Research started out pretty straightforward. Whitepages.com did properly identify my home phone number, as well as the address associated with it, but the only names listed were my parents. There was no trace of myself in the listing. I also tried my cell phone number, and all it was able to tell me is that the phone is from my hometown. No name or address were listed with that information.
The FactFinder also did little. It correctly found my hometown and the information it listed was accurate, but not incredibly specific. It couldn't find information on business or a current population estimate. Other than that, yes, the city is a small, suburban, and predominantly white little place with a higher than average median age. Nothing specific, nothing special.
Facebook showed next to nothing. My profile shows nothing but my profile picture (Which is over a year old) and my name. No information of any kind.
Twitter was a different story. It had everything; name, location (listed as just "Wisconsin"), and all my tweets. Of course, I was fully aware it would have all these details, but still, it's a little odd to see. (Don't go to my Twitter account, I say stupid things)
Google continued to show little. It linked to my Twitter account (as well as a long-abandoned Google+ account that never had anything on it in the first place) and nothing else. I wasn't really surprised, but based on how much time I spend on the Internet, I kind of thought there would be more.
If someone were to properly research me on the Internet, they'd know I'm from Sheboygan Falls, that I go to University of Wisconsin-Madison, my phone is from AT&T, and my address. Now, out of all those, the address one is the only one that concerns me.* On the other hand, that information would have been public without the Internet, as phonebooks had the same information. Overall, it seems fine to me. I'm out there, but not too public. A good balance.
*Well, depending on who is looking, I'd be more worried about the Twitter account. Namely, an employer.**
**Employers, please don't not hire me because of my Twitter account.
2 comments:
Joey, I found it funny when you made the side note to not go to your Twitter account, because you say stupid stuff. That is the one place that I think a lot of people don't think about future (or even current) employers seeing. Often, people use Twitter to vent, express ideas, or share photos that might not be the most flattering in the eyes of an employer. My mom is a manager, and employs a lot of teenagers, and most of the time the stupid things that people tweet about or post on Facebook get back to her one way or another. It's just an important thing to keep in mind as you leave your mark on the Internet.
I also found it interesting that you said that you didn't come up with much, despite the amount of time you spend on the Internet. It's strange that some things make so much more of a mark than others.
Joey, I found that your search was very similar to my search. The White Pages and the FactFinder did little for me also, besides the basic statistics that it gave everyone. Our Facebook searches were also very similar, because all I found was my name and profile picture. I keep my most of my information on my Facebook private, which is why little is shown to outsiders. I also find it funny about your twitter account and I would also feel weird if someone could just see everything on my profile. I also am happy with my balance between what is shown and what is not. It is enough for people to possibly find me, but it is private enough that they won't know every single detail about my life.
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