Theos-Talk Archives (November 1997 Message tt00027)

At 01:14 PM 11/1/97 -0800, you wrote:
>>As explained, the info that was posted was from public records and any one
>>could have just gone to one of the search engines looked at the nationwide
>>white residence and business pages and made a partial search and located the
>>information I posted. This can be independently verified by everyone on this
>>list. No invasion of any privacy is involved here.
>>
>>Even if one has an unlisted telephone number, if anyone owns a home or other
>>property, then it is impossible to prevent anyone from making a search of
>>the many public data bases that are accessible via Internet for free. For
>>example, if I have an unlisted telephone number for my home, still my home
>>address can be located by doing a property search of the County property
>>records using my name. Not only will it give the address, it will also
>>provide a layout plan of my house, plus its value, as well as the values of
>>the homes in my neighborhood. Due to the personal property records
>>information on county tax data base, one can also find the business
>>affiliation. There are also other information that is available for free for
>>anyone on the internet and knows how to access them.
>>In some states it is even possible to track down what kind of cars one own
>>etc. All this is possible for free due to Internet technology and so I do
>>not think there is any invasion of anyone's privacy whatsoever. I still
>>believe each one of us has to decide on a case by case basis what info about
>>anyone one wants to post. No generalization is possible. My 0.02.
>>
>>mkr
>>
>>PS: When I made the search, it also yielded a telephone number in addition
>>to the address. Since I decided that it was not relevant at that time, I did
>>not post.
>
>MKR,
>
>Yeah, all you say may be true, but we don't like our new participants to be
>treated so roughly. I don't ever remember anyone insisting on knowing the
>identity of who is writing before either. They can remain anonymous, if
>they like. Why are you so heavy handed?
>
>Brenda

No one should have any problems about keeping anonymous.

In this particular case, considering the importance of the topic and the
issues involved, my curiousity was aroused and it just took a few minutes
on-line that's all, just like picking up the local white pages and thumbing
through. If this gave the appearance of being heavy handed, all I can say
that I am sorry about the appearance.

Also as many who have seen my msgs here and elsewhere may have known by now
I am a very very direct and very open person (sometimes too open) in all my
dealings with anyone and also I respond real swiftly, which is my normal
mode of action. So all this happened real fast.