Sorry, Nobody's Saving You From Those Embarrassing Party Pics Online

from the nice-thought-though dept

These days, it's pretty common for people to be worried about what kind of information will turn up about them on a Google search, particularly when they're applying for a job. Of course, where there's a problem, there's a business opportunity. One company is launching a service that promises to search out, and scrub out any embarrasing information that you might have online. Like a company that will monitor your credit score for you, for a monthly fee, the company will actively monitor the web for your personal information. And if it finds it, it will confront the site where it's hosted and seek to have it taken down. Of course, there's no guarantee that a site's proprietor will be willing to take down the offending material particularly when they have no obligation to do so. In fact, more often than not, the company will probably be told to take a hike. Sure, they can throw an intimidating cease and desist letter out there, but for the nominal amount they charge, don't expect them to try much harder than that.
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  1. identicon
    neum, 7 Nov 2006 @ 12:17pm

    One ray of light,

    At least the company doesn't guarantee results and refunds the $30 if they can't get the offending content down. Still sounds like they are using classic legal bullying. That sort of thing should be illegal. I wouldn't be surprised if they worked the DMCA takedown clause into the legal nasty grams...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    dorpus, 7 Nov 2006 @ 12:31pm

    Impermanence

    Hard drives do fail over time, and archived data does accumulate errors over time -- even on "working" drives. Databases do tend to lose their oldest, lowest-priority data through operator negligence.

    When I look at the "complete" usenet archives, I see only a small fraction of the posts from 10 years ago. There are many articles that can't be found, and seem to be lost forever.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Nov 2006 @ 1:09pm

    Re: Impermanence

    A sphincter says what?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Nov 2006 @ 1:23pm

    Re: Re: Impermanence

    What?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    Anonymous Cow, 7 Nov 2006 @ 1:37pm

    reality

    Then a wave of reality hits, and people realize that the truthful information found online can easily be found simply by asking previous employers. Most of what you would want to hide from a prospective employer was probably put there by yourself anyway.

    Its a lesson some people learn, that actions do have reactions, and the more so when they're stupid.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    Anonymity is a good thing, 7 Nov 2006 @ 1:50pm

    Learn to act right

    Or at least do not publish your bad behaviours on the world wide web. You could also think about the attitude of the possible employer. If they are that up tight you probably won't stay there long any way.

    Bottom line is don't publish the dumb stuff.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    Annoying Bastard, 7 Nov 2006 @ 2:06pm

    Dorpus...

    It is most unfortunate that you weren't lost along with those usenet posts of old.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Nov 2006 @ 2:46pm

    Re: reality

    you can only say so much when you're called in reference to a former employees application. There are legal ramifications to saying pretty much anything but the bare essentials.
    So it would seem your "wave of reality" is little more than :
    hire date
    fire date
    last job held
    reason for term. (and you can't elaborate on it)

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 7 Nov 2006 @ 2:52pm

    Re: Re: reality

    Alias's are ur friend.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. identicon
    Sphincter, 7 Nov 2006 @ 3:02pm

    Re: Re: Impermanence

    Who?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. identicon
    DeathToMyspace, 7 Nov 2006 @ 6:51pm

    social networking sites are for egotistical losers... if some worthless schmuck wants to put pictures of their self doing illegal or otherwise stupid shit online under their real name then let the worthless scum that they are get what's coming to them. i feel no remorse for any of these sad excuses for human beings. frankly, they should all go kill themselves. and remember, slit the wrists with a T ....

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. identicon
    security, 7 Nov 2006 @ 7:30pm

    Web.archive.org

    Depending on the info - it could also remain on the Internet Archive.

    Those Webmaster's themselves, would have to request removal.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    from the Computer, 8 Nov 2006 @ 3:58pm

    15 minutes of fame can last a lifetime

    you funny humans and your lust for 15 minutes of fame...0011011011000

    link to this | view in thread ]


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