LifesBeachy Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Ever fight yourself to NOT Google someone's name..?..Or search for their SN...? I have a pending date with a gentleman. I know his full name (becasue of his email), and where he works. What he does... I know he's a professor and I know both of the colleges he teaches at. So I'm DYING to search his name on ratemyprofessors.com.. ! Wow. Someone, anyone---Give me the strength and power to resist!!! How many of you have done this? Hehe.. Ever refuse to date someone after you uncovered something unsavory? Share? Hrm, I recalled Googlin' one guy I talked to online (never met and don't really recall an interest in..) But he was hardcore into hentei........... Link to post Share on other sites
zengirl Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 At some point, I usually Google a guy, just out of curiosity. My BF knows I Googled him, and he Googled me too. I've never found anything 'unsavory' personally, so not sure what I'd do. I suppose I'd ask the guy about it. Anyone who has a problem with normal Googling (which so many people do!) would seem weird to me. Now, I'd never try to hack a guy's email, or read all his FB posts from a year back, or something. Link to post Share on other sites
betsssssy Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I always google someone once I have their full name. It seems a reasonable thing to do, and most of the guys who I date have googled me by the time we meet. I've never found anything problematic, but I did once find out some very personal information about how a date's father died. I had to confess when I met him. He totally understood. Link to post Share on other sites
EasyHeart Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I assume that all my dates Google me. Frankly, I kinda hope they do: I don't have anything to hide and have much to feel proud about. Link to post Share on other sites
Jazzari Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I always google. Its just good common sense to check someone out before a first date. I've never found anything bad, but a lack of information can by worrisome. Most of the men I've dated are those with an internet prescence (lawyer, musician, politician, author, etc) So if they claim to be something along those lines and I can't find anything, then that is a red flag for me. Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Well, I searched (on Google) my LS screenname and my real name and am happy to report anyone conducting that type of search will have an interesting and largely fruitless journey. The only relevant page which comes up from my real name, if a person knows the right city to search (not where I actually live) is the MySpace page which my exW and I used to share stuff with our friends. No secrets there. No mystery. No intrigue. Low attraction value. No, I have never Google'd a potential date's name and never will. No need, IMO. Link to post Share on other sites
Chocolat Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 No, I have never Google'd a potential date's name and never will. No need, IMO. This. I'd also much prefer it if someone who had questions about me would just ask me. Link to post Share on other sites
Eeyore79 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I always google a prospective date, and I google him again if I find out more information later in the relationship (e.g. if I find out he has another email address or a screenname). Usually I don't find anything suspicious, but one time I googled a guy's screenname and found a web page with photos of him and his girlfriend! I matched the girl's face to one of his Facebook friends, and when I clicked on her page it wasn't privacy protected, and she was listed as being in a relationship with him! Yep, he had a long term girlfriend who he'd been with for four years, and he had hidden his relationship status from me! At this point I'd been dating him for two months and I was pretty angry and upset. The moral of the story is, you should always google anyone you date. You never know what you might find, and it's better to know about stuff than to be in the dark. Link to post Share on other sites
Eeyore79 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 This. I'd also much prefer it if someone who had questions about me would just ask me. Yeah, but a lot of people would lie or hide unsavory facts about themselves. Sometimes the only way to find out who you're dealing with is to do a bit of digging. You're basically just verifying that the person is decent and isn't hiding anything that would turn you off. Link to post Share on other sites
Confusedalways Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I always google- why not? There is literally absolutely nothing to lose, and so much to gain. Link to post Share on other sites
4Reel Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 It is helpful if you have doubts or curiosity. Also facestalk. Link to post Share on other sites
Chocolat Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Yeah, but a lot of people would lie or hide unsavory facts about themselves. Sometimes the only way to find out who you're dealing with is to do a bit of digging. You're basically just verifying that the person is decent and isn't hiding anything that would turn you off. I hear what you are saying, but this is not my world view. I disagree with the notion that "a lot" of people lie. Or, more specifically, I disagree with the notion that a lot of people I am likely to date lie. I've not found this to be the case and I would not want to approach dating with this mindset. Nor do I want to date someone who sees the world that way. The purpose of dating is to get to know someone. So the things I want to know about a person will be revealed to me, and typically fairly quickly. YMMV. Link to post Share on other sites
