Identity beckons
Australians are a narcissistic bunch of internet users who are more interested in themselves than their American counterparts. Even scandal-studded celebrity Paris Hilton comes in second when it comes to tapping names into search engines, according to an internet survey.
The on-line survey of 1500 Australian internet users over 24 hours last October by ninemsn found the number-one name typed into search engines by Australian users was their own, with 47 per cent of people indicating they searched for themselves, compared with 39 per cent of Americans.
Also rating highly were the names of family, friends and colleagues - and former lovers and partners.
More than 10 million Australians actively use the internet from home or work according to internet research firm Nielsen/NetRatings.
The director of consumer services at ninemsn, Dominic Finnegan, said nearly 16 per cent of respondents admitted they couldn't resist typing in the name of an old flame - equal to about 1.8 million people.
Mr Finnegan said that of the 10 million internet users in the country, about 7 million used search engines - many of them as their first point of call.
Entertainment is one of the most popular search categories, with 84 per cent of respondents pursuing it.
A further 39 per cent of respondents said they had carried out a search on celebrity news or scandal - with, somewhat predictably, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears and Delta Goodrem topping the list.
Travel is also a regular topic of choice (84 per cent), as is breaking news (74 per cent), jobs (66 per cent) and personal health (65 per cent).
Well i can honestly say i have never put my name in the search engine..............but i may be persuaded to do it now!!
4 Comments:
Volatile ~ Welcome! I "dogpiled" my name and to my amazement my name is a microchip (one of many) on the next space shuttle!! Technically it isn't me but a chick in CA has the same name!
Jack~ Delta Goodrem is a singer here in Oz.Very popular and quite attractive, she also has a brain unlike Paris and Brittany!
I always thought it was weird that people do those name searches for themselves. Like they forgot where they might have been. Hahaha! But once I received this e-mail telling me to put in my telephone number and I thought, what the heck?! Well, I was listed! My unlisted number was listed!!! I was mad! Had my address, link to mapquest and my name. And if someone really wanted to pay money, they could have had a background check done on me. I requested my name and information removed from their list. Thankfully, they did.
Lois Lane
OMG! I got an email about the phone number listings on Google, I think it was. Mine also was listed, as where some of my friends and family....I checked EVERYONE to see if it was true! Scary! Now, it doesn't come up anymore, so I guess that's a good thing.
I have to admit....I've done a search for family (and ex-family) members online. Many times. I've tried first names, last names, etc. trying to find my ex-FIL during an emergency a couple years ago. Unfortunately, most of what I get is unrelated crap, and a whole lotta junk on ex-uncle-in-law(?) who is a well known TV reporter in CA. I did once find MY name, under an OLD web page which kinda freaked me out.
And, oddly, yesterday, I got an email from a radio personality that I love to listen to and have blogged about, after he GOOGLED his radio show and came up with my blog...LOL! Guess it's not just us little peeps who do this.
VA ~ Welcome :o)
Lois & Zette ~ you 2 gals are freaking me out! I am going to have to put my phone number in and "google" it just to see if it comes up...Yikes!
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