How to do internet research.

SO, if for some reason like me you want to know things about people without asking them directly, you can find out things about them on the internet. This is not illegal because you are just reading the stuff they throw out in internetworldland.
Sometimes people get a little too relaxed about what they put on the internet, so this is also a guide as to how you can prevent others from stalking you. I am using myself as an example so the innocent remain unmolested.

JFGI: just fucking google it. Google is your best friend. Even I am on Google now, which I wasn’t for many many years. Don’t get complicated. Just put in the info you have like “knottybear knit” and go from there. If you try that you will see the whole first page is actually stuff I have put out on the internet including a defunct blog I forgot I set up. Sweet, even googling yourself is a learning experience.

Get smart about URLs: If your URL for a site is “http://blahblah/username/profile” then you can search for any other username in the same format. This can give you access to things even when the main page is shut down. So if I have the url for my rav posts of “http://www.ravelry.com/people/knottybear/threads” I can find other people’s posts pretty easily.

Be subtle: People with less that desirable behavior are already sneaky. You know they are googling themselves and trolling the net to see who is talking about them. If you are looking for info and don’t want to tip people off, don’t post “Where is knottybear she ripped me off” in every internet forum across the planet. See what google turns up and go from there.

Follow the breadcrumbs, and your hunches: If two social networking sites have a profile with the same picture of a guy in a sombrero taken in Cabo, chances are it is the same person – or mutual friend. Reading back through profile comments often gleans gems of info, and more places to look and things to google. Oh, see, knottybear referenced a myspace profile in one of her posts. I can see what that says about her and her evil ways. Oh MySpace says she has a facebook to, and here is a handy link to that profile. Oh ZOMG her gf is my husbands ex-brother in law’s second wife!!!

Also learn about IP addresses. Some places actually track and publish your IP address next to your comments. Same IP address = same computer. So if your “friend” is posting for you from your computer at your house… well, yeah right!

Anyway, there is a start. No need to clamor for privates massage, or be caught out in a slander charge. Gather your info before you go forth into legal and/or internet shaming action.