User profile | Solutional Webdesign Antwerpen

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A “User Profile” is a digital or physical record that encapsulates an individual’s interactions and preferences within a system. These profiles, which began as passports in the 1920s, have evolved with the digital age to encompass a wide range of platforms, from social media^[2] like Instagram^[3] to operating systems such as Windows and MacOS. User profiles offer insights into user behavior, aiding in aspects like influencer marketing^[1] and e-commerce recommendations. They also serve as crucial identifiers in forms like passports and driver’s licenses. However, with the growing concern over data privacy^[4], especially in the wake of scandals like Cambridge Analytica, the importance of safeguarding user profile data has come to the fore.

Terms definitions

1. ↑ influencer marketing. Influencer marketing is a promotional strategy where marketers identify individuals who have a significant sway over prospective buyers' decisions. These influencers, who can range from well-known celebrities to niche experts, are used to indirectly communicate with the target audience, often through social media platforms. The primary aim of influencer marketing is to tap into an influencer's following to influence purchase behaviors and expand a brand's reach. Payment for influencers can vary greatly, with top-tier influencers earning substantial fees for their promotional posts. Besides its benefits, influencer marketing is also subject to guidelines and regulations, most notably from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which treats influencer marketing as paid endorsement. Despite its effectiveness, critics warn against overlooking offline influential input, and platforms like Instagram are vigilant against fraudulent influencer activities. Furthermore, studies continue to explore the impact of influencers on consumer behavior and the effectiveness of influencer marketing.

2. ↑ social media. Social media is a broad term encompassing a variety of digital tools and platforms that facilitate the sharing of information and the creation of virtual communities. Emerging from early systems like PLATO and ARPANET, it has evolved into modern platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These platforms offer unique features that differentiate them from traditional media, including the ability for users to generate content and engage in dialogic communication. They cater to over 100 million users globally and offer different forms of services, such as messaging apps and collaborative content creation platforms. The use of social media has far-reaching impacts on individuals, society, and businesses, influencing everything from marketing practices to political processes. However, it's also associated with ethical concerns, such as the spread of misinformation and potential addiction.

Glossary

User profile (Wikipedia)

A user profile is a collection of settings and information associated with a user. It contains critical information that is used to identify an individual, such as their name, age, portrait photograph and individual characteristics such as knowledge or expertise. User profiles are most commonly present on social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn; and serve as voluntary digital identity of an individual, highlighting their key features and traits. In personal computing and operating systems, user profiles serve to categorise files, settings, and documents by individual user environments, known as ‘accounts’, allowing the operating system to be more friendly and catered to the user. Physical user profiles serve as identity documents such as passports, driving licenses and legal documents that are used to identify an individual under the legal system.

User Profile
Personal data
Purpose	Highlight user information and characteristics

A user profile can also be considered as the computer representation of a user model. A user model is a (data) structure that is used to capture certain characteristics about an individual user, and the process of obtaining the user profile is called user modeling or profiling.

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