Zabasearch? More like Zabasuck...

There have been privacy concerns about ZabaSearch, a search engine that currently offers free information about people, including their home addresses. Cathy Seipp at NRO is nervous about the privacy implications.

I can't help but think this isn't a huge deal, considering how many people and organizations know your home address - federal, state, and local governments, utilities, phone companies, banks, employers, ect. Plus, other companies have offered this info for a nominal charge. And you can remove yourself, although Zabasearch would probably do well and avoid some public outrage if they made the process a little easier.

But I'm not real worried, mostly because I plugged my name and state into it. It did find my address - from the apartment I live in my senior year in college. I graduated (and moved out) in 2002. I've lived at two other addresses since then.

I'm guessing that some of this is pulled out of phone books, and I don't have a land line (although we did have one in the college apartment). I suspect this because I searched for another family member, and found her address. She lives in my grandparent's old house, and still has the phone listed under his name, despite his being dead for the last 25 years. What do you know, her phone number is listed under my dead grandfather.

With quality data like this, it's a good thing the data is free, 'cuz it seems pretty worthless to me.