Poll: Is it okay for people to google others to find out information?

kitsunetsukibi

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Aug 11, 2009
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Google has made it easier than ever to find out things about other people. By googling someone it is possible to find names of family, friends, where a person lives, their favorite activities, etc. There are websites dedicated to gathering and posting information about people without their knowledge. The information you can find out about many people would, before the Internet, require in-depth research that would almost be akin to stalking.

Is finding this information okay, even though it's private? Does the fact it's on the Internet make the information less private? Keep in mind that people don't always have control over what information about them is posted.
 

Cargando

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Apr 8, 2009
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No. But isn't doing something like that illegal anyway? I thought it was a breach of privacy.
 

Soxafloppin

Coxa no longer floppin'
Jun 22, 2009
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Well you can use it to find there Facebook or something, I would say that searching for the more personal details would be wrong.
 

syndicated44

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Apr 25, 2009
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I do it to find someone I havnt talked to in forever occasionally to say hi. I think its worse to look up someone on a closed case thing to see what tickets they got and legal troubles.
 

kitsunetsukibi

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Aug 11, 2009
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Technically it's not illegal because governments have not caught up with technology yet. Though it may be a breach of privacy, there is no real law (yet) saying that it's wrong.
 

Lord Honk

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Mar 24, 2009
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if it's private, you don't put it on the internet, that's what's been keeping my data offline. if you searched my nick, sure, you'd find some info, but neither is my real name connected to it, nor is my real name it self google-able (apart from our prom photos that got "leaked" to the local 'papers =/)
if someone, say, YOUR MOM, makes a facebook account and a twitter to keep in touch with people she prolly hasn't met in real life, to chat about cleaning and cooking (that's what women do, right?), you're bound to find some info that she doesn't think to keep private, like cooking recipes, but that too can be used and marketed... you ever noticed how the ads on facebook change when you look at other peoples' screens?... makes you think
 

FinalDream

[Insert Witty Remark Here]
Apr 6, 2010
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kitsunetsukibi said:
Google has made it easier than ever to find out things about other people. By googling someone it is possible to find names of family, friends, where a person lives, their favorite activities, etc. There are websites dedicated to gathering and posting information about people without their knowledge. The information you can find out about many people would, before the Internet, require in-depth research that would almost be akin to stalking.

Is finding this information okay, even though it's private? Does the fact it's on the Internet make the information less private? Keep in mind that people don't always have control over what information about them is posted.
Its unavoidable given our favour to social networking sites, Facebook or Twitter it doesn't matter, most of the information to be found has been posted by ourselves, somewhere along the line. These websites just scoop it up. If you are worried about your privacy then its in your hands. Change your privacy settings or realise that you do not need to post needless information about yourself on various websites.

Google is not to blame, you are!
 

Jamieson 90

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Mar 29, 2010
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I don't really like the its private so don't put it online argument, sometimes you have no control over it, a friend might put up a picture of you on their profile or gossip about you etc. You could ask them to remove it but you rely on them to do it.

Everyone who uses online banking, debit/credit or online shopping has a virtual profile of them being created with items being added to every time you purchase something, Even shopping markets do it with Nectar or loyalty cards etc. What you think is just mundane stuff is put onto powerful databases that calculate exactly what you like etc. The data is then sold or used to establish patterns or marketting strategies.

I personally don't like to use Twitter, Facebook or Myspace.
 

ArcWinter

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May 9, 2009
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Yeah, it's fine. Don't go on the internet if you don't want to get raped/stalked/robbed.

Easy!
 

oppp7

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Aug 29, 2009
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I personally don't like it. I wouldn't like to have people finding out where I lived and such.
 

Daveman

has tits and is on fire
Jan 8, 2009
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Only people with something to hide should really worry. It's like CCTV.

I know employers often do this sort of thing just to gauge what kind of person you are. I suppose if you're thick enough to go on about smoking a ton of pot on your facebook then you're too thick to deserve the job.
 

Dr. Danger

Let's Talk Lobotomy
Dec 24, 2008
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This should be illegal. I've recently had an instance where a bird online found my workplace simply by googling what it was and where I live.

It's bloody uncomfortable.
 

ThreeKneeNick

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Aug 4, 2009
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It's unlikely that you'd come up with information they haven't themselves revealed in their social media profiles, besides that, you'd only come up with something like an article or news story they might have appeared in, which is publicly available to begin with, so i don't think searching for that stuff is wrong.
 

adrakonis

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Feb 27, 2010
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I thought that internet was open, and anything that's on the internet is public. There is no such thing as being anonymous while using your real name on the internet. That's why people have nicknames.
 

Snarky Username

Elite Member
Apr 4, 2010
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Meh, when I google myself all I get is some terrible country singer also named Cory Morrow.

And when I decided to do an image search, I found out that he looks like a pedophile.
 

Dexiro

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Dec 23, 2009
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Nothing wrong with it, i just wish people wouldn't xD

My friends found out a ton about me just by googling my name. A ton of stuff i'd rather none of them knew, i have a very embarrassing past :p

I haven't really been in any cases where information getting onto the internet has been unavoidable though.
 

zohmbee

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Feb 21, 2008
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Stranger 517 said:
Meh, when I google myself all I get is some terrible country singer also named Cory Morrow.
>_>
<_<
-runs off to Google-Stalk you now-

OT: All kidding aside, it's the internet. If you put it up there, someone's going to find out how to get it, because nothing is actually private. Sooooo... just don't go off telling people/posting where you live or your full real name or your mother's maiden name and you'll be golden. I'm not saying it's right, but it's your own fault if someone finds your address or workplace because it means you've put it somewhere where Google will find it, or you've told someone else and THEY'VE put it somewhere.