1984: It's Not Just For Governments

[inactive]

I agree on all points. There's no expectation of privacy for things you post online, really. But I think it's asinine for employers to ask for passwords and the like. I don't have a Facebook.

Googe a screen name, piece together a name (especially if they use something like names and initials for various sites), google court records and assessors sites. 90 seconds or less, most times.


You shouldn't expect complete anonymity in the internet, ever. So be wise what you do and say as it can be found.

But at the same time, people sure like to recycle names, info, accounts etc.. (myself included). We seem to lost track of the complete facelessness we used to have online, and we now focus on having these images or personas we project online (this predates myspace or facebook or whatever). It's like when people try to define who "Anonymous" is. Well, they aren't a cohesive or organized group , per se They are simple individuals that deside on occasion to engage in similar activites. But they ain't a club. There's no membership or anything. Just some people who originally got together on a website used for sharing images.

 

[bilboben]

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=flash+drive

I knew you were one of those human computers, you need to cut back on the spice.

Where is the screen on that little flash drive thingy you have there? Just where do you plug that USB into anyway?

 

[TerryMiller]

Crud!! I can't believe what I just found out about myself. I googled "TerryMiller" and found out I am a photographer, a graphic artist, a car dealer, an ex football player, an ambassador, a manager of a bible college, a realtor, a teen-aged band member, a body shop owner, and I own a trucking company in Klamath Falls, Oregon.

No wonder I don't have time to sign up for social media.

Guess I'd just have to tell a prospective employer that I must be too busy to work for them. Sorry.

 

[RidgeHunter]

I have a fairly unusual name, and there is some ******* that posts comments on Huffington Post, various other news sites, and car sites that either shares my name or is someone I pissed off in a past life trying spam my name across the net.

He may or may not be the guy in Florida that shares my name and is the boss at a large company and has a lot of past employees that don't like him ("he is a complete ass!"). So if you google my name it looks like I'm a disliked upper management guy at a company in Florida and I spend my spare time posting angry comments on Huffpost and car sites and whatnot.

/anecdote

 

[Glocktogo]

I'm not much for slippery slopes but I think you've got something here. How many people want what they post here on OSA exposed?

It's public domain and anyone can find it. That doesn't mean I should have to hand it to them on a silver platter.

 

[inactive]

My name (and age even!) indicates I was a college baseball player and now own a dentistry practice in CA with my twin brother.

I WISH I was that guy.

 

[cowboydoc]

I had to have a background check done when I took a job with Homeland Security. This was before myspace and facebook were really big, so nothing was ever asked. No way I would give passwords. I don't need your job that much.