Googling People

This journal entry was inspired by another article in the Sunday New York Times section titled "An Ex Blogs. Is it OK to Watch by Helen Schulman.  The author starts by saying that she has a good friend who is addicted to Googling ex-boyfriends.  She continues by saying that she hit a goldmine by googling a former boyfriend who was the keeper of multiple blogs.

I have an excellent memory but not quite extraordinary autobiographical memory as described in a 60 Minutes story earlier this year.  I have Googled numerous people who I have known over the years.  I successfully found EMC whom I dated in 1976 (I have been married since 1983).  I was able to find out since I knew who she married.  She moved from New Jersey to Connecticut to Baltimore and has one daughter.  I really have been trying to find KL whom I dated in 1971.  She has a very common name and I just haven't been able to locate her. I did find out that a woman I dated once in 1968 passed away in her late 50s after emigrating to Israel with her mother.

Since I have a unique name, it is very easy for ex-girlfriends or anyone else to find me.  I use Google Analytics to analyze the hits to Bruce's Journal.  Most people use a search term and find one article in this blog.  I have evidence that a former friend from the midwest checks me out almost every day.  Maybe he want to see if I am writing about his favorite pompous radio personality.  There is also someone in Manhattan whose internet service provider is Psinet reads this journal regularly.

Thank you Helen Schulman for your article.  You are certainly most welcome to Google me.  The New York Times article didn't say that you are on the faculty of the New School.