BS: Ego-Surfing

Subject: Ego-Surfing
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:06 PM

If there has been a previous thread on this, then it was before my time.

I am reliably informed by one who should know that "ego-surfing" is the geek term for searching on your own name on a search engine.

I searched "Murray MacLeod" on Google and discovered that I was co-writer of a 1967 Top 40 hit, "Sunshine Girl", I have played session guitar on a couple of Loggins and Messina albums, and had minor supporting roles in episodes of "Kung-Fu" and "Colombo". I also hold down a job as a Senior Police Inspector in Ontario, as well as running a marine charter enterprise in the Western Hebrides.

Anyone else have any surprise information to share ? (Hint: Google is by far the best search engine to use for this purpose)

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Brendy
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:14 PM

Check it out!!

B.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: GUEST,#1
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:21 PM

I found out there was more than one me that way.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:22 PM

There's only one of me. But I was frightened at how many web pages I showed up on.

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Naemanson
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:28 PM

I am amazed. I am apparently a baseball player for the Auburn Tigers, a chantey singer with Roll & Go, a second grader in New Jersey, an actor in Gilbert & Sullivan's The Gondoliers, the vocalist and artist for Torn Apart, a "metallic hardcore" band, a member of the Mudcat Café, and a member of Just Us, a folk duo with Pat Gardiner.

I am not amazed that there are others who share my name but that in the above list there are only three that are NOT me.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Bagpuss
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:31 PM

Most of the hits I got were actually me, but I found out I am also a basketball player in the US.

Bagpuss (AKA Katy Kiernan)

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:38 PM

Holy Keerist Brendy! You look a LOT younger in your photo!

Oh yah, lucky me. I share names with a far-right author and teacher at ultra-conservative Bob Jones University!

That's bad enough...but I even got an e-mail from one of his ex-students.

I can only hope that a few commie pinko folksingers have sent CDs to HIM for radio airplay!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:41 PM

i AM vp OF THE cIVIL sERVICE wORKERS uNION. aND A mUDCATTER

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Brendy
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:47 PM

That wouldn't surprise me, Rick, as it was taken 7 years ago!! If it's the photo that you mean..that B/W one where I'm in the middle of eating a toasted sandwich, and the shutter went down in mid-chew.

Isn't it terrible what they put up on the Internet these days?

B.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:50 PM

I haven't done this for some time. As I have an unusual surname, which is also a UK and Irish placename, I have used it as a test of any new search engines I come across. There are now many more people in the US than the UK with the surname and on the only time I stayed in the eponymous village I met some Canadians with the same name.
Judging from the entries in various library catalogues they were a Dissenting lot in the 17th Century (no change there then!) and wrote a lot of Dissenting Tracts and got shipped out to the colonies!
Americans tracing their ancestry sometimes contact me having found my name as it is on our institutional webpages.
Investigating the family history will be one of my retirement projects (so Herself tells me, to save me from sitting around all day listening to music!). All I have so far are photos of a road sign, village sign, factory chimney and barely legible gravestone in the local church.
RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: KingBrilliant
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 12:54 PM

Wow - there are tons of Kristin Kings, but not many Kingbrilliants. (there's a couple of f**kingbrilliants - but that's just going too far innit ? :) )
Didn't find any "amoret king"s but plenty references to hammerite (of course).
AND - I found out that free community events will "mark king" holiday - blimey!!!
Kris

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 01:05 PM

I have searched some of the better known Mudcat names and been amazed at their list of talents and accomplishments, but I will leave it to them to post.

I once made the mistake on another forum, of making a joking reference to a member whose name was David Berkowitz. I don't ever again want to go through the agony I felt when he emailed me and recounted tales of his school-days.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:35 PM

Confident that I would find no other versions of myself, with my unusual last name, I was intrigued to find the following:

Under David Oesterreich

A recipe that I had posted for Bacon Avocado & Cheese Omelets with Tomato Sauce. This was far enough back that I'd forgotten the recipe. It was on an old pre-web BBS mail forum called Cuisine.

A few postings I had made to Banjo-L, the banjo-player distribution list-really me.

