. Discover notes that I’m now in NYC, which is not far away enough from Boston to consider fishy.

12:15 PM Leave my phone in the coat room of a museum. There goes 30 unread emails, and maybe a text from my mom wondering why I haven’t been active on Messenger for three hours.

12:20 PM The museum is spy-themed, and gives us wristsbands that signify our admission. The lady checks that I bought our tickets online (which were only $1 for processing fee, free for students!!)

12:40 PM For some reason, when doing the activities that need to be activated by the wristband, the kiosks greet my cousin and I with just a “Hello” while they greet my boyfriend with his name. Hmmm. They keep track of our progress while we go through activities to build our “spy profile”.

12:45 PM We do the surveillance activity, which has a lot of CCTV footage of the museum. I don’t know if they’re recorded?

12:55 PM We get our results. Apparently I’m most suited to be an Intelligence Analyst. The display says they would email me, but I’m not sure it’s working.

3:50 PM I hit my 30 minutes of exercise. Apparently 180 more calories to go and 8 more times to stand. Thanks Apple Watch!

7:00 PM My cousin takes a selfie with us and sends it. Facebook now has a picture of us.

7:30 PM We’re at UCB theater and get our electronic tickets scanned.

9:00 PM Transportation is hard. While the ticket machines don’t work so we can’t get on the bus, I’m reluctant to use ride-sharing apps, though I did open it, so Lyft figured out where I was. End up walking and using the subway again. MTA makes me really thankful for MBTA’s Charlie Card.

10:00 PM Buy tickets for spring break, finally! Also reply to airbnb messages (yay I got the booking!) and link my airline rewards to hotel rewards. Somewhere, data is recorded that I’m traveling and trying to be money savy.

11:00 PM Attempt to watch xfinity and it tells me I’m not on campus. I’m sad.

Jay’s Sunday, in data

Direct interaction with phone/computer

  • Called my father to wish him a happy birthday
  • Web history of Google/Youtube searches, browsing the news, meandering through social media feed(page requests)
  • Analyzed data and aggregated results for research tables
  • Received emails and responded to one about an event
  • Saved the event into my calendar application
  • Wrote texts to friends to decide stay in touch across time zones, make plans to meet, and talk about how good Black Panther is
  • Paid for goods (Black Panther tickets via Venmo) and services (Lyft ride) using my phone
  • Point-to-point travel data recorded while taking Lyft that I requested
  • Pushed completed problem set to Github
  • Watched a couple episodes of tv on Hulu

Data collected through someone else’s device

  • Single-point travel data recorded when I got on the bus
  • Scanned paper ticket into women’s hockey game
  • Watched the Olympics on TV at a friend’s party
  • Purchased food at Clover using my debit card
  • Utilization of heat, water, gas captured in my apartment

Data created in the real world

  • Wrote out a to-do list for the rest of the weekend
  • Left footprints in the snow
  • Conversed and told jokes at the party; left a first impression on a few new friends and likely reinforced what old friends already know about me