Dial "G" for Google

The hugeness of the Internet has been a great resource for information-seekers everywhere. Have a question? Put it into a search engine and come up with everything from support groups to academic work. However, the amount of information you can get from a search engine can also have a downside if you want to keep your own personal information private.

The Google search engine, www.google.com, has offered a feature that shows the address when a phone number (area code and number, separated by dashes) is entered. This has some people worried, and with good cause. Anyone can type in a your phone number and come up with not only your address, but a map leading there! Since the database is gleaned from public sources anyhow, it's information that could be retrieved in other ways. However, it is ten times faster and easier on the Internet. In addition to Google, there are other phone book sites on the Internet that provide the same privacy encroaching services.

Not all phone numbers will work with this system. If a number is unlisted, it will also be unlisted on this feature. Google has provided a form, indicated by the telephone icon next to your name and address, that enables you to request that your information be removed from this particular feature. The key is knowing it exists so that if you wish to remove your information, you can go in and do it.

Since Google is only one of many information sites on the Internet, keeping yourself anonymous these days can take a bit of work. Not only should you type your phone number into the search field, but your name as well. You may be surprised how well-known you are, particularly if you have been mentioned in club newsletters, had your photo in the local newspaper, etc.