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Radio celebs and privacy

A

AliceTheCook

Guest
OK, most of us know about looking up property owners on the various appraisal district websites. Reading the rules for the Dallas one, for example, the only way to exempt your name and info from appearing is to be a police officer or other law enforcement. SO...if you're a popular jock or other personality, how do you get around people looking up your home address?

Of course, one way is to make up a business name and set up the deed that way, or put it in a relative's name. Problem is, let's say you're Russ Martin and you really need that homeowner's exemption to offset your outrageous house payments...you have to decide whether to risk putting your name out there to save a few thousand a year, or suffer the loss and put it under an alias or a business name. Tough choice for some folks who may be counting pennies to save their upscale home after they lost their cherry job at whatever station. I'm sure Tempie and Chuck and others don't really want their fans showing up for dinner some night, and I've seen my share of "stalkers" who may mean well, but hang out at station events a little too long and make the talent feel uneasy.

The driver's license and license tag database is no help, either. With a credit card number and a little lie about your "need" for the information, one can get access to whoever's info they want. In this day and age of the internet, how do you protect your privacy? Some people have insulated themselves pretty well (Kevin McCarthy, for example) by using a stage name since Day One of their career. But with a little research, nom de plumes are usually easy to uncover (even Kevin's, much to his consternation...and he's had stalker issues before.)
 
> OK, most of us know about looking up property owners on the
> various appraisal district websites. Reading the rules for
> the Dallas one, for example, the only way to exempt your
> name and info from appearing is to be a police officer or
> other law enforcement. SO...if you're a popular jock or
> other personality, how do you get around people looking up
> your home address?
>
> Of course, one way is to make up a business name and set up
> the deed that way, or put it in a relative's name. Problem
> is, let's say you're Russ Martin and you really need that
> homeowner's exemption to offset your outrageous house
> payments...you have to decide whether to risk putting your
> name out there to save a few thousand a year, or suffer the
> loss and put it under an alias or a business name. Tough
> choice for some folks who may be counting pennies to save
> their upscale home after they lost their cherry job at
> whatever station. I'm sure Tempie and Chuck and others
> don't really want their fans showing up for dinner some
> night, and I've seen my share of "stalkers" who may mean
> well, but hang out at station events a little too long and
> make the talent feel uneasy.
>
> The driver's license and license tag database is no help,
> either. With a credit card number and a little lie about
> your "need" for the information, one can get access to
> whoever's info they want. In this day and age of the
> internet, how do you protect your privacy? Some people have
> insulated themselves pretty well (Kevin McCarthy, for
> example) by using a stage name since Day One of their
> career. But with a little research, nom de plumes are
> usually easy to uncover (even Kevin's, much to his
> consternation...and he's had stalker issues before.)
>
If the proposed changes get the go ahead, your tax prep info might be allowed to be sold to the highest bidder. So that's another possible "info leak" that might allow someone (a stalker or others) into your life.
 
> But with a little research, nom de plumes are
> usually easy to uncover (even Kevin's, much to his
> consternation...and he's had stalker issues before.)

I believe you answered your own question. If someone
is hell bent on tracking you down, it's VERY easy.
Privacy does not exist in a good detective's world.
Just watch DOG The Bounty Hunter on A&E. You can
see some of the techniques there. It's quite
simple, and most of it is free. With a stolen
SS number you can do serious damage. Yes, it's
VERY frightening, but happens every day. Just
look at all the wife beaters that track down
where their ex's are currently hiding. Or the
illegals that get into this country and establish
identities on stolen credit card and SS numbers.
 
OF course the easiest of all of this is to have a suedo <sp> name and trust that know one knows the REAL name-- that way you can pretty much live in obscerity... Though people like Russ Martin, might indeed use his real name on the air, there are plenty others that have used other names for one reason or another---

Some cases, because their real names are ethnic sounding, others because they are hard to pronouce properly, and others.. just to lay low and not be bothered-- but lets face it.. that is one way to keep yourself insulated from others trying to hunt you down or stalk you-- don't you agree?

Just a thought!



> > OK, most of us know about looking up property owners on
> the
> > various appraisal district websites. Reading the rules
> for
> > the Dallas one, for example, the only way to exempt your
> > name and info from appearing is to be a police officer or
> > other law enforcement. SO...if you're a popular jock or
> > other personality, how do you get around people looking up
>
> > your home address?
> >
> > Of course, one way is to make up a business name and set
> up
> > the deed that way, or put it in a relative's name.
> Problem
> > is, let's say you're Russ Martin and you really need that
> > homeowner's exemption to offset your outrageous house
> > payments...you have to decide whether to risk putting your
>
> > name out there to save a few thousand a year, or suffer
> the
> > loss and put it under an alias or a business name. Tough
> > choice for some folks who may be counting pennies to save
> > their upscale home after they lost their cherry job at
> > whatever station. I'm sure Tempie and Chuck and others
> > don't really want their fans showing up for dinner some
> > night, and I've seen my share of "stalkers" who may mean
> > well, but hang out at station events a little too long and
>
> > make the talent feel uneasy.
> >
> > The driver's license and license tag database is no help,
> > either. With a credit card number and a little lie about
> > your "need" for the information, one can get access to
> > whoever's info they want. In this day and age of the
> > internet, how do you protect your privacy? Some people
> have
> > insulated themselves pretty well (Kevin McCarthy, for
> > example) by using a stage name since Day One of their
> > career. But with a little research, nom de plumes are
> > usually easy to uncover (even Kevin's, much to his
> > consternation...and he's had stalker issues before.)
> >
> If the proposed changes get the go ahead, your tax prep info
> might be allowed to be sold to the highest bidder. So that's
> another possible "info leak" that might allow someone (a
> stalker or others) into your life.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
Dave Michaels
Davradio Productions
Dallas, Texas</P>
 
> OF course the easiest of all of this is to have a suedo
> name and trust that know one knows the REAL name-- that way
> you can pretty much live in obscerity... Though people like
> Russ Martin, might indeed use his real name on the air,
> there are plenty others that have used other names for one
> reason or another---
>
> Some cases, because their real names are ethnic sounding,
> others because they are hard to pronouce properly, and
> others.. just to lay low and not be bothered-- but lets face
> it.. that is one way to keep yourself insulated from others
> trying to hunt you down or stalk you-- don't you agree?
>
> Just a thought!
>
>
>
> > > OK, most of us know about looking up property owners on
> > the
> > