It's absolutely amazing what kind of information in online anymore. What's even more amazing is what people put online themselves. These aren't the days of some news article that was archived that mentions your name found online because someone's job was to scan all the old information into a database. Today, you can go to several different websites and find everything: your address, phone number (okay for some of you that may be listed in the phone book) but even your cell phone number and pictures from your FB profile or myspace or google+ or linked. There are wonderful sites that help you store your pictures so in case you (PC not Mac) computer dies, you don't loose your pictures. All these things are wonderful and then there are blogs. We put our pictures, stories and personal info online on a blog.
So just for fun...Google yourself. Ladies, use your married name and your maiden name. Just for fun, Google your kids and your spouse as well. See what you find and if you're like me, use any combination of names you have had or do have. If you are online, you'll find some trace of you online. Spokeo is the most common way to find addresses and phone number and sometimes there are pictures of you as well as a picture of your house. Try entering your info in Spokeo and see what you find.
Now, stop hyperventilating. I know, you saw a Google map image of your house on Spokeo with your car parked in your driveway. You found dozens of pictures that you didn't know where online. You probably found very personal information. It's going to be okay.
Remember, if you're online, you need to protect yourself. Check all your settings on all the sites on which you are a member. Think hard: Facebook, myspace, linked, youtube, twitter, google+, flickr, picasa and then check your email account settings: gmail, hotmail, yahoo. Some of these sites list you on a Goggle search and it's easy to change. Remember to deactivate any account you no longer use (don't just leave it in internet limbo with information connected to it).
But here's the thing. I found several long lost friends this way. My sister found me this way. About every six months or so, I Google myself and my family and see what I find. I go to each site and see if there are settings that I can change to remove the info. It takes a while for the data to be "lost" and not show up in a Google search...so obsessively Googling yourself everyday will not help. Remember, once it's out in cyberspace, it's out there. Check your privacy settings and when FB has that little pop up that says they have changed their privacy settings...don't just hit X, read it!
Oh, and if you're on FB and made your profile private and then didn't add me as friend...I just Googled you. I found pictures of you online and your current address. I found other sites you were on and looked at those pictures too. That's right, I stalked you. Serves you right for not accepting my friend request. Just kidding...sort of.
Oh BTW, when I just did my recent Google search, I found an email I sent through what I thought was a secure, private email list that I put my email, home phone and cell phone. Hmmm, I guess having to "join" the group didn't mean everyone else in the world couldn't look at my email, they just couldn't respond.
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