Photo Credit: John Lucas
I blog semi-anonymously, but it is hard to strike a balance between what to share and what not to share. Since I maintain a primary job, as well as many different other ventures, so I don’t want to fully reveal everything. However, I’m sure that if someone tried, they could figure out just about everything there is to know.
So, the bottom line is, do you know how much information you share? Here are some tools to see what information you have online.
Your Web Properties
Do you know what information is available from your website? For example, have you ever used Whois? It gives all the information about a particular website.
It shows:
- Domain Name
- Registrar
- Name Server
- Creation Date
- Expiration Date
- Contact Information
Your Real Properties
Did you know that all of your property information is public record? When you buy real estate, you have to file with your local county clerk, and that information is saved as public record. Any deeds, loans, liens, and other documents are easily searchable.
These records have your name, address, and other information. While you can’t do anything particularly to change this, it is important to understand that this information is freely available as public record. It is one of the primary ways solicitors and junk mailers get your contact information.
The same applies with your business. If you are a legal business entity, you are usually required to get permits and licenses from your county or state. As a result, these are public as well, and companies can get a hold of this information.
You should check out your local county clerk or state clerk and see what information is available about you. Many have online portals where you can search for this information.
Your Self
Do you know what information is floating around about you on the internet? Do you use social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, or Google+? You profile could be easily searchable. You should “Google” yourself every now-and-then to see what information is publicly available. If you are looking for a job, this could be especially helpful if something detrimental is searchable online (i.e. party photos, etc.).
Also, you should check out the site Pipl. This site is particularly scary because of the amount of information it finds about you online. It searches public records and other databases to find information about you. You should definitely know what is on this site.
Readers, are you concerned about the amount of personal information available on the internet?
This post was written by
Robert is the founder and editor of My Multiple incomes, a personal finance site dedicated to highlighting how anyone can create multiple income streams and diversify their cash flow.
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There is a lot of information out there which can be gathered for someone who knows where to look.
There is lots of information available on the net. It looks like people have to pay on Pipl to find out more information. That doesn’t worry me too much since if people are willing to pay there are lots of places they can find out information on you.
People have to pay for some, but you can get addresses and phone numbers pretty easily for free.
I was concerned about semi-anonymity when I first started blogging, but not so much anymore. Especially since I found out that my email subscribers were receiving posts from my personal email account with my full name instead of the account for the blog (Homer Simpson DOH! moment).
I did make my WHOIS information private recently, after I received a phone call at 11pm from a random guy wanting to do a guest post. :/
Finally, I wanted to mention that it’s very easy to find out how much someone paid for their home. In my area, I just call the PVA office and ask for the tax value of the house at whatever address. Was very helpful in negotiating pricing when I was house shopping, but it disturbs me a little that anyone can get that info.
What a creepy phone call. I also can’t believe how much information you can get for free from the county!
That is so scary! In what world do people think it is okay to call your home to ask to do a guest post? Some people recommend having p.o. address to keep your home address out of the picture though again, if people want to find you, they usually can.
I Googled around on myself and it isn’t that bad… nothing embarrassing at least, haha. I do WHOIS block, but I haven’t always done it. When I didn’t do it all sorts of junk was showing up at my door. Same thing when I registered my DBA, haha.
It’s crazy how much junk mail comes after you do anything with the county!
I agree that finding the balance with this is tricky. I try to keep things confidential but that doesn’t always happen. Like you mentioned, most things can be found these days. I guess what I do is try to limit what I share in the hopes that it makes the puzzle harder to put together.
[...] Robert at My Multiple Incomes got us to stalk ourselves using Google. [...]
A good reminder, Robert. I went and did a whois query just in case.
I know that there’s quite a lot of info out there about me (and most people). I just try to make sure that it’s good info!
For sure! No pictures you will regret in a few years!
While I love the internet, I do NOT like how much information is floating around out there on all of us. There are too many scammers out there who all too often mine information and take advantage of us! We all have to be more aware of keeping our important info secure and out of the hands of the bad guys. -Sydney
Good call! All that information can make you a prime target for scammers. Not cool.
Good reminder. No problems with me, but I can see how some folks may have some unpleasant surprises out there. Best to keep in mind the need to be vigilant and smart about things.