Then I found that I was an rally driver, driving a Corvette, at least back in '97-98.

Under the name Dave Oesterreich

I'm a right-handed male (thank God!) volleyball player in Austin. Don't know what state.

Another show-up as a rally driver.

Banjo-L postings again--me.

And under D. R. Oesterreich

No luck. The D period R period became DR, and as DR Oesterreich I'm a researcher, probably an MD, in Germany and/or Austria. All these entries in German. Fitting, I suppose, since "Oesterreich" is the German word for Austria.

DAve Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Bert
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:41 PM

All the "Bert Hansell" postings were me. I didn't know that I was a Jedi Master though.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: SINSULL
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:45 PM

Gee Bert, I did.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: CarolC
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:48 PM

There are hundreds and hundreds of me, and most of them (me) are far more successful and accomplished than me. (*sigh*).

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Don Firth
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:57 PM

There are a few guys out there named Don Firth, most of whom are not me.

One is a woodworker who lives in Toronto, Ontario, and has a website called "Grampa'a Workshop."

Another is into BeOS and shows up on discussion forums.

Yet another is a high-powered executive somewhere, but I wasn't able to figure out what company or what he did.

Bingo! One was me, in a long list of jazz and folk musicians who performed at the Llanhngaelhyn Coffeehouse in Seattle in the Sixties.

Further on, I got into a large list of fan sites for British actor, Colin Firth. No relation, as far as I know.

Lots of geographical locations, but no Firth of Don. Oh, well.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 04:57 PM

But precious few as charming Carol.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: sophocleese
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 05:05 PM

All I can discover is that I perch in a lot of family trees.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Art Thieme
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 05:36 PM

Well, there sure is more stuff on me than I ever would've suspected! I'm gonna print some of it out and stick it in my "ego box" along with old posters & press stuff.
It'll be a sort of time capsule for our new granddaughter if she ever wants to know what I did with my life. Ya know, it was a bit like alchemy. I picked and sang into the wind-----and came home with the rent---and a million bucks worth of memories.

Art

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: catspaw49
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 05:58 PM

I don't want to talk about it........

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Lady McMoo
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:04 PM

A word of caution about what you say! I once descibed something as a "dog's dinner" in a conference and a search on "dog's dinner" now brings up my name and faithfully transcribed words all over the net!

mcmoo

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:07 PM

Under Matt Richards: --I have my own website, www.mattrichards.net and work for Intel
--I'm the president of a Energy company
--I'm an acoustic fingerstyle guitar virtuoso
--I'm a hockey-obsessed University of Syracuse student
--I hold the 2nd best track record in the 5000 meters at Lynchburg College
--I'm an attorney in Singapore
--I'm also a damn good baseball player at North Central College in Illinoise...well I was...in 1987!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:10 PM

Boy, Matt, you sure keep busy.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: kendall
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:14 PM

I gotta check this out..brb

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:14 PM

Yeah, especially since I was 8 in 1987!

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: CarolC
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:24 PM

Awww... Rick. Thanks

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:27 PM

Rick, you forget that no one is as radiantly beautiful as Carol!

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: kendall
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:29 PM

According to this, I'm 27, and a hockey coach! I didnt realize that there was so much info on me out there. Nuff to make one paranoid. Should I assume that there is only one other Kendall Morse out there?

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: CarolC
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:29 PM

**Blush**

Thanks Matt

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:46 PM

She's especially beautiful when she blushes, don't you think?

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: CarolC
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:53 PM

Alex, you got a camera hidden in my apartment that I don't know about?

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:56 PM

Oh I agree, definately, Alex! Her photo belongs in an art gallery!

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 06:58 PM

Come on, Spaw, I have checked you out already. Confess or be "Outed".

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: mousethief
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:00 PM

If I did, do you think I'd admit it? I may look stupid (okay, I look like a total idiot) but I really aren't that much so, stupidly-wise speaking.

Alex

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:05 PM

Well Carol, you may find us saccharine...but at least you know we're not gay!

