JohnnyBlaze Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 Note: this is not a "do you google your date" thread. That thread is already here at http://www.loveshack.org/forums/showthread.php?t=255273&highlight=google+date. I read an article from Reuters yesterday that says approximately 70% of women (and 63% of men) do a Google search on potential dates before date 1, and that number rises by roughly 2% after the first date (more info to go on, I guess). I looked up other reports and they seem to be in line with these numbers. This is something I have not done, so I don't know what my reaction would be to this scenario. I tried googling myself using a very wide variety of key words, just to see what would be found about me, but I came up goose eggs. The only search that returned anything was only a response to a bike event from some time back, saying "cool, I'll have to check it out". That was all there was on me. That one result took a lot of key words that would not be known early on (like my nick name IRL), as well as some odd search words. Plus, had I not known the URL and known that I frequent that site, I wouldn't even have considered checking the link, as it did not look very promising. Effectively, there was nothing. No MySpace, no Facebook, not even in the phone book. Nothing. So here's my question to you: if you googled a potential date and got absolutely no results, how would you interpret that? Would you treat that as "there's nothing on him, which means nothing bad", or would you see it as "there's nothing on him. What's he hiding"? Or would you draw a completely different conclusion from it?
Star Gazer Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 I have a kinda common name, so Googling me doesn't draw much on me specifically. One has to use my complete, non-shortened name and throw in either my specific city or a specific detail about me to come up with anything. But, I wouldn't draw a conclusion one way or the other. I use Google more as a confirmation mechanism of things I've already been told.
Duckduckgoose Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 I am really glad that I don't come up with a google search, not even using my full name. I like it that way
Disillusioned Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 Just make sure you know exactly who you're googling. If the person you're googling has a common name like Mike Smith or Jennifer Miller, it's very easy to nail the wrong one if there are no pics to go by. About 5 years ago, there was a credit crook who lived about 3 miles from me with my same first and last name. I started learning a lot about him from the number of bill collectors who called me and sent me copies of his bounced checks! Still, I fared better than my neighbor... he found out he has the same first and last name of a gangster who's wanted in Texas for murder!
Billy_Boy Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 it makes more sense to google someones email addresses. You can find their facebook, twitter, amazon profile, etc etc. If it returns no results, I assume it as inconclusive. I have never googled anyone before a 1st date or anything, if I do its always after I begin to get to know them for a while.
denise_xo Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 So here's my question to you: if you googled a potential date and got absolutely no results, how would you interpret that? Would you treat that as "there's nothing on him, which means nothing bad", or would you see it as "there's nothing on him. What's he hiding"? Or would you draw a completely different conclusion from it? I wouldn't draw any firm conclusions because there simply isn't enough of a basis to. But it wouldn't make me negatively disposed. I think people are way too uncritical leaving their personal information in whatever shape or form on the internet, so I'd find that more of a red flag than lack of information.
elastica Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 I actually find it appealing when I cannot find a lot of things about people online. It means they have a life outside internet. It is also a good sign if I check someone on FB, and they do not really use it regularly. If you googled me (my name is very unusual) you would find my FB and my entire dissertation. I wish I could make both disappear.
denise_xo Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 I actually find it appealing when I cannot find a lot of things about people online. It means they have a life outside internet. It is also a good sign if I check someone on FB, and they do not really use it regularly. If you googled me (my name is very unusual) you would find my FB and my entire dissertation. I wish I could make both disappear. I don't know about the dissertation, but you can definitely make FB go away. Go to privacy settings.
elastica Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 (edited) I don't know about the dissertation, but you can definitely make FB go away. Go to privacy settings. Thanks Denise for the tip, but unfortunately it doesn't work. My privacy setting does not allow for search engines to find my name. Still, if I post e.g. a link to a friend's wall, and a friend of a friend (who is my friend as well) shares it on his public wall, the shared post will come up in search engines. So if somebody googles me, my name will come up, not as a FB account, but embedded into other person's account. But the main thing is, it will be there, despite very private settings. There is not a single thing on my account that can be seen by "everyone", in fact everything can be seen by "friends only"... Still, I do see some of my posts on google... Have been thinking about deleting account for long time. Edited January 26, 2011 by elastica
denise_xo Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 Thanks Denise for the tip, but unfortunately it doesn't work. My privacy setting does not allow for search engines to find my name. Still, if I post e.g. a link to a friend's wall, and a friend of a friend (who is my friend as well) shares it on his public wall, the shared post will come up in search engines. So if somebody googles me, my name will come up, not as a FB account, but embedded into other person's account. But the main thing is, it will be there, despite very private settings. There is not a single thing on my account that can be seen by "everyone", in fact everything can be seen by "friends only"... Still, I do see some of my posts on google... Have been thinking about deleting account for long time. Oh, I see - I didn't know that. I never post on FB. You just gave me another reason to keep it that way
laRubiaBonita Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 i have googled dates/ people; but i also run judiciary case searches... those are FUN!
Feelin Frisky Posted January 26, 2011 Posted January 26, 2011 A person has little or no control over whether or not their name will come up in a Google search unless of course they actually create content and/or web sites which will come up in the search. So, if the search comes up with nothing, there is NOTHING to consider. I can't see how someone would deem that as trying to hide themsleves.
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