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.

[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]

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]

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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[BorisBaby]

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

[HumblePieMonster]

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

[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!

[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".

[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

[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]

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