Jazzari Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I hear what you are saying, but this is not my world view. I disagree with the notion that "a lot" of people lie. Or, more specifically, I disagree with the notion that a lot of people I am likely to date lie. I've not found this to be the case and I would not want to approach dating with this mindset. Nor do I want to date someone who sees the world that way. The purpose of dating is to get to know someone. So the things I want to know about a person will be revealed to me, and typically fairly quickly. YMMV.If you are dating people from an online site, I think checking them out is a necessity. I don't feel so strongly about it otherwise. Link to post Share on other sites
griffinchicken53 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Has anyone googled themselves? Their are at least two others with the same name as me. Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Not a definitive datapoint, but IME none of the relationships over the years resulting from online dating resulted in discovered factual lies. Interestingly, the few which did have many lies within them resulted from real life introductions/meetings/encounters. Hmm... Even though none of the online relationships worked out, including my M, factual lies weren't a part of those failures. Like Chocolat, I've found such dynamics, both before M and after D, to be overwhelmingly positive in that narrow regard. There is also the anecdote of a LS'er having a dossier on her prospective fiance developed by a private detective during their relationship. Apparently it met with her approval and the M has been successful and fruitful. So, OP, there's an anecdote in support of 'checking someone out'. Good luck Link to post Share on other sites
Star Gazer Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I always Google potential and current dates. I also check court filings. I don't have anything to hide and have much to feel proud about. I feel the same way. Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Has anyone googled themselves? Their are at least two others with the same name as me. LOL, there are hundreds of others in my case. Good luck on that detective work Link to post Share on other sites
Confusedalways Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 haha there are hundreds with mine also. Link to post Share on other sites
xpaperxcutx Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Yeah I google, but I usually don't find much except for FB and work websites. If it was the other way around, people don't usually find much about me unless they do a thorough background check. Link to post Share on other sites
Eeyore79 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 That's why it's more profitable to google by email address or screenname. Both will often bring up profiles on various websites and forums - reading someone's forum posts can be particularly enlightening! Link to post Share on other sites
Author LifesBeachy Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Has anyone googled themselves? Their are at least two others with the same name as me. Yup. There's one reporter with my name. And some other people with my other SNs. Once I met up with this guy and we were sitting and talking and he asked me if I knew Chinese. I said, no why? He proceeded with "well, I found out by searching your name that you can write in Chinese" I told him that wasn't me but he had a dagger-stare that was intense and he seemed quite certain I was lying about knowing Chinese.. I'm not sure why he didn't believe me when I said it wasn't me. Such a strange incident.... I like my privacy but I have no dark secrets to hide. I do fear being misrepresented. Maybe I should Google my own SNs and change them if others are giving me a bad name... Link to post Share on other sites
irc333 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I actually just do a search on them on the Facebook site, to see if they have a FB profile. Ever fight yourself to NOT Google someone's name..?..Or search for their SN...? I have a pending date with a gentleman. I know his full name (becasue of his email), and where he works. What he does... I know he's a professor and I know both of the colleges he teaches at. So I'm DYING to search his name on ratemyprofessors.com.. ! Wow. Someone, anyone---Give me the strength and power to resist!!! How many of you have done this? Hehe.. Ever refuse to date someone after you uncovered something unsavory? Share? Hrm, I recalled Googlin' one guy I talked to online (never met and don't really recall an interest in..) But he was hardcore into hentei........... Link to post Share on other sites
Lemontang Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 If you are dating people from an online site, I think checking them out is a necessity. I don't feel so strongly about it otherwise. Agreed. A mate of mine did this only to find out she was also a private escort. Far be it on me to say what career a person can do (heck everyone deserves to be loved not matter your career, creed, beliefs etc...), but he was understandably uncomfortable with it, especially since he lives in a town where everybody knows everybody. Girl I'm dating I checked out and found she'd published some pretty awesome scientific journals. It gave me a pretty good insight into her intellect as well (funny the last two have been scientists...hmm I must have a thing for smart girls ). Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy Magnet Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I sure as heck google people. But I google myself too so I know what's out there. Link to post Share on other sites
Gypsy_Soul Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 Like totally GOOGLE! OMG, here's why: Be safe and know! Link to post Share on other sites
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