Google- Friend or Foe?

For me, Googling isn't a question. It's inevitable. As soon as I meet a prospect, I Google them. Weird? Stalkerish? Possibly. But whatever is on the Internet is public information and isn't going to be kept hidden. This means that whatever, and I mean, WHATEVER I come across, definitely helps me form a conclusion whether I should go on a date with a person, if they are dateable, or even if they are "boyfriend" material, etc.

Patrick warned me on our first date that he had some "questionable" material on the Internet. He was a part time journalist and often wrote about dating, sex, drugs and alcohol, and typical guy randomness. When I found the 100+ articles online for myself, I proceeded to read every single one of them, mouth wide open, and occasionally forwarded/IMed the juiciest ones to Lily and others. While it was entertaining, I really didn't want to hear about what he thought of fake boobs. Or women hitting on him. "Whatever", I thought. We all laughed about it. Now, I think this could have been one of the first signs he was a freak!

Lily and I went on a double date a few nights ago (to be written about later), and of course, we both Googled our prospects. Nothing juicy came of hers, although I'm still questioning her keywork and quotation-mark skills. However, I found quiiiiite a bit of information on my prospect. Without going into specifics, there was no doubt in my mind, even before our first date, that this was going nowhere. After reading quite a few pages, articles, and reviews, I basically learned his age, family history, all about his job, and general life of the past 15 years. It's difficult, because one should keep an open mind when going into a situation, or developing any type of relationship with someone new.

My only advice is this. Be careful of what you put on the Internet. Always remember that this is public, and anyone (even your mom, dad, employer, and yes... your potential date) can read it.

*Ashley*