Is Your Private Information Secure?

[Guest.Visitor]

Post your phone number and we'll see if it's blocked. ;-)

[Guest.Visitor]

Google on "reverse phone number search" returns about half a million hits. Are you going to block your number from all the sites that offer reverse phone number search? It's probably easier to just get an unlisted phone number. But then again, there are still lots of other ways someone can find you.

[David Abramowitz]

In New York, we have a <u>Do not Call</u> registry. This is similar to the federal concept that should be a reality in the near future. My personal experience is that the number of annoyance calls has decreased dramatically since I registered. There are still calls from those that slip through loopholes, like real-estate agents wanting me to sell my house. By and large, the registry has proven to be a good thing, and if the national registry works on the same basis, I would recommend it highly. Dave

[robberendt]

Indiana has a state registry also. The national registry will be full of loopholes for special interest groups and these groups are demanding that all state registries be done away with upon activation of the national registry.

[V.Mack]

Greetings, fellow readers. In a recent email that's been circulating, I became aware that google.com offers a feature that allows you to go to their Web site, key in someone's telephone number, and retrieve a map to their house. Thinking it was likely to be a hoax, I tried it with a variety of phone numbers across the country, including, of course, my own. I got a mixed bag of results. Some phone numbers gave me complete and accurate information--name, address, and a map. At the other end of the spectrum, some phone numbers had none of the above. Some even had completely inaccurate information. If you are concerned about your privacy, there is supposedly a fix. To block google.com from divulging your personal information, key in your phone number and hit Enter. When your listing comes up, click on the telephone icon next to your phone number. You will be linked to a different page. Under the heading PhoneBook, there is yet another link that allows you to remove your listing.