Patrick Townson wrote:
> Some email I got from a family member this past week:
> Beginning this month (May '05) a new database will be available to the
> general public, free of charge, that displays your personal
> information (names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates).
> The database is found at http://www.zabasearch.com. I urge you to forward
> this email to family and friends. Check to see if your name and
> information is in their database. If so and you want it removed, send
> them an e-mail at info@zabasearch.com to request it be removed. I do
> not know how our names are appearing there, but I checked my own and a
> few other random ones, and they are all in this database!
> After opting out by email, check back after a few days to make certain
> your information has been removed.
> Displaying such information should be a crime.
Give me a break. The information is publically available anyhow.
I looked up Steven Sobol ...
Among others, I found Steven J. Sobol at 2000 Cottage Grove Drive,
Cleveland, OH, 216-397-9396.
That's an old address and phone number of mine. It was listed in the
phone book. Note that the street sign at Cottage Grove and Cedar Road
actually says Cottage Grove *Avenue*, which is the correct street
name, but I listed myself with the phone company at 2000 Cottage Grove
*Drive* because at the time, that's what I thought was correct (the
big street sign hadn't gone up yet, and the signs on the poles didn't
say "avenue" or "road" or "drive" on them back then). So this listing
is obviously from the phone company's database ...
I also found myself at 26241 Lake Shore Boulevard, Euclid,
Ohio. 216-289-6586.
I was also in the phone book when I was listed there.
My current address and phone number, which we have chosen not to make
available in the phone book, isn't listed, and I've lived in Apple
Valley, California for two years now.
Background searches are available to anyone paying for them, not just
over the web either; employers routinely run background checks. I've
had to do background and drug tests for several organizations I've
worked for recently.
> Well, I dunno how much of a crime it should be, except that a random
> check of my own information and a few test, controlled cases show that
> although it is _generally accurate_ there are some mistakes and
> omissions, about like any such database. Anyway, its all there at
> http://www.zabasearch.com. It appears they have put a lot of 'hooks'
> into the cgi-bin things of _other_ databases so you do not have to
> keep re-entering the names/addresses to look in different areas of
> interest. For instance, you put in your name, some information is
> provided, then links are given to take you off to various other data
> bases, directly to information about the name you (originally)
> entered.
That is my impression too.
JustThe.net - Steve Sobol / sjsobol@JustThe.net / PGP: 0xE3AE35ED
Coming to you from Southern California's High Desert, where the
temperatures are as high as the gas prices! / 888.480.4NET (4638)
"Life's like an hourglass glued to the table" --Anna Nalick, "Breathe"
Steve Sobol (sjsobol@JustThe.net)