← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

Posts and comments add to your footprint

Anything you share online, like a comment, a group chat message, a like or an emoji, is saved as data and adds to your digital footprint.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Digital Footprints — Module 3

Understanding Posts and comments add to your footprint in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: Sending a message to a group chat saves it as data, even when it is short, so it adds to your footprint. Emojis are part of your message. They are saved like any other online post. Anything you share online is saved. Thinking first helps you build a footprint you are happy with. Someone may have already seen it or taken a screenshot. Think before you post, not after. The broken code ignores short messages, but every message is saved no matter how short it is.

Common mistakes: A comment is saved as data and ADDS to your footprint. The line should use + data, not - data, because posting never shrinks your footprint. A message in a group chat adds to your footprint. The line should be footprint.add(message), not remove.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 157–173) and word search (Modules 137–225).

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Learning
Duo
You write a comment on a video. Does it add to your digital footprint?
Yes, it is saved as data and adds to your footprintNo, comments are too small to count
Matches
if (message.length < 5) { footprint = false }
↓
Thinking a very short message does not count. Short messages are still saved as data and add to your footprint.
Applying
Meanings
Term
online post
Meaning
Anything you share online, like a comment, a group chat message, a like or an emoji, is saved as data and adds to your digital footprint.
Practice
comment ← "Great video!"
Testing
Gaps
comment TO footprint
Check Answer
Spots
3data ← save(comment)
4footprint ← footprint - data

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Quick Questions

1. You write a comment on a video. Does it add to your digital footprint?
A. No, comments are too small to count
B. Yes, it is saved as data and adds to your footprint ✓
Every comment you share is saved as data. That means it adds to your digital footprint.
2. Which one adds to your digital footprint?
A. Sending a message in a group chat ✓
B. Only posting a photo on a public page
Group chat messages are saved as data too. They add to your footprint, not just photos.
3. You tap a heart or a thumbs up on a friend's post. What happens?
A. The like is saved and adds to your footprint ✓
B. Nothing is saved because it is just a tap
Likes are data. They show what you tapped on and when, so they add to your footprint.
4. Choose the true sentence about emojis.
A. An emoji you send is saved as data and is part of your footprint ✓
B. Emojis are only pictures, so they never count
Emojis are part of your message. They are saved like any other online post.
5. You send a very short message that says 'ok'. Does it count?
A. No, only long messages count
B. Yes, even short messages count ✓
The length of a message does not matter. Even two letters are saved as data.

Match the Pairs

online post → Anything you share online, like a comment, a chat message, a like or an emoji, is saved as data and adds to your footprint.
comment on a video → A short piece of writing you add under a video. It is saved and adds to your digital footprint.
A short group chat message still counts, because it is saved as data and adds to your footprint. → groupChat.send("See you at lunch!")
Likes and emojis are also saved and add to your digital footprint. → post.react("thumbs up")
if (message.length < 5) { footprint = false } → Thinking a very short message does not count. Short messages are still saved as data and add to your footprint.
deleteComment(); footprint = empty → Thinking that deleting a comment makes your footprint empty. The comment may already be saved or seen by others, and it can leave a footprint behind.

Key Term

online post
Anything you share online, like a comment, a group chat message, a like or an emoji, is saved as data and adds to your digital footprint.

Fill in the Blanks

1. comment ← "Great video!" SAVE comment TO footprint
Hint: Type the keyword for what happens to every comment you share online.
2. like ← true ADD like TO footprint
Hint: Type the name of the record that grows when you like a video.
3. emoji ← "smile" size ← size + 1
Hint: Type the operator that makes the footprint size grow by one for each new emoji you share.
4. message ← "ok" IF length(message) > 0 THEN SAVE message TO footprint
Hint: Type the keyword that starts the action when the condition is true. Even a very short message counts.
5. FOR each message IN groupChat SAVE message TO footprint END FOR
Hint: Type the keyword that links each message to the group chat it comes from.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A comment ← "Cool video!"
B post(comment)
C data ← save(comment)
D footprint ← footprint - data
E show(footprint)
Line D — A comment is saved as data and ADDS to your footprint. The line should use + data, not - data, because posting never shrinks your footprint.
Question 2
A message ← "See you at 4!"
B send(message, groupChat)
C footprint.remove(message)
D show(footprint)
Line C — A message in a group chat adds to your footprint. The line should be footprint.add(message), not remove.
Question 3
A liked ← true
B if liked = false then
C footprint.add(like)
D end if
Line B — A like is saved when you do like something, so the check should be liked = true. With false, the like would never be added to the footprint.
Question 4
A emoji ← ":)"
B data ← ignore(emoji)
C footprint.add(data)
Line B — Even an emoji is saved as data. The line should be data ← save(emoji), not ignore, so there is data to add to the footprint.
Question 5
A text ← "ok"
B length ← count(text)
C if length > 50 then
D footprint.add(text)
E end if
Line C — Even short messages count. The check should be length > 0, so a short message like "ok" is still added to the footprint.

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