They are watching you, no....ALL of us...[peep]

Guess what?  If you sign up for utilities, your name and address goes in a database (usually for realtors and local businesses to solicit you).  If you sign up for a phone line, your info goes into another database that LOTS of people have access to.  And so on.

These days, being anonymous is VERY difficult, and must be a specific goal that's intelligently persued if you hope to pull it off.

-Troy

LT,

You should just take off every Zig, for great justice.

-Troy

LT/Necro...

I have noticed here that NOT MANY of you know how this works.  You see, there is a thing in the POST OFFICE (USPS) that is called NCOA.

National Change Of Address.  Whenever you move, you are supposed to fill out a small card.  This card has your new address, name, and sometimes IIRC your telephone.  I had the privilege to work in a database conversion/management company a while back...

You see, your credit card companies, telephone companies, and utility companies all keep a database with your name, phone, address, etc.  Then they SELL YOUR INFO for $$ after they gather a large database of this information.  These databases that are sold are often sent to telemarketers, other credit card companies, and many other kinds of companies.  When they receive these databases, they will add/append the information to their main solicitation/customer database, and then send their database to a database management company like the one I worked for.

The database (DB) management company then has an NCOA program.  US Postal keeps a LARGE protected database that is accessible for a VERY hefty cost, with UP TO DATE information about your address, phone, name, etc.  The DB MGMT company then runs the NCOA program they have to confirm your information being either correct, or old data.  Bad (Old, incorrect, or other) data is then made UP TO DATE by the NCOA program, and sent back to the DB MGMT company.  All this is done via modem from one server to another.  (My job was to upload databases into the high-speed servers, and convert them to a format that is accepted by NCOA standards)

Once the DB is updated, we sent it back to our Client with a VERY HEFTY bill.  Database management companies will do this for whoever has the $$, and Pizza chains, utility companies, commercial businesses, credit card companies, and other soliciting companies ALL do this.

Some of the databases received by the DB MGMT company I worked for had SALARY INFO, EMPLOYEE #s, CREDIT CARD #s, Social Security #s, Mother's Maiden Names, etc...  This information is NOT accepted by NCOA, as it is a more horrifying BIG BROTHER concern.

So when we get databases with additional (read Salary, credit card, SSN, & Other) information, we CUT it out of the database & keep it on the side, as this info is given to the client directly from people like you.  Then we format the remaining (NCOA) info for processing.  Once processing is complete, we re-add/append the Additional info to the UPDATED file, and give it back to the client company.  Security of your "ADDITIONAL INFO", and other info is VERY VERY IMPORTANT, and all this information is kept on a separate (read closed circuit) network.

I’ll let you in on a little secret…  Whenever you move NEXT, (I move often and ALWAYS do this trick) do the following:
DO NOT CARRY OVER YOUR TELEPHONE # TO NEW RESIDENCE, I know it’s convenient, because then you don’t have to call all the family/friends to tell them your new info.

(Continued)

When you initiate your new services (ELECTRIC, GAS, WATER, TELEPHONE, LONG DIST., ETC.), create your OWN DATABASE, but CHANGE YOUR MIDDLE INITIAL!

[b]You cannot do this with credit card companies, or that is bank fraud, and illegal.[/b]

Keep a database as to WHICH COMPANY has WHICH MIDDLE INITIAL.
EX.  Using your Real name (Ex) being “Lord J. Trader”

Initiate new services telling each company the following:
Electric Company = = Lord A. Trader
Gas Company = = Lord B. Trader
Water Company = = Lord C. Trader
Telephone Company = = Lord D. Trader
L. Dist Company = = Lord E. Trader
Etc….

DO NOT DO THIS WITH CREDIT CARD COMPANIES or you may be in a world of SHIT!

Then wait after compiling a list of who has what initial.

If you get something in the mail that was solicited (credit card applications, etc…), check to see what middle initial is on there.  If it is your REAL middle initial, you will know one of the following:

Either it was sold by your credit card company (little can be done about this).
Or it was sold by some other company and run through NCOA which will USUALLY change an incorrect entry to your correct information.

If you get a solicitation with Lord A. Trader, you will then KNOW that the Electric company SOLD YOU OUT FOR $!  Then you can call them & BITCH THEM OUT.

You will find MORE OFTEN, that your electric company is the one selling your information, but YRMV.

So, NO, big brother IS NOT WATCHING YOU, but he’s keeping tabs on where you live, and TELEPHONE COMPANIES are STILL SELLING YOU OUT!  EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE KEPT PRIVATE!

Once I ran across an employee database for a shoe store my old roommate used to work for.  It contained his permanent address, his new school address, his employee #, direct deposit #s for his paychecks, his salary info, and his tax deduction info, etc.  When I saw this I was spooked to say the least.  I could not tell him that I knew that information about him, but was dying to do so.  I could have been sued for saying anything about even seeing him on there.

Kind of spooky stuff though.  To think that if there was a “Crooked” DB MGMT company out there, then ALL INFORMATION about you could easily be sold off to the highest bidder.

-iNuhBaDNayburhoodNoLongerWorkingInDatabaseManagementI.T.Field'CuzIWasn'tPaidEnuff

Hmmmm...   If our names and info are that valuable, why can't WE sell them?[;D]

Actually you CAN sell this information.  HOWEVER, a company WILL NOT dish out good money if you only have just a few people's information.  YOU NEED to have thousands of names, addresses, phone #'s, etc...  Then you have something to bargain with...

-iNuhBaDNayburhood

I too do the name game with companies. When I'm registering a product warranty I'll change my middle name "Paul Sony TV Moderator" - it's funny but they are that stupid and will address things that way. Never give out your phone number.

I've moved 10 times in 15 years so my trail of junk mail is rather short.

May I recommend Gino's Pizza which is a small family owned chain in the far south suburbs of Chicago?

I've asked this before, but what is a FDCGH?
(stupid question, I'm sure)

Gloftoe: Failed Dot Com Goatee Head