Challenge would be a more precise word – I challenge you to find my home address and win $100 – but double-dare looks so cool in a headline. More on the challenge in a moment.
(Update: We have a winner, but if you’re still interested in the hunt, I’m interested in hearing from you.)
Boston media outlets are all in a tizzy this morning – yes, again – over the oh-so-startling revelation that a Web site launched by newly minted Gov. Deval Patrick was revealing the exact home addresses of those who attempted to register.
Secretary of State William (“The Prince of Darkness) Galvin ducked for cover: “I think we’re all concerned about people’s private information getting public. Just to be clear, this information did not come from my office. We know elderly voters in particular (are) concerned about people finding their address, what apartment they’re in.”
Here’s the rub, though: Exact home addresses are not now and at no time in recent history have been private information.
Check your phone book. (In my town both the regular white pages and the handy-dandy town-specific books include exact home addresses.)
Stroll into your city or town hall: You’ll have no trouble finding your exact home address in multiple municipal records. Had any courthouse business? Bought real estate? Your exact home address may as well be on a billboard.
Does the Internet make finding your exact home address easier? Absolutely, but we’re only seeing a transition from easy to easier here, especially if we’re talking about the classic rationale for expunging such basic public information: stalkers and others who might seek to harm or harass. … They don’t need Gov. Patrick’s Web site.
Nevertheless, the pendulum is swinging quickly toward public policy that would mandate that public information stay public in the physical world but be expunged online. If we’re talking social security numbers, this swing makes all the sense in the world. Home addresses? It’s simply a red herring because short of pulling the plug on the Internet there’s absolutely no chance of putting the toothpaste back in this tube.
Which brings us back to the double-dare/challenge. We’re into crowdsourcing here, so, crowd, find my address. It shouldn’t be difficult. First one to e-mail me (buzz@nww.com) with my exact home address – number, street, town and state; and also fully explain how/where they found it – will receive a $100 American Express gift certificate from Network World. Everyone else who completes the challenge will receive a shout out here on the blog, so please reply even after I declare a winner.
Hints and fine print: Obviously, Network World employees, my family, friends and anyone with whom I have had a snail-mail exchange can’t play. You should know that my family moved last summer, so you are likely to encounter outdated information in your search.
Have fun.
Welcome regulars and passersby. Here are a few more recent Buzzblog items. And, if you’d like to receive Buzzblog via e-mail newsletter, here’s where to sign up.
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