Here is an email (spam?) that was forwarded to me. Read it, and then read my ramblings, if you want.

Take a look at the note below - if you go to www.google.com and type in your telephone number it will actually pull up directions to your house - there is a way to have your number removed.

Many people are unaware of this danger. I was, in fact!

Go to www.google.com then type in your phone number (separated by hyphens, including area code) and click on Google Search. If your phone number is listed it will show your name and address and give you two map options. Yahoo and MapQuest. See how accurate the map is to your home. VERY SCARY!!!

Any person wishing to discover the physical location of a phone number, be it a home or business address, could use this feature to locate a physical street address, and receive directions on how to get there from anywhere in the country. In the age of the internet communication we all know the dangers of this - for adults and CHILDREN!

Google has made available an option that will allow anyone to REMOVE their telephone number from the database that is linked to the mapping feature.

You will first need to check if your number is listed in this manner by attempting a search-entering your full telephone number separated by dashes (e.g. 555-555-5555). If the number appears in the mapping database, an icon resembling a telephone will appear next to the first or second entry on the results page. Clicking on this icon will take you to a page containing a description of the service, and a link to request your number be removed from the database.

So far unlisted numbers and cell phone numbers, do not show up.

Happy searching! Be safe!

I decided to reply to the person who sent it to me. The body of my email is immediately below. I admit that my thoughts aren't completely logical, but I wanted to see what other people thought.

My response:

Without going into details and offering a strong argument, I would
say that I have pretty much given up on the idea of privacy. Given
what I know about technology, what I have read about privacy,
and what have seen regarding actions taken by the government
since 9/11, I have no sense of privacy. I've decided to accept the
fact that nearly anything I say or do is being captured and could
be used against me. (Not *could* be captured but *is* captured.)
This is a cynical point of view, but I just don't feel like I have all that
much privacy.

When you think of the number of times you are captured on
video each day, you'll see what I mean: gas stations, banks, ATMs,
retail stores, schools, and much more. And, basically every web page
you've been to has been stored some place. There is always a trail.
If you are doing something with electronic technology (email, web,
phone, cell phone, television, credit card, etc.) it is being captured.
Often the data is purged or eliminated as being useless, but much of
it is not. When you add the online databases and search engines to
the mix, privacy becomes a joke. Note: There are articles on "Googling",
which is basically what has been described below in your email. Here
is a good definition:

http://searchwebservices.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid26_gci799367,00.html

The erosion of privacy will continue. There is nothing stopping this
from happening. In fact, it will probably accelerate. Most people
are willing to trade convenience for privacy. Most people are willing
to trade security for privacy. That's a scary proposition, but ask
most people and they will confirm what I have said. If nothing else,
it is clear that laws are being pushed through the system every month
that reduce privacy.

Despite our tough stance as a nation on the war, I actually feel
that the U.S. is becoming more and more hollow. Too often we
are gutless. When it comes to privacy, people are not taking a
stand. In fact, quite the opposite. We shrink from privacy as if
it is a bad thing! Something of shame, that we want privacy. We
let it go without even a whisper. We give it up because it means
we can pump cheaper gas and eat cheeseburgers on the run.

I have a friend who has taken an interesting position on privacy,
particularly related to pornography. He openly says that he likes
pornography and downloads it all of the time. I asked him why he
is so shameless about it and he says that by saying he likes
pornography no one can ever use it against him. He's right.
No one can blackmail him. It might make some people recoil,
but his honesty is so interesting when you think about privacy
and what it means to different people.

Enough rambling!

- John

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on March 25, 2003 10:42 PM

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Yes, and to complete the erosion of privacy, we should do away with anonymous postings on web sites.

Posted by: Sleestack Malone on March 26, 2003 12:45 AM

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I live in Canada and tried it, both narrowing my search to Canada and then not.

Didn't find any entries. Which means I'm spared ...for now.

Posted by: anonymous - considering the post on March 26, 2003 09:00 AM

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Yeah, privacy isn't what it used to be. However, while everybody's complaining about lack of privacy, I believe that this lack of privacy can serve me, the user.

Take cookies the misunderstood cookies, for instance. It's great that a site remembers my customized settings. Or, the LG fridge that can place orders for you as soon as it knows you're low on Cheese Whiz. To me, it comes down to usability. A system's knowledge of the user is directly proportional to its potential usability.

So I think there are two sides to this privacy coin and people are mixing'em up. Sure, it's good when private information is actually used to improve our lives, but when it's used intrusively, then that's where I draw the line.

Posted by: Francis Wu on March 26, 2003 09:18 AM

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So far...so safe!

Is this legit or is it one of those urban legend emails?

Posted by: JB on March 26, 2003 12:12 PM

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I tested it on a co-workers phone number and this is scary!

It will ge to the stage one day when you can enter a cell phone number on Google and this will link to a mapping function so you know where the person is at any time as they are speaking to you or anyone else.

Posted by: JB on March 26, 2003 12:18 PM

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The only people concerned about privacy are people who have things to keep private.

Posted by: Craig Colostomy on March 26, 2003 01:01 PM

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"The only people concerned about privacy are people who have things to keep private."

1. Is that why you post things anoymously? Your statement is made to make people feel bad about wanting privacy. Yet you obviously want privacy. What are you hiding Craig Colostomy?

2. I like deep fried twinkies!

Posted by: Annoying Puff Cat on March 26, 2003 03:10 PM

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Aw, jeez - that was just scary, APC. What's next, deep fried fat?

Posted by: Lydia on March 26, 2003 04:23 PM

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The plenary speaker at CHI 2002 (author David Brin) gave an interesting talk related to privacy - basically he asserted that once nothing is private then we don't have to worry. I wrote a report on CHI 2002 for Boxes and Arrows that covers Brin's talk.

In Brin's future of ultimate transparency, you'd only have to worry about what IS kept private. He fears the 'big brother' type watchers who you can't watch. I suppose it'd be sort of like if everyone was walking around naked - it wouldn't be a big deal to see someone nude. I suppose then it would just take the mere mention of a cumberbund to make people blush. :)

Posted by: Lyle, Lyle - Croc O' Lyle on March 27, 2003 12:54 AM

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I fail to see how Google is taking away privacy by this functionality. Phone numbers, reverse lookups, and city maps have been publically available for years. Google is just stringing them together from a search engine.

Posted by: Boyink on March 27, 2003 09:01 AM

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All google does is pull your telephone listing, which online is linked to map and driving directions. What is so scary about that? This information was available to anyone who wanted it before the internet in the form of a printed phone book and calling the operator, so what is so much more threatening about having it online? We've come along way with societal acceptance of new technologies, but then I see a forward like this, and it tells me we still have a long way to go.

Posted by: on April 1, 2003 12:23 PM

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