Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Do you Google?

Have you googled yourself recently? I’m always surprised where I turn up. It seems I’m an interior designer, an outspoken advocate for lesbian moms, and a doctor of something really complicated, just to name a few. And, of course, I’m a member of the Playground.

How many of you have googled an ex or a high-school crush to see where he ended up? Come on, let’s see a show of hands...I know I’m not alone. (And aren’t you tickled to find out he’s a boring dentist in Phoenix these days? Or is that just me? Hehehe.)

Who do you Google? I’ll admit I’ve googled editors before I went to the national conference. I helped a friend google committee members before an interview. I’ve heard that most folks google a perspective mate before the first date. One girl I know googled her husband and kids on a regular basis just to see what they were up to.

So is it a good idea to google editors, potential employers or dates? Or is it stalkerish and creepy? Is googling your spouse and kids smart or a sign of distrust? If there’s a line, where is it?

And is it wrong of me to get great satisfaction from the fact my HS crush is a boring dentist with a mousy wife? Or that my ex is a big-ol’ loser these days? ~snicker~

PC

12 comments:

Barbara Vey said...

I've google myself to see if anyone is interested in what I say to include it on their websites. Imagine my shock when someone with my name was brutally murdered.

I know I was freaked, but now I think about anyone who googles me and sees that and wonders, "What the heck?"

Btw, there's an artist who also has my name, so maybe some people think it's me and that I'm so very talented.

Angel said...

I never googled myself until I joined the writing Playground. When I finally did, imagine my shock when all my contest wins and articles came up. There more out there than I thought.

I've never googled others. Guess it just doesn't occur to me. If you are just wanting to find out info, then that's one thing. If you google them over and over, that might indicate you have a problem....

Angel

Lynn Raye Harris said...

Well of course you made me go do a search of myself. :) I've done it in the past, though not lately. That good old first-middle name combination is pretty much unique to me. I may have to keep it instead of taking a pen name. *sigh* I wanted something pretty, darn it!

Now, when you drop the middle name, you get E. Lynn Harris and Lynn Harris the Miss Media Girl woman (someone once commented on my blog taking me to task for bad advice I gave. They meant her, but they went to a lot of trouble to find a place to say something -- and got it wrong.)

I googled my first boyfriend (the first one I was ever allowed to go on a date with, I mean) and learned he was serving time. I didn't tell my parents about that, LOL. I also googled y'all before I moved here. :)

I google industry professionals too, and I've googled titles. I don't bother googling my husband because his name is waaaaay too common. That's the bad thing about being a Harris. :)

I think if you were googling your spouse all the time, that'd be a problem. Googling kids is different -- you want to protect them, and if they have a lot of computer time, you want to know what they're up to.

LOL, I just learned by googling myself that y'all have a couple of pics of me on the website. Guess I should google more often!

Rhonda Nelson said...

I will occasionally google me--sounds naughty doesn't it?--but not very often. People who want to say nice things typically email and those who don't...well, you get my drift. :-)

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

I google myself. I'm apparently a outspoken advocate for breast feeding and for herbal medicines. Who knew?

I also google my father, my ex, my old BFF... anyone I think of periodically and wonder what they're up to.

Problem Child said...

What scares me are the number of folks I can't find on Google. Seriously, did they drop off the planet? And people complain that the internet has ended all hope of privacy and anonymity...

Andrea Laurence AKA Smarty Pants said...

How odd...I just googled myself again and someone has used my name as a character in some Harry Potter fan fic. Someone names AvrilLavigneRocks. I'm Lily (later to be Lily Potter's) best friend coming to gossip to her that James Potter likes her. Weird. Especially since my name is spelled funny. Wonder if its someone I know...

Kira Sinclair - AKA Instigator said...

I've googled myself before but not lately. Because of my unusual name I'm pretty much it. I'll occasionally get other Kira's but never with my last name.

Instigator

Katherine Bone said...

No googling going on here. Is that a surprise? :-)

Playground Monitor said...

I show up all over the place. I used to write fanfiction so I show up there. I used to review books and have review quotes all over author websites. And now the Playground.

There's a school teacher somewhere with my name.

Have you Googled your phone number? Do it. If it shows up, along with your name and address, you can click on the result and request it be removed.

#1 son has a listing about being a project manager at his firm and that he specializes in"computer automation, three-dimensional design and digital imagery." There's also a skateboarder with his name, which is odd since #1 son was big into skateboarding in middle and high school. #2 son's name is everywhere because of his running. The DH doesn't seem to appear. Well, his name appears, but it's on genealogical sites and is in reference to an ancestor with the same name.

PM
PM

Anonymous said...

Just to make my wife jealous, I have to point out that, if you Google me, I am a best selling Scottish author.

Problem Child said...

Yes, I know... sigh