People Who Snoop On You

[TheChandler]

They are weird, aren't they?

I've just tightened up my security settings to virtual invisibility after the following:

• I was part of a panel of three interviewing for a trainee at work this week. One young man, near the beginning of his interview, informed us that the had googled all of our names and made a special point of informing me that he knew that I was very good at tennis and went to X university! Nothing about the firm, just the individuals. When he left, we just sort of looked at each other, speechless.

• I have a small flat from my pre-marriage days which I let out and have been doing viewings for new tenants. One tenant came round and everything seemed to be going well, until he said that he had "looked me up on the internet and couldn't find anything about me as a landlord, as if it were some kind of accusation. Oh yes, he said, he had searched and searched and he hoped I was registered properly. I am, under my maiden name, but I felt quite harangued.

• A work colleague told me she had met someone who knew me recently. She gave me his name and described him and said he knew all about me. I said I didn't know him. "But he was describing your dislike of public transport and how you enjoyed your last holiday in Spain". "Although he says he thinks you're a bit judgmental about people and opinionated". He must have been talking to a FB friend about me.

Is this normal? I'd be really embarrassed if I was caught snooping on someone I didn't know, never mind proudly boasting about it.

[Scrumbled]

Sorry, I didn't think my first post has posted, so I quickly typed a reply out again.

[Scrumbled]

It's routine for people to Google you as part of the recruitment process. I suspect that the interviewer was trying to unsettle, if it was for a training job were some quite young?

I'm very careful about my FB settings but anything I post would incriminate me if it did get out. The impression would be is that I have a stable happy home and some hobbies. I know that people will use a search engine to find me on linked in and I don't want anything else popping up in their faces.

Its perfectly logicaI to investigate university attendance by Google. They may have Cambridge on their CV but their linked in profile may not have contacts from there, then exposed on face book may be photos of a reunion, all those have university of Hull listed on their profile.

I read online reviews when booking a hotel room for a night I'd absolutely Google someone that I'd rent a room from long term.

[Scrumbled]

I'd be surprised if a potential employers employer didn't Google., its a quick easy background check.
Linked in is full of people who want be Googled by others. I had a message from an ex boss telling me about a contract I'd be interested, the next day I saw that my profile had been viewed by several people. I assume one would be the person on the lookout for contractors.

I have tight security settings on FB but my rule is never say anything that you would mind if it got out. I know they'll probably Google my name to find me on linked in and I don't want anything else to pop up in their faces. If they did see my face book posts all they'll know is that I have a stable happy family life and have hobbies.

I would suspect that the interviewer knew full well that saying the he'd looked you all up would unsettle some there.

I would expect that a potential Tennant would also Google. Is there some profesional site he'd expect to find you on? And ypur absense looks dodgy. I Google reviews before buying a TV or booking a hotel, I would absolutely do the same for a room that I wanted to rent.

Yes, watch the friends of friends privacy setingson FB

[SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires]

I'm always a bit perplexed at what prospective employers might do if they don't find an online presence for candidates that they can check out.

My reply to any prospective employer would be..."it's not a legal requirement to be on any form of social media".

[sunflower49]

It scares me. I totally understand the tenant, though . My fb securities are TIGHT but I still don't trust it 100%. The interviewee was a bit daft, he could have just talked about things he knew you were interested in or pretended he was into them too, to get you on side!

cutteduppair I've had that thought process too. I clicked on a link and then thought 'hang on I'm not friends with this person, partner of a friend-I could see EVERYTHING, hourly updates, photos...If I could so could everyone else. I felt like sending them a mesg but then figured it was a)none of my business and b)would probably make me look like a weirdo!

[HumblePieMonster]

The information is out there, so people would be stupid not to use it. It isn't snooping, it's doing your research.

[BorisBaby]

I have snooped appealing for different school I wanted as much info about the panel as possible must of worked

[BreconBeBuggered]

I'm always a bit perplexed at what prospective employers might do if they don't find an online presence for candidates that they can check out.

YY to Googling landlords - though I'd be less mouthy about it.

[Mulligrubs]

I'd definitely Google a landlord by the way. There are so many shit ones you've got to see if there's any information about them online, that's just sensible.

[Mulligrubs]

I don't think there's anything weird googling people or looking at their Facebook at all. If it's someone you don't know then telling them you've googled them or whatever is very strange. But no, snooping on people online isn't weird in itself.

[TheChandler]

Its the way it was said iggly2, the nuance. He was definitely trying to catch me out.

And I'd never offer a property to a tenant without carrying out credit checks first. With their written permission of course. Accepting it there and then isn't an option, they have to be offered it. There are no "reviews on me as a landlord" because I rent one small flat.

I'm baffled as to why anyone would need to google someone to find out if they went to Oxford or Cambridge when they could read their CVs instead! We don't actually have anyone working at my firm who did, but if we could afford their rates as they are usually extremely bright and highly sought after in our field, we would be just as pleased to have them as anyone else who was equally bright. We're more interested in getting the job done than getting involved class warfare.

[iggly2]

If the tenant liked the property they may well have wanted to accept it there and then (they may have been coming a reasonably long way to see it). In which case I think they were sensible to google you and try to get reviews on you as a landlord. As regards jobs they were trying to prepare and worded things incorrectly-it may just be a nerves. I would not be suprised if a number of people you were interviewed by "googled" you (if they thought you would be on the panel). With certain jobs coming from the same Oxbridge college or almer mater helps.

