A little something to ponder

Big Brother.

When your address is linked to databases like those used by Yahoo! People Search, your phone number may be readily accessible. Your county government’s Web site probably displays your home’s floor plan and assessed value, letting nosy neighbors chuckle over Alice’s quaint split-level or Bob’s lack of elbow room when the in-laws visit. Pay-as-you-go databases like Lexis-Nexis’ P-TRAK, P-FIND, and P-SEEK tie together mortgage records, vehicle registrations, court judgments, bankruptcy histories, and any other public information they can gather. Google and Yahoo! can record every search you’ve ever made and link it to whatever computer you used at the time. Credit card companies know what you buy, frequent shopper programs know what you eat, and your insurance company knows what medical procedures you’ve undergone.