The different type of data in social networks

Today I suggest a smooth and short but pretty strong and important reading from Security&Privacy titled "A Taxonomy of Social Networking Data" by Bruce Schneier. The ClearText is on the last page of S&P which in this issue means on page 88. Bruce described 6 different Data types as:

• Service Data: is the data you give to a social networking site in order to use it.
• Disclosed Data: is what you post on your own page.
• Entrusted Data: is what you post in other people's pages. Once you post such data you loose the control over it.
• Incidental Data: is what other people post about you. You don't have the control over it and you didn't create it
• Behavioral Data: is the data the web site collects about your habits by recording what you do and what you like.
• Derived Data: is the data about you that is derived from all the other data. For example if 80 percent of your friends self-identify as gay, you're likely gay yourself.

Personally I've never heard about such Taxonomy on social media. It seems smart, well structured and really useful while you're going to describe information or data flow on social networks. I wanted to post such "data differentiation" on my blog to remember to cite Bruce's data Taxonomy on my next paper on social networks.

If you get the chance read it.