Vanity Search-ETEC 527

I am no expert in using the internet or Web. 2.0....but, I can typically find what I'm looking for when performing a Google search.  This week I found the result of my search quite interesting.  First, I'll mention that I do not have that many Web 2.0 accounts.  Prior to attending graduate school, I had a Facebook and Instagram account.  I do enjoy reading blogs but, I never had one of my own.  Classes that I have been enrolled in require blogs, Twitter, and even an ePortfolio.  So, when I began to search for myself online, I was not expecting to find much.

My first search was for "Lauren Finnerty".  This is the name that I am enrolled in school under.  Currently, both of my school blogs and my ePortfolio have "Lauren Finnerty" listed on them.  I discovered that there are quite a few Lauren Finnertys.  I clicked on each entry of results through the first 10 pages.  On page 1 of Google results, the 8th entry was for white pages.  It did pull up some of my information....no phone or address.  On page 2 of the results, there was an "instant checkmate" that had old information about me but, not much.  Again, it did not have an address or phone number.  Only the city that I used to live in.  I also clicked on the images and did not find one of me.

My second search was for "Lauren McMillan".  "Lauren McMillan" is my maiden name.  Through 8 pages of results, there was not one link associated with me.  There were also no images.

The last name I tried was "Lauren McMillan Harris".  I am currently in the process of changing my name to my married name.  This is the name that my Facebook page is listed under so, I knew that Google would find something.  I was right!  The first two results were about me.  I clicked on both links and did not see any actual information or pictures.  I guess having my profile private is actually working.

To dig just a little deeper, I had to add additional words.  For example, I was on a "Nightline" episode back in 2014.  To find that episode, I had to search "Lauren Finnerty Nightline".  The first result was the article and video associated with that episode.
 http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/moms-secret-turning-christmas-shopping-free-holiday-travel/story?id=27373989

Finally, I was an Apache Belle at TJC.  So, I searched "Lauren McMillan Apache Belles" to see if I could find anything.  Google found where I had posted a picture on the Apache Belle Facebook page.

That's it!!  The search shows that I am not all over the internet.  I am glad to say that having private accounts really do work.  What I do post online is only seen by those that I want to show.  It does make me feel a lot better about any pictures of my kids that I post.

I'm interested to see how the everyone's search went!!