OT: homeland security takes another frightening twist

Josh Muller

Josh Muller

Joined
Jun 22, 2003
Messages
3,049
> > Just might be a part of some "Homeland Security program". Google Browser
> > Search has implemented a new feature wherein you can type someone's
> > telephone number into the search bar and hit enter and then you will be
> > given the name/address and a map to their house. Think about it, if a
> > child, a single person, ANYONE gives out his/her phone number, someone
> > can actually now look it up to find out track where he/she lives. The
> > safety issues are obvious, and alarming.
> > This is not a hoax; Map quest will actually put a star on your house on
> > your street. In order to test whether your phone number is mapped, go to
> > http://www.google.com and type your phone number in the search bar with
> > the dashes [i.e. (XXX)-XXX-XXXX] and hit enter.
> > NOTE: If your phone number is not publicly listed, you should be fine.
> > If you want to BLOCK Google from divulging your private information,
> > simply click on the telephone icon next to your phone number. You will
> > see a link where you are allowed to REMOVE yourself. Feel free to
> > forward on to friends and family.

interesting stuff.... when the riaa gets ahold of the homeland security act - we're all doomed.
 
Did you use the area code? This has worked via Google for numbers it recognizes for a long time. Kind of like the 'I'm Feeling Lucky Button' but the only search result is a whitepages link. Well before September 11, 2001.

http://www.google.com/help/features.html#wp scoll down to PhoneBook if your browsers doesn't do markers.
 
Worked for me. I also sent in the delete form. What's next, a complete inventory of your household items and location in the house? 1984 was off by about 20 yrs, but it's here.

Rob
 
This same thing can be done at a number of sites that offer reverse phone book lookup. http://whitepages.com is one. Google doesn't maintain its own database of phone numbers, names, and addresses, they just have an agreement with one that is already online in the event only one record is returned for a phone number search. Google reformats that info and displays it on a page.

Unless your number is unlisted it is essentially public info, like the assessed value of your real estate if you live in an area with a property tax. Many municipalities make that information available online, like http://recorder.co.kern.ca.us/kips/property_search.asp

If you know where to look you can find loads of information either online or at state and local offices. Most of the 'background search' or 'find anyone' services online are just querying a few hundres public databases that anyone can access for free.
 
Tracks me to within 5 miles of the house, then some idiot leaves you on the other side of the lake and a number of backroads out :) Heck, I have to tie a porkchop around my neck to get the dog to come to me... who'd wanna find me anywho??
Sign at the gate states "Solicitors welcome, the freezer is gettin' low..."

Later,
Bill
 
Mine was not listed, but my parents was...I removed their number for them.

thanks for the heads up

Thomas
 
given, that if you wish to find out about a person, your pretty much about 10 phone calls from standing in front of them with a history of their life - to have it on google...

google is known by children to the elderly across amererica, its one of the widest used search engines on the planet.

its the first thing i use for basically any informational search i do over the internet. while it is true that the information is easy to get if you want to, having it available over such a widely known and widely used service is making it available in a way that is far, far less safe then if a person would have to call a government service to aqcuire the number, or look for the local phone book online, or in physical form.

its essentially removing about 2 steps from finding someones adress using their phone number.

its sort of the safety in numbers reasoning - if you have 2 freinds with you, its more of a hassle for you to get robbed, so why not go to an older woman who's alone - if its a bigger hassle to find your adress then just typing it on google, it may be to much of a hassle to even try.

just my 2 cents...
 
Take a look at your local city directories;)

Now let's compile all the city directories in the nation into one place and plug them into a mapping/direction finding program (similar to Mapquest) ...Voila!:barf:

Thanks to the companies that compile these lists we can all feel a little more secure:rolleyes:

btw, paying for non-listed telephone numbers is also a crock. The only thing it prevents is the operator from providing your info during a 411 call. While our telephone company's own book does not have us listed, there are three or four other book companies in our area that it IS listed in! (including the city directory)
 
wow, thanks for posting this. it's kinda scary how easy that makes it for people to find you.... guess i'll have to learn to be nice to people that give me crank calls since they might already know where i live.
 
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