Is it good or bad that you can't hide from the internet today?

The Coffee Shop
1

I met a couple people last week at a conference. They may be good contacts down the road.

Got home and started poking around the internet. Man, used to be you could have a work personality and a private personality. There were a lot of things that were no one’s business but your own.

Once I started pulling at the threads I found all kinds of stuff. Some I didn’t really care about but I’m sure they wouldn’t have chosen to tell me and some that is informative.

Part of the problem is people oversharing on Facebook. But the easily found public records are pretty exposing as well.

To amuse myself after the real inquiry I went searching for the waitress from Friday night to see what I could find. I knew nothing but what she looked like, her first name and where I ate. Yeah, I know almost everything there is to know about her now. I almost feel bad about it.

No wonder Duffy was deleting posts.

2

Doesn’t matter. It is what we want.

3

Personally I think it’s a net negative. It’s harder and harder to be a private person in this world without going to full Unabomber, off-the-grid style tactics.

4

The best explanation of why it is bad that I have heard is much of that which we see is not (corrected) in context.

5

So you’re stalking them. Cool.

6

A friend of mine who is retired from federal law enforcement always says how as much as people complain about invasion of privacy, it is amazing what they’ll put on their Facebook page.

7

A friend of mine who is retired from federal law enforcement always says how as much as people complain about invasion of privacy, it is amazing what they’ll put on their Facebook page.

The ease with which details about you can be found online is astounding. Data aggregators and your own social media can give a pretty full picture, and then if you’re willing to pay a little, even more detail is easily available.

8

So you’re stalking them. Cool.

Pretty much. The more you pick at it the more you want to find.

9

A friend of mine who is retired from federal law enforcement always says how as much as people complain about invasion of privacy, it is amazing what they’ll put on their Facebook page.

The ease with which details about you can be found online is astounding. Data aggregators and your own social media can give a pretty full picture, and then if you’re willing to pay a little, even more detail is easily available.

You used to have to work hard to find court records. Bankruptcies, criminal cases, tax liens,… all in seconds for free. Property records, voter registration, etc. all online and free.

Once you find them on Facebook you get family, workplace, pictures… Everybody can be a private eye in moments.

I can’t imagine trying to date someone now and trying to keep secrets. :slight_smile:

10

Doesn’t matter. It is what we want.

We?