Information Age

I googled myself the other day and was shocked to find my full name listed, along with my age, address, phone number, and "Associated With" (family members) on white pages. Of course, I immediately removed the listing (I actually had two--my home address and also my previous apartment) and also that of my family members.


Try it for yourself. Chances are, you or your family members are listed for some reason or another (I don't know why--taxes? Phone bills? Public records?). Whatever it is, I don't appreciate my personal information so easily accessible....which I guess is unavoidable in an increasingly invasive internet age. I'm probably still listed in the paper book version of Whitepages, but who really reads those anymore? 


It's crazy what people can find out about you these days from the click of a button. I'm not just talking about Facebook and blogging, which actually I have few qualms with because I'm conscious of what I post. But I'm having serious second thoughts about creating a LinkedIn account even for professional networking. My resume, for everyone to see, really? Something about having a traceable trail with concrete place names and titles bothers me. (Okay I'll admit, sometimes I read people's LinkedIn profiles just to see how they describe/sensationalize/upgrade their experiences.) Anyways...hopefully this will give you something to think about.


Back to studying for cell biology! My last program final tomorrow morning, and then I am free from school for at least one whole year. It's almost like I am graduating myself!