Googlin

"Googling anyone is sad, and shallow, and betrays a lack of faith in oneself and the divine sweetness of the universe. But let's get real. It can be fun."

That's from a random article I read. But it's so funny how google has become its own verb, "Hey I googled this guy and OMG I found out that he beats women!"

Haha.. we've all done it I guess. The only thing is you make sure you don't mention it to the person. I've told someone that I didn't believe their bullshit b/c I googled them and found out otherwise. He subsequently asked me if I had been "burned in a past relationship" and maybe that was why I was crazy.. whatever... I guess in retrospect I should have just stopped talking to him and should not have brought it to his attention that I "googled" him. I have one friend who had a girl ask for his last name so she "could google him." The consequence? He was completely turned off.

I, myself have given up googling people for any specific information. I google myself every once in a while to see what dirt other people can find on me. But that's about it these days... but I don't necessarily think its "sketch" to do so. Is "facebooking someone" sketch? In general is looking someone up really that sketch at all? If we didn't have the internet we would have probably asked someone who knew someone who knew the person for specific information. The internet just expidites the whole process.

Recently a guy "myspaced" me. Admittedly I thought this was sketch. I mean A.) I met him months ago. B.) Myspace is a more random website.. not really connected to a school or group. Just a website of random people. Am I on it? Apparently I am. A friend convinced me a long time ago to sign up. So was it sketch when someone used the website to find out info I had willingly posted about myself?

Ok.. maybe.. I just think looking people up on the internet is an extension of innocent curiosity. Moreover, people aren't so inclined to show you all the cards of their character in the beginning stages of getting to know them. If you look up info about them, you can get a more candid picture of them.

In general though I think its better to google people only when its VERY important or not important at all (i.e. when they become your ex). Like if you're going to marry someone, maybe you should know that they were involved in a huge company scandal back in the late 90's. If someone is your ex, maybe you'll dig up some dirt about them that will make you that much more glad that its over. Otherwise googling someone can be detrimental to a budding relationship, a friendship or romantic partnership.. it doesn't really matter b/c when you don't know someone anything they do might rub you the wrong way. Like maybe they were held at gun point and forced to be involved in that huge company scandal and there wasn't anything they really could have done about it, but they would never be amoral in any other conext.. well maybe thats a stretch but you get the point...

Isn't it more exciting to see what unfolds in a relationship than to know someone's life story up front? Guess it depends on what type of person you are.. crazed nut or normal human being ;)