~~~~~i used to freak out about this sort of thing on
many other sites until someone pointed out to me that
public phone numbers can get addresses easily
obtained...and after that, there's things called maps.
 i was quickly humbled out of my usual conspiracy
theory/paranoia mode... this really isn't a comment on
you, brian.. it's just where i live a lot of the
time... not chicago, IL... freakout land.  although,
this google thing seems to make it
(harassment/stalking) that much easier...

jocelyn

--- Brian Curtis <brioohs@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> Thanks to a friend, today I was notified that
> Google.com has a new
> feature--at least, new to me.
> 
> Currently Google.com has an option available that is
> very scary. If you type
> in your telephone number in Google's search bar and
> click the search button,
> it will give you the address of the phone number AND
> the option of pulling
> up MapQuest directions and a map to the location of
> the phone number! This
> means that anyone who gets your telephone number
> (through the phone book or
> Caller ID) can find  out exactly--and
> immediately--where you live.
> 
> Because this "reverse directory" is now online,
> abusers, just as an example,
> will be able to more easily find victims and those
> who help them (such as
> people who run safehouses for victims of spousal
> abuse). The good news is
> that you can get the link to your telephone number
> REMOVED.
> 
> Here are the directions:
> 
> 1) Go to Google search engine (www.google.com).  If
> you have another search
> engine just type in Google.
> 
> 2) Type in your full telephone number like this:
> 555-123-4567.
> 
> 3) If your number appears in the mapping database,
> an icon resembling a blue
> telephone will appear to the left of the entry on
> the results page.
> 
> 4) Click on this icon and it will take you to a page
> containing a
> description of this service and a link to request
> that your number be
> removed is at bottom.
> 
> 5) Click the remove button and fill in info that was
> listed for you (you may
> have to use Back button to see how the info was
> listed)
> 
> 6) Do this for all the phone numbers that you do not
> want listed...faxes,
> cell, children, etc.  Be sure to check them all.  I
> checked my own unlisted
> number, which thankfully wasn't listed; but then I
> checked my parents'
> number and sure enough it was listed complete with
> maps providing directions
> to their home. I requested it be removed from the
> Google engine.
> 
> I hope that no one on the list is offended by my
> sending this, as it has
> been done firmly in friendship and the belief that
> we all would like to
> maintain a reasonable amount of privacy.
> 
> Brioohs 
> 


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