A different approach and application to personal digital data gathered passively (digital footprint)

• Who owns it and controls how it is used for the benefit of the individual and society as a whole?
• Can this data show something about a person subconscious?
• Can this data be applied to help people make better, benevolent choices more than just choices that are consumeristic and political?

I think there are a lot of possible applications but I will focus on career decisions and career development.

The closest thing to this is personality assessments such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The problem with these types of assessments is they gather data based on how a person is thinking or feeling at one instance of time. It also relies solely on how a person thinks about themselves and really has little connection with a person's actions in real life. It also seems to pride itself in being something that doesn't change. It doesn't take into consideration, as an instrument, that people change.

Because so much of a person's life is lived online, the data gathered through digital means could very well be applied to give a clearer picture of who a person is and how they spend their time, the actions they take, the things they are interested in, and generally the choices they make. Google's motto of "Don't be evil" is fine, but I think it really misses an opportunity to do some good for people beyond providing goods and services and even to some extent, the data/information. Because the waters are muddied by the fact that Google profits by using your personal data, it might make it hard to convince users to provide more data willingly even if the promise was more about improving life. 

The general public doesn't understand what is "out there" about them-- what kind of data marketers (data mongers) have and what kind of inferences are made about that data and how that data is used to sell them stuff or even a bigger deal change their way of thinking. I see this as not only a problem but a missed opportunity. If a user allowed data to be taken about them and they were able to see all that data and in most cases control what data becomes their "profile" the conversation can change from that of capitalism to that of "Who am I?" It makes for a more thoughtful and introspective approach. "These are the actions I make on a regular basis. Are they leading me to who I want to be?" And from there, open themselves up to suggestions and information through technological means that can point them in the right direction. The conversation changes from "what do I want to have" to "what do I want to become."

What do you think? Am I making sense? Do you think technology and data can facilitate this kind of change in people? Do you think people would want this?