Google Stalkers
Savvy Web users are using Google (http://www.google.com) and other powerful Web search tools to track down or keep tabs on long-lost acquaintances -- be they former lovers, classmates, friends or enemies.
These searches, which once might have required hiring a private detective, have become increasingly easy as the amount of data available on the Web grows. Sites like AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com), which indexed about 20 million Web pages when it was founded in the mid-1990s, now has information on billions of pages.
....Indeed, if someone's public information has never been published on a Web site, even the best search engine won't help.
And, what if you don't want your information to be found?
"If you don't want people to know about your personal details, don't put them out on the Web in any way, shape or form," said Sullivan. "People say they can't believe their resume is online, but they put it up on their homepage."
People who run their own Web site can insert codes that warn off the search engine "robots," as small computer programs that cull data from the Web are known. But not all search companies respect such standards.
Users can also contact search engines and ask them to remove results from their databases. [Reuters]
Yes people, I shamelessly confess that I am one. Its one of my favorite things to do on those days when I have nothing better to do, and trust me there are many of those :P. Jokes apart, this is a pretty serious issue, about which a lot of people hardly seem to care, even IT professionals..! Especially when it comes to blogs I have seen people giving out excessive information about themselves e.g. signing off posts with their full names, giving out names of friends and family, publishing email ids, to name a few. I swear to god I have seen blogs which have full addresses right to the last digit in the postal code...!!! And now that Google has bought over Pyra its just a matter of time that you start getting targeted ads on top of your blogs. Abhi to shuruat hai, aage aage dekho hota hai kya...
As for me, I am pretty paranoid of anything about me showing up online without me knowing about it, it doesnt have to be structured, bits and pieces here and there are good enough to make a complete picture. As far as I know there are at the most two relevant hits related to me out there and I am happy about it.
Savvy Web users are using Google (http://www.google.com) and other powerful Web search tools to track down or keep tabs on long-lost acquaintances -- be they former lovers, classmates, friends or enemies.
These searches, which once might have required hiring a private detective, have become increasingly easy as the amount of data available on the Web grows. Sites like AltaVista (http://www.altavista.com), which indexed about 20 million Web pages when it was founded in the mid-1990s, now has information on billions of pages.
....Indeed, if someone's public information has never been published on a Web site, even the best search engine won't help.
And, what if you don't want your information to be found?
"If you don't want people to know about your personal details, don't put them out on the Web in any way, shape or form," said Sullivan. "People say they can't believe their resume is online, but they put it up on their homepage."
People who run their own Web site can insert codes that warn off the search engine "robots," as small computer programs that cull data from the Web are known. But not all search companies respect such standards.
Users can also contact search engines and ask them to remove results from their databases. [Reuters]
Yes people, I shamelessly confess that I am one. Its one of my favorite things to do on those days when I have nothing better to do, and trust me there are many of those :P. Jokes apart, this is a pretty serious issue, about which a lot of people hardly seem to care, even IT professionals..! Especially when it comes to blogs I have seen people giving out excessive information about themselves e.g. signing off posts with their full names, giving out names of friends and family, publishing email ids, to name a few. I swear to god I have seen blogs which have full addresses right to the last digit in the postal code...!!! And now that Google has bought over Pyra its just a matter of time that you start getting targeted ads on top of your blogs. Abhi to shuruat hai, aage aage dekho hota hai kya...
As for me, I am pretty paranoid of anything about me showing up online without me knowing about it, it doesnt have to be structured, bits and pieces here and there are good enough to make a complete picture. As far as I know there are at the most two relevant hits related to me out there and I am happy about it.
posted by cyph3rpunk at 3/14/2003 04:06:00 AM
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