[TheChandler]

Oh for goodness sake iggly2 I'm not naïve. I know perfectly well that people can google information about a person, but what I find weird is telling them about it and glorifying in it in the mistake that (a) they have done something remarkable or impressive and (b) assumed its accurate.

Re the job interview - an important part of the job is discretion with very sensitive client information and the Data Protection Act, and an ability to be able to work out what information sources are reliable. That doesn't include FB - people can and do write a pack of lies on there.
While googling the firm is normal and an excellent idea, googling the people who work there is weird, strange and obsessive.

My FB settings are tight - these people must have really scrapped together the few comments on cover photos they could find, plus probably a record of my club tennis match results which I can't do very much about appearing on the internet. How much more personal can you get?

While googling the firm is normal and an excellent idea, googling the people who work there is weird, strange and obsessive.

As for the tenant, I could understand googling someone they had actually been offered a property by, but the combination of doing it before they even viewed it and boasting about it, as if to say "I couldn't find you doing anything wrong, but you better always be on the lookout in case you do because I will be right on your case" doesn't exactly create the best impression. No way on this earth would I rent my flat to someone with stalkerish tendencies. I would only start verifying information about them once they had signed a contract or application form to give me permission to do so, any other way is just intrusive.

[iggly2]

YABU and naive.
They wish to rent from you (i.e. spending a fortune and putting a lot of trust in you providing a save home for them). As regards to a job interview they went about showing the information they had gained the wrong way.

[Sallyingforth]

CleanLines:
I presume that anything you put out there on the Internet, no matter how secure you think your profile or settings are, is available for anyone to see. If you don't want it to be public knowledge, don't put it on t'internet.

YES !!!

[cuddybridge]

I had a note left on my car by someone who had hit it, when I called him, he told me his name and a rough area of where he lived, he then refused to pay for the repairs.
So I googled him, and I was amazed at what I was able to find out, right down to a mutual friend who was able to give me his address so that I was able to report him to the police, who got me his insurance details.

Since then I have regularly googled myself to check that nothing identifiable come up, but thankfully I have a very common name.
I sometimes wonder if the people on the baby names thread even take this into consideration.

[CleanLinesSharpEdges]

I presume that anything you put out there on the Internet, no matter how secure you think your profile or settings are, is available for anyone to see. If you don't want it to be public knowledge, don't put it on t'internet.

I must admit I enjoy having a snoop and I'm always amazed at what I find out, and with very little time or effort too. Not sure I'd go into an interview and tell the interviewers I'd researched them though - even though I would have done.

I remember when I was on Netmums (before I'd discovered Mumsnet) there was a childminder who posted a thread slagging off the parents of one of her mindees. Someone searched her previous posts, found her on Facebook and also on some childminding network and posted links to the thread, they also worked out who the mindees parents were on her FB friends list and sent them the link. I'll never forget it. 'Helen G' from Kent. It caused uproar on Netmums and quite a few people who possibly were involved and thought she deserved it got banned.

[Leela5]

We always look someone up on Facebook before a job interview. You can get a glimpse of what they are like - lairy drunken profile pic, occupation 'professional bum', etc are always a concern. People should tighten security settings as it can give people the wrong impression when it really counts. I'm a professional but used to party lots. I've removed all old photos and deleted posts in case my employers or colleagues look at my account and my privacy is at strictest setting. It's just not worth it, better to safeguard yourself.

[CatLady25]

Facebook is dangerous thats why i deleted mine. To much personal info that anyone can find

[Aduaz]

It is creepy how much people can find out about you. My FB settings are on the strictest privacy settings possible and you can't find me on google with my name which is a good thing I think.

[TinkerbellaPan]

Looking up interviewers before an interview is ok. As long as you are looking them up from a business PoV. I have had an interview before and was asked "oh, I assume you googled me prior to the interview?". I had

To come into the interview and confess that he had googled you, but then state personal facts about you is not normal. At least he gave you good warning so you didn't hire him!

[glaciermint]

I think it's pretty normal these days. I often look up people on FB or just Google, whether they're new friends/colleagues/staff. It's not something I'd tell them about though! If people don't want others to look them up, they need only have a quick look online to find out how to change security settings. I've set my own security settings very tight, in fact my FB name is not my real name and doesn't come up in searches, and my Twitter account is not linked to my usual email and has no profile information.

[dangerrabbit]

Is it not quite normal to stalk people online (or maybe that's just me)...not sure it's that normal to fess up to your victims tho!!!

[Sallyingforth]

I don't think many people realise just how much can be found out about them on line, if others really want to snoop.

Social media sites are not provided as a public service, they are designed to encourage people to divulge personal information for its commercial value, and they are very successful at it.

'Private' settings are designed to give a sense of security that is not always justified. The data is only 'private' as far as other ordinary users are concerned, and it is still there on the servers.

There are so many other sources of data about people - for instance local newspapers are mostly on line now. Did you have a wedding report in one? Or a school sports day? They will link you to friends or relatives who may have open data on the web.

I have on a couple of occasions shocked people by telling them things that they thought were secure, just as a warning to be more discrete. I'm no expert, and if I can do that as an amateur, what can a real hacker find out about you?

[PinkSparklyShit]

I've been stalked before, was really scary and a big wake up call. I try and minimise what random people can find out about me.

I think the boasting really strange behaviour, even though googling people is kind of seen as normal.