To think is not too nosy?

[azureazure]

My dp thinks I’m very nosy. I think I’m inquisitive. If someone tells me something and it interests me, I will do some research on the topic later. Or if I meet someone who interests me, I’ll look them up later.

Most recent example he thought was strange is that we went on holiday and got talking to a couple. Knew first names only and the area they lived in. They mentioned they’d just sold their business and seemed like they had a LOT of money. They were also very vague about what the business was but said along the lines of “We sold carpets”.

So from that info I was able to spend about 20 mins tracking down who they were. Could see how much their business sold for and how much their house cost e t c

Does anyone else do this? I’m just interested in people. I can find out lots off little info and see it perhaps as a challenge for my detective skills.

I think that's really odd. Why are you so interested in others' lives? Its rather odd. And a bit stalkerish

That goes beyond interest

I have been known to google people. It's usually if they sound really interesting or perhaps I'm a little intrigued. I definitely don't make a habit of it though because most people don't pique my interest to that extent.

I'm not sure I would exactly what you've described OP, but in general, I'm with you, definitely look people up that I've met, see how much they bought their house for, see if they're on linkedin etc. I'm actually quite shocked that people are shocked, I assumed everyone did this!

Exactly this. The people you look up online and find public information about won't know that you've looked them up, so you haven't impinged on their life by doing that.
Anyone who has made their business into a company, however small, can be looked up online at Companies House. There you can find their age, full name, often their private address, accounts, who are the shareholders etc, other directorships, family relations if they're also directors etc.
I always have a look if any trades are working on my house, quite often they are a company even if a one man band. Also have a quick look at their social media to get a feeling of what kind of person they are. Can't see a problem with that.

Most people do! Of course you'd look them up on LinkedIn and see how much they'd paid for their house, I don't really believe anyone who says they never do that.

I am very much the same, not all the time but if something or someone piques my interest I would

I would not share the info I discover with anyone and I'd most likely have forgotten about it a week later so I can't see that they is any harm done

It’s incredibly nosey, why do you even want to know that sort of thing? If that’s the best way you could think of to occupy yourself on holiday too then it’s even weirder.

Wow that’s cool detective skills!
I need to take mine up a notch or two…maybe 5.

That's not being nosy. That's bordering on stalker type behaviour, intrusive and totally unnecessary. I'd be rethinking any relationship I had with someone who behaved like this, especially if it is not a one off and you do this regularly.

Creepy. Not just the activity but the fact that you're so proud of it. When people stalk you and your children then, don't mind that either.

My view of this place is shattered, it's obviously just a sinkhole for disordered weirdos...

Thanks. I don't believe them either but I'm not sure why people on an anonymous internet forum would say (some of them with quite some veracity) that they would never think of doing such a thing.
Having said that, I do find myself surprised at some people's lack of curiosity about life in general, so maybe those of us who are genuinely curious about things are in the minority?
Good tip on checking any trades at companies house as well.

Checking out your daughters new boyfriends fb profile is perfectly OK.
Looking up a piece of art someone was talking to you about is perfectly ok.
Stalking around on the Internet to look up info on people you'll never see again is quite weird!

What do hope to do with this new found info?

“Reading more on a topic that's interested you it's one thing, looking into someone's finances after a brief meet on holiday is another! That's incredibly intrusive!”

For me, this.

Very strange behaviour.

But the information is public. How is that intrusive????? If OP was breaking into their room to steal their passports or shoulder surfing to find out their phone unlock code, then impersonating them, or hiring a private detective to find out information about them, THAT would be intrusive. Using some basic detective skills to look up publicly available information is not intrusive.

It's incredibly nosy, clearly! You can't possibly think it's not nosy to want to know how much money someone you barely know sold their business for.

However, it's pretty harmless. It's not like you're doing anything with the information and of course, that sort of information is public and pretty easy to find out through perfectly legitimate means. You're not doing anything wrong.

Personally, I just wouldn't be interested enough in a couple of randoms I met on holiday to want to know how much they sold their business for - it's just not the kind of thing I can get excited about! But I'll happily admit that I'm really nosy about other things and I'm very, very good at finding out information. My friends have been known to message me and ask me if I can track down someone they're messaging on a dating app and I can almost invariably find out loads. I've also managed to figure out the identities of people on Twitter etc before now.

Not at all. I hope most people don’t! I could be wrong. I never do, I’ve never thought of doing so. I deleted my profile on linked in a few years ago, and just go by wom ref work, if needed.

Now I know not to chat too much to nosey fckers on holiday, who have nothing better to do than stalk others! Thanks for the warning 😄

I do this too. Don’t tend to tell anyone though as they call me nosy 😂

Yep totally agree that is nosy. And also a bit creepy/stalkery. I wouldn't tell anyone I did that.

I've never understood why what people sell their houses for is public knowledge anyway. It's private, why is it out there in the first place?
You shouldn't be able to look this info up?

I definitely do this. I researched our new neighbour from the smattering of info she gave me. This info is all in the public domain; how much they sold their house for, how much they purchased the house next door for, her company accounts, her family. Absolutely fascinating.

To be clear I wouldn't do that, and if I were you I wouldn't tell anyone I did.

Hope I never meet you on holiday OP!

Yes, it's stalkerish.

I should say I don’t talk to people on holiday though, so no one need worry about giving too much info away to me while poolside.