Joel’s a Real Nowhere Man

Posted on April 17, 2005 in Crosstalk Internet Privacy

Ming the Mechanic posted the URL for a nasty bit of search engineering called Zabasearch which will cough up your name, number, and, for a price, a background search which promises to reveal to anyone submitting $20 information about the subject’s

20 Year Address History – Current Telephone Numbers – Bankruptcies – Legal Judgments – Current/Previous Home & Property Ownership – Current/Previous Addresses – Names and Addresses of Relatives – Current and Previous Roommates and Neighbors – Liens etc.

It gets me that people turn red in the face when it is suggested that this information be collected by the U.S. Government. It seems to be OK, however, if private agencies set themselves up as spies and sell data about us for a fee. Google does it. So do many other search engines. But Zabasearch undoes them all.

Who is behind this cyber snoop? A couple of slime balls who, like many engineers and entepreneurs, simply don’t get it that people want to be left alone. This is yet another stalker friendly vehicle, fodder for vengeful neighbors and former lovers/spouses who want information for purposes of character defamation. Instead of having to tramp about, looking for each item, self-made spies can find out a record of your life in one place.

The SF Chronicle article describes ZabaSearch as a free service. As of today, however, you have to pay $20 a snoop. But if you purchase a one year membership for $35, the price drops to $5 a peek.

Interestingly, I do not pop up when you do a Zaba Search, not as a present inhabitant where I live or at any old addresses. Being a domestic parasite has allowed me to drop off the radar. I am a real Nowhere Man and proud of it!