The Internet and the Death of Privacy

[moxie]

I am a therapist, like DapperButch. Because of that and my professional license being of public record, a lot of my information is available when you Google me. I have had past clients, both adult and child, try to get me to friend them (get me to look them up and friend them) on Facebook because they have tried and they can't find me (which I tell them no and explain why). I have the highest privacy settings on Facebook so that you can only see my picture and any of my personal information if you are my friend. The only picture I have on here anymore is the one in my profile, which you can only see if you are a member.

I have had a lot of friends make fun of me because of my "excessive" need for privacy. I have all of my mail (bills, etc) sent to a PO Box. Occasionally I give out my address for packages to be sent to my apartment but that is it. The only thing my physical address is listed on is my electric/gas and cable bill (because it has to be to get service but they still has PO Box as mailing address) and my driver's license. I do not even have my physical address listed with my employer. I've been like this since the late 90s.

As gar as Googling myself, yes, I have done it. I wanted to know what out there is about me. One of the "interesting" things I have found is a woman, with my same name, in the same general area where I grew up, was busted for prostitution. So, people from my past could think it was me as my last name is not common.