Here's one of the weirdest aspects of checking yourself out on the internet. Just typing in your name will get you X amount of stuff....but put it in a phrase (any phrase) and countless other crappola comes out!

I've found reviews of albums and concerts that I didn't know existed. Quite a while ago I did some book illustrations that I'd forgotten about....THE NET FORGETS NOTHING! One little folk club in England has archived everyone who so much as tripped over their stage...so there I am with at least 40 musicians who are currently DEAD!

Even found my late father scattered through Pharmaceutical stuff. Discovered he was Pharmaceutical executive of the year one time. Couple of tears from this end.

I don't know about you Kendall, but the IFFY reviews don't do much for the ego.

I WOULD like to know what Catspaw found though.

Matt...the great thing for you is that you're young enough to still BE all those things!

Rick Fielding (not the fundamentalist from Bob Jones U.)

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:19 PM

Acoustic fingerstyle guitar virtuoso Matt? Sure you didn't type in Mc -something ?

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Hawker
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:26 PM

I tried my real name rather than my Mudcat name and guess waht!
I exist, Both as a musician and photographer!
I am also apparently the clinical director of a pharmacy, a doctor......
And most sadly of all......

DEAD!

And no-one told me! - I'm off to haunt the bedroom!
Lucy

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Helen
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:34 PM

A gospel singer; character names - 1 in a tv series, one in a movie; cast on a show recording, singing with my sister Ann (without an e - they misspelled it); in a news item showing sheer stupidity about not leaving my home in severe forest fires; artist of pen and ink drawings in a book about Philadelphia; author of children's books; academic at an Oz University - I once nearly got away with charging my hotel bill to her because the incompetent hotel people had used some sort of credit database when I made the reservation and hadn't checked if it was me; past president of a music club in Florida; I've had more husbands than I can count and produced lots of offspring over the last couple of centuries, and died at least twice in the last couple of years; school teacher, member of boards of directors; have a gymnasium named after me... The list goes on and on.

But beat this one, you guys!! I declined an invitation to spend a week in Hitler's mountain retreat (invited because I was white and not Afro-American).

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:34 PM

I doubt it, Murray, it said #1 he was YOUNG and #2 he is influenced by jazz, classical, and Spanish Flamenco. He plays the classical guitar.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Helen
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:39 PM

I think when I did this search a few years ago I found out that I had been taken to court by my neighbours for playing the same Whitney Houston track, very loudly, over and over, 24 hours a day. Now *that's* me! [Whitney Houston - no way]

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 07:39 PM

Ouch, Matt that was a dirty punch. McM is almost twenty years younger than me, so that makes him extremely young by my reckoning.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: CarolC
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 08:49 PM

To all of you saccharine, heterosexual guys who have said nice things about me on this thread... I think you're all terribly sweet, and I want you to know that you've made my day.

Carol

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Alice
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 08:58 PM

try searching on www.dogpile.com You will get google's results and many, many more.

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 09:20 PM

We live to serve you, Carol!

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 10:05 PM

Alice, I don't think so. I tried my name and found zilch. They give the results from four other search engines, but not from Google.

Murray

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: CarolC
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 10:28 PM

(...ahem. Um, Matt. You haven't seen my calendar picture already, have you?)

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 10:53 PM

Thanks Alice. Few things I hadn't seen before, plus one hell of a lot on Rick Springfield, Softball, and sisters who take naughty photos! Glad I bought a computer!

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Matt_R
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 11:00 PM

Oh my God...no not yet Carol. I think I will faint if I see it! You are glorious enough with clothes ON!

Subject: RE: BS: Ego-Surfing
From: Amergin
Date: 03 Apr 01 - 11:04 PM

Well, let's see....I found out I was a 15 year old movie critic from Manitoba....found that I deserted from the 2nd Infantry (Company F) on April 10, 1844....found that I was born in 1775....am in some drama club....that I was a high school wrestler in 1998....that I was charged with burglary and assault in Akron, Ohio....that I was a fullback in a college football team...that I was in the 1st Regiment Michigan Sharpshooters during the Civil War and died in Andersonville Prison, May 24, 1864.....