Blog #5: Data Mining
What a Data Mine Revealed About Me
I chose the data mining exercise to see just how unsettled I could make myself. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the information about me was nothing more than I expected, and even redirected from me at some points. Let me be clear: I am not a fan of having a digital tattoo, but at the same time, I can't get off the internet. Therefore it's a necessary evil, but any time that the information actively points away from me, I consider it a victory.
Googling Myself
Google.com
I kept it very simple to start: I logged out of my usual Chrome profile and started with searching my name: "Isaac Herman." I was happy to see Google's AI Overview get me mixed up with another Isaac Herman due to the points I mentioned above. Still, below that, I found my LinkedIn profile, which confirmed my job and education. It was a reminder that Google's AI platform can give very different results compared to the normal web search. This reinforced the importance of specifying your search with additional info, like location or job title (and even my middle name). I just wanted to see a baseline of where I stood on Google when I searched my basic name.
A Lesson in Fear-Based Design
Sites like CheckPeople (which I was automatically directed to from UnMask.com, which originally was Spezify:
CheckPeople.com
and Truthfinder:
Truthfinder.com
These websites immediately stood out for their manipulative design. Truthfinder, for instance, led with fear: suggesting I could be on a government watch list or have a criminal record (including traffic violations). All of it wrapped in an ominous red color scheme designed to stir anxiety. They continuously prompted me with warnings and hypothetical dangers, which made it feel less like a search tool and more like a psychological tactic to drive urgency and fear, until you get to when you have to pay.
Instant Checkmate was almost a clone of Truthfinder, down to the layout and terminology. It seems there’s significant consolidation in this industry, with many of these services looking and functioning almost identically:
Comparing Whitepages, Intelius, and Others
Whitepages:
Whitepages.com
Whitepages felt more professional and straightforward. It previewed public info before asking for payment and lacked the scare tactics. I was also pleased to see it included Iowa City and Empire, MI as my addresses before pushing forward; my actual address is at least blocked by one wall.
Intelius:
Intelius.com
Intelius, on the other hand, included more social media data and asked why I wanted access. These platforms offered similar data but presented it differently—a reminder that UX design matters in how we interpret trustworthiness.
Zabasearch:
Zabasearch.com
This was essentially Intelius under another name, but it offered a reverse phone number lookup—which returned my sister’s name instead of mine, explaining a lot about my robocalls! They always address me as my sister, so that was very interesting to me; It explained some real-world confusion I experienced due to my digital tattoo.
Personal Insights & Social Media
Even without digging too deeply, it was easy to find my public profiles:
Instagram: @ike_sheen
Facebook: Ike Herman
YouTube: Isaac Herman
Linkedin: Isaac Herman
Bluesky: @ComfortableCotinga
PlayStation Network: CheekyCotinga
Through these profiles, someone could easily discover what I look like where I work, and what games I like to play, but not much else. I don't use social media very much. However I decided to make a new social media account on Bluesky, because I like how you can curate the algorithms you receive. It makes me feel like I can use social media in a healthier way.
Conclusion:
This data mine taught me how easily my information can be accessed—and how companies use manipulative design to scare users into buying data. I'm now more conscious of how I appear online and how to better protect my information. From accidental phone listing mix-ups to exaggerated threats of watchlists, every step of this journey reminded me how essential digital literacy is in 2025. Even free tools can teach you a lot—if you know what to look for.
Bravo for recognizing that one of the prominent media persuasion tactics is 'fear.' Having an awareness of this makes it much harder to be manipulated.
ReplyDeleteReally insightful post, Isaac! I appreciated your honest take on the data mining exercise. It’s both unsettling and eye-opening to see how easily personal info surfaces and how aggressively some sites use fear-based design to push paid services. Your comparison of platforms was spot-on, especially how manipulative Truthfinder and its clones felt. I also found your note about Google's AI Overview vs. traditional search really useful. It shows how important context is when searching your own name and I love the idea of using Bluesky to curate your own algorithm. It feels like a smarter, healthier way to engage with social media. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Isaac--I really liked your assessment of the fear-based and anxiety-inducing design in the scammier results to your data mine search. I knew the GoogleAI isn't the most reliable for accurate search returns, so in this instance that's a good thing: your information is less likely to be the first result or the Google AI result, so people might be less likely to click it, but it's still returning results that do have your info attached. Being able to curate algorithms and digital footprints like what may be available on BlueSky is probably the best hope for engaging social media and online
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