The information age is scary

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I wanted to track down some people. The unknown grandchildren of a known deceased person to whom my wife is related. All the on-line family trees have the person's children and grandchildren marked "private." with no information available. So I resorted to a few research tricks I used before I retired. I looked on "find a grave" and got the DOB and DOD and location where he lived. I then did a newspaper archive search for the the person. I learned where the person went to high school, looked up the wedding announcement, his obituary. That gave me the names of his children and some of the grandkids. .I even had the guy's yearbook picture. Then I looked up each of the surviving kids. Checked linkeden, facebook and zillow. Within 2 hours I had the entire family tree down to the 2 yr old great great grandson, knew where they lived and worked. I had various pictures of each child/grandchild. Had pictures of their homes, the homes' worth, what cars they drove and their criminal histories. Even got exact birth dates for half of them. These people are scattered across the midwest and Pacific coast. And I got it all for free without leaving my desk. Amazingly, much of this is available regardless of how private you try to keep things.

[Chuck Wintle]

I wanted to track down some people. The unknown grandchildren of a known deceased person to whom my wife is related. All the on-line family trees have the person's children and grandchildren marked "private." with no information available. So I resorted to a few research tricks I used before I retired. I looked on "find a grave" and got the DOB and DOD and location where he lived. I then did a newspaper archive search for the the person. I learned where the person went to high school, looked up the wedding announcement, his obituary. That gave me the names of his children and some of the grandkids. .I even had the guy's yearbook picture. Then I looked up each of the surviving kids. Checked linkeden, facebook and zillow. Within 2 hours I had the entire family tree down to the 2 yr old great great grandson, knew where they lived and worked. I had various pictures of each child/grandchild. Had pictures of their homes, the homes' worth, what cars they drove and their criminal histories. Even got exact birth dates for half of them. These people are scattered across the midwest and Pacific coast. And I got it all for free without leaving my desk. Amazingly, much of this is available regardless of how private you try to keep things.

There is no such thing as privacy anymore. unless one lives completely off the grid an expectation of privacy in naive.IMHO.

[Marshall Harrison]

There is no such thing as privacy anymore. unless one lives completely off the grid an expectation of privacy in naive.IMHO.

Even being off the grid doesn't hide everything. You can still bring up Google maps and use the arial view to see what kind of car they drive. And you can search public records that most people don't even know exists.

[Rich Engelhardt]

LOL!
You think it's bad/easy now, just wait until the machines take over!!!! ;) ;).

(JK - only a tiny tiny tiny bit)
The last Professor Stephen Hawking said something to the effect that the thing he feared most was - AI (artificial intelligence)
As a retired IT guy & database administrator - - I totally agree with him.

[Bill Jobe]

How long do you suppose before Google Earth goes live?
Did you know anyone who can hack your phone can use its infrared sensor to watch your movements without the need for its camera?
Pretty much have to place your smartphone in a lead sarcophagus to hide.

Anyone recall the movie Colossus the Forbin Project. Very prophetic.

[Jerome Stanek]

Anyone recall the movie Colossus the Forbin Project. Very prophetic.

I remember that movie but I watched it 2 times and both times something came up before I saw the end.

[John M Wilson]

Anyone recall the movie Colossus the Forbin Project?

I remember watching this movie on TV in the early '70s... and I was both fascinated and scared crapless simultaneously. I was very interested in computers at the time (quite rudimentary by today's standards: time-sharing teletypes running basic programs from paper tape) so this movie stuck with me. I reflect back on it from time to time, and am amazed at how far computing has come.

We haven't created a Colossus yet, but we seem to be on the path. When folks who are "in the know" like Professor Hawking and Elon Musk say that they are concerned, that concerns me as well. However, I don't see any practical courses of action that we as individuals, or even as a society, would be willing to do to prevent such a thing.

It still sounds scary that, just like in the movie, we will have set the electronic "gears" in motion and won't figure out the downside until it is too late.

[Kev Williams]

A little off the 'information age' thing a bit, but what I'm finding prophetic and a bit funny, is remembering Jack Bauer in season 7 episode 1 getting grilled by politicians about his torture tactics, and now we have a little old lady getting grilled by politicians about hers... ;)

[Justin Ludwig]

Even being off the grid doesn't hide everything. You can still bring up Google maps and use the arial view to see what kind of car they drive. And you can search public records that most people don't even know exists.
Google maps updates depending on population density. My shop is 1.5 years old. My neighbor's shop is 3.5 years old. Neither is on Google maps. So, depending on your location, you have may have a bit of time... I didn't say it was full proof.

[Doug Garson]

Anyone know how to find out when the satellite is going to take a picture of your house? I'd like to rent a red ferrari to park in the driveway.:D

[Dave Lehnert]

Google maps updates depending on population density. My shop is 1.5 years old. My neighbor's shop is 3.5 years old. Neither is on Google maps. So, depending on your location, you have may have a bit of time... I didn't say it was full proof.



