Soooo, a vanity search? Me on the web?
I thought I'd give it a go and check it out. (Well that and it was a required assignment)
I checked out a few sites and search engines:
http://www.msn.com/
I thought I'd give it a go and check it out. (Well that and it was a required assignment)
I checked out a few sites and search engines:
http://www.msn.com/
http://www.usa-people-search.com/
On a good note, I barely exist (but yes I am out there)! What was interesting to me was how different the search results were between MSN, Google, and Yahoo. Each found a few things on variations of my name, but only a couple of them were the same. I did find an entire branch of the family in Iowa. Either that or I live over there and didn't know it.
On a good note, I barely exist (but yes I am out there)! What was interesting to me was how different the search results were between MSN, Google, and Yahoo. Each found a few things on variations of my name, but only a couple of them were the same. I did find an entire branch of the family in Iowa. Either that or I live over there and didn't know it.
As for the "people search" sites, yes I was listed, but oh how the info was wrong.
Now I thought about this search and the internet. This actually relates back to my earlier blog about newspapers in an odd sort of way. The World Wide Web (man, I learned something in this class: I'm so stuck on calling it the 'Net) provides all this access to information. Mountains of it in fact. But what is real, what isn't?
Journalism in its previous form (the printed one) was respected, a position of "world news" distribution power. Sure it was biased, edited, told you what it wanted you to hear, but there was a certain amount of trust from the lay person's point of view.
As for the WWW compared to the dying form of print journalism, you have access to more viewpoints, more information, but you have to filter what you choose to believe or not. The WWW can fuel a mis-guided opinion into truth, and bring others along with you. Or it can dis-credit your truths simply by clicking on the wrong site.
I think finding yourself on the 'Net (I'm calling it that too bad) is somewhat of a novelty. You can see what is out there about you, maybe chuckle a bit at the incorrect information, and say, "Wow! Look what is out there about me!" But what if someone else is looking? If the information is grossly incorrect, or you just happen to have a name "common" enough to someone else's? Would it bother you? Could you lose a job or not get one because of what is out there? Can it affect you personally? And heck, can you change it?
That is the scary round of questions. People have lost jobs, not gotten them, or had misconceptions about who they are because of the information on the 'Net. As for changing it? There is no rebuttal process to "fix" who you are out there. If there is an error on your credit report, you can follow a process to fix that (about 70% of all information on a credit report is wrong, btw), but not so on the 'Net. If you disagree with someone in court, you can dispute information to a judge. If someone doesn't like you and writes a blog, too bad it's out there. Heck, if they know what to do on the 'Net, they can set up profiles, pictures, you name it and pose an entirely bad image of who you are with no recourse (being able to be anonymous and hiding IPs can be bothersome).
I imagine down the road someone will figure out there needs to be a way to regulate this. Problem is, how? It's too darn big. And of course, it's a free forum to voice your opinion or post it. Who wants to be told what to do and how to do it?
When it's all said and done, I would say I'm for all the information. Just take it all with a grain of salt. If you need the information for something pertinent, re-verify it before accepting it. Computers only do what we tell them, so don't let the blind lead the blind.
PS. I put a few links below for sites I checked out:
PPS. A really good link on the evolving application of using the 'Net to help you get a job using vanity searches:
1 comment:
thanks for the links :)
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