Eh. I don't think I'm going to ask her out after all.
Without really thinking about it, I did a little online stalking. I just happened to check the store's webpage and saw that her full name was posted there. I Googled it and found some stuff that's less than optimal. I thought she was about my age, but she's really quite a bit younger. Younger than I really want to date. Legal, mind you, and able to drink, but still just below that intangible bar. Also found some court records. Yeah. Nothing serious, but she was kicked out of an apartment and refused to leave, apparently.
Then I realized, "Wow, this is such an invasion of privacy." I stopped, but now that raises the question - all of this is information that is publicly available. She made her name available on the net, and that's just what you get from Google. Probably stuff she'd rather your average stranger didn't know. That's another reason I'm not going to ask her - I've already sort of messed up the whole thing just by looking that stuff up, even though I just wanted to see if she had a myspace page that has "I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND" pasted all over it.
So be careful, kids, especially if your name is uncommon enough to return stuff specifically about you. I already know what my name returns, and while it is my stuff it's all harmless. I don't care if someone reads an article I wrote 4 years ago. Even so, best to avoid putting your full name on the Internet.
Without really thinking about it, I did a little online stalking. I just happened to check the store's webpage and saw that her full name was posted there. I Googled it and found some stuff that's less than optimal. I thought she was about my age, but she's really quite a bit younger. Younger than I really want to date. Legal, mind you, and able to drink, but still just below that intangible bar. Also found some court records. Yeah. Nothing serious, but she was kicked out of an apartment and refused to leave, apparently.
Then I realized, "Wow, this is such an invasion of privacy." I stopped, but now that raises the question - all of this is information that is publicly available. She made her name available on the net, and that's just what you get from Google. Probably stuff she'd rather your average stranger didn't know. That's another reason I'm not going to ask her - I've already sort of messed up the whole thing just by looking that stuff up, even though I just wanted to see if she had a myspace page that has "I LOVE MY BOYFRIEND" pasted all over it.
So be careful, kids, especially if your name is uncommon enough to return stuff specifically about you. I already know what my name returns, and while it is my stuff it's all harmless. I don't care if someone reads an article I wrote 4 years ago. Even so, best to avoid putting your full name on the Internet.
VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
As contrived as it sounds, the whole 'Go for it!' and 'Seize the day!' mantras make more sense as time goes on. Unfortunately, for me, they always seem to be in retrospect. I guess once you see that you are alright, it easy to say, 'I wish I had just pulled on my boots and done it!' You might end up with someone special who makes you feel happy (and that doesn't mean forever), you might end up with a good friend, and you might end up having to find a new comic store. That would be bad news in the part of Atlanta I'm in, because I only know of one decent one.
I don't like to tell people how they should feel, but I can say that you are not alone in the 'stalking'. Many, if not all, of us have done it at one time or another. It's like doing your research before buying a new car or a house. What's the neighborhood like, how often does it break down on the side of the road, etc... But for all the research in the world, there's always someone that the house or car will appeal to. There are a few Yugo owners out here, who've never had and trouble.