If you use street view, it makes a difference what lane you are in. I could see two different views (date)of my house if I was looking from the west bound lane vs east bound lane.

[Bert Kemp]

if you live in or around Phoenix I think it update monthly or at least every few months. they build whole cities out here in a few months LOL

[Mark Blatter]

I wanted to track down some people. The unknown grandchildren of a known deceased person to whom my wife is related. All the on-line family trees have the person's children and grandchildren marked "private." with no information available. So I resorted to a few research tricks I used before I retired. I looked on "find a grave" and got the DOB and DOD and location where he lived. I then did a newspaper archive search for the the person. I learned where the person went to high school, looked up the wedding announcement, his obituary. That gave me the names of his children and some of the grandkids. .I even had the guy's yearbook picture. Then I looked up each of the surviving kids. Checked linkeden, facebook and zillow. Within 2 hours I had the entire family tree down to the 2 yr old great great grandson, knew where they lived and worked. I had various pictures of each child/grandchild. Had pictures of their homes, the homes' worth, what cars they drove and their criminal histories. Even got exact birth dates for half of them. These people are scattered across the midwest and Pacific coast. And I got it all for free without leaving my desk. Amazingly, much of this is available regardless of how private you try to keep things.

And knowing the when and where someone was born, gives you the ability to guess their SSN with fair accuracy. It is a bold and brave new world we live in. Big Brother is alive and well, Hal is an infant, and Skynet is just around the corner.

[Kev Williams]

Big Brother is alive and well, Hal is an infant, and Skynet is just around the corner.
Now if only Big Brother would notice Hal and Skynet have stolen the keys to our cars...
;)

[Justin Ludwig]

If you use street view, it makes a difference what lane you are in. I could see two different views (date)of my house if I was looking from the west bound lane vs east bound lane.

I had never looked at the street view of my place. September 2013 is the last photo taken and it was at the cross roads of my property. Have a look. (https://www.google.com/maps/@34.4467736,-94.3732624,3a,60y,342.53h,81.73t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sipsvPqU-MtsQMOkIad9PtA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656) My home is on the northern hill shrouded by red and white oak trees. I guess Google doesn't like its cars driving down dirt roads. :D

[Andrew Joiner]

Had pictures of their homes, the homes' worth, what cars they drove and their criminal histories. Even got exact birth dates for half of them. These people are scattered across the midwest and Pacific coast. And I got it all for free without leaving my desk. Amazingly, much of this is available regardless of how private you try to keep things.
Thanks for the post Perry. Would you be willing to share your sources? Where did you get free criminal histories?

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Many states offer them free through their court system computers. In Pennsylvania, through https://ujsportal.pacourts.us/docketsheets.aspx, Maryland has a similar web site through the Court of Appeals. Delaware makes it almost impossible. Virginia and Florida both allow searches, but you need to check by county. Each state has a different system and I signed up years ago, for computer access to the federal courts. Today, access is restricted to court related businesses, but my access is still operable. I have looked criminal information in Arizona probably about 20 states. Heck in one PA county, the property tax records open to the public include a simple floor plan design for each building. There is also some limited public access to the feds' law enforcement records. Some states make it difficult to find the access portal. There is a court administered fund in PA to reimburse people who have been defrauded by attorneys, but the web site is intentionally obscure and difficult to find to limit and discourage claims. Just yesterday, I looked up a house, my parents lived in from 1952 to 1957. 60 years later the place still looks the same. It was like I drove the 100 miles each way to go by and take a current picture. The house belonged to my great grandfather for 50 years, so I posted a picture on genealogy page about him. A few states, like Delaware intentionally make it difficult to get computer access to court records, even though the records are considered open to the public. I specifically called Delaware's court administration office a couple years ago, and was told I that such information is indeed open to the public, and I was welcome to go to any of the court houses to look up the information. (at least there are only three counties in DE.)

[Rich Engelhardt]

Most municipal & county court records can be accessed online.
In addition to that - marriage and divorce records are also online.
Most county recorder records are online too.

The records only go back so far though.

US Census records for up to 1940 are online also...I think ---they have some kind of 72 year rule.

[Steve Peterson]

And knowing the when and where someone was born, gives you the ability to guess their SSN with fair accuracy. It is a bold and brave new world we live in. Big Brother is alive and well, Hal is an infant, and Skynet is just around the corner.

I went to the social security office to get a card for one of my kids. I told them the name and birth date and they handed me the card without checking any ID. It seemed like a huge information risk. Scan the newspaper for birth information and collect a bunch of social security numbers. Sit on them for 18 years and they become much more valuable.