This is the first line in the FAQ section of MyInfoGuardian.com:

We often hear headline stories of how a predator or stalker has tracked down their target to hurt, rape or kill them.

Isn’t that nice?

It is not news to me that this happens in the world, but that idea has not ever stopped me from using my name and my family’s real names in my blogging escapades over the years.  At first, I figured nobody would even read my blog, let alone hunt me down through it.  And even as my blog got marginally popular, it turned into a lovely reason for people to send me free shit.  Which I have never disliked.  Other bloggers use pseudonyms for their husbands and children and even themselves, but I never bothered.

Turns out I needn’t have ever worried that I was revealing too much information through my blog (or Whrrl, or Twitter, or Facebook, or…ad nauseum) because if someone really wants to find out anything about me, they can simply purchase the information off of any of the various “people search” sites that actually compile personal info from public records.  I’m sure that you can look up anything about me at the right place (not that you need to, since I am the queen of TMI).

Again from MyInfoGuardian.com:

Commonly known as people search sites, these sites allow anyone to buy your personal information including information even your closest friends don’t know.

I just activated my account and saw the list of sites that sell my personal information and got chills.  Thankfully, that info is now being removed.

MyInfoGuardian is a service that will scrub the people search sites of your information, and then keep a lookout to make sure that if your info pops up anywhere new, it is taken right down.  These are things that you can do yourself if you have 87 hours to kill.  Why bother with that then, when you can just purchase a membership – which can also covers everyone in your immediate nuclear family and any names you have used in the past like your maiden name or the alias you used when you committed that crime, ahem).  You can even give a subscription as a gift.

My friend Leah is giving away a subscription to MyInfoGuardian.com on her website – the contest is open through January.  See MyInfoGuardian.com for more information, or to purchase if you don’t win the freebie.

I received a complimentary subscription to facilitate this feature, as well as a lovely lunch in the company of 15 power lady SoCal bloggers.  All opinions are my own.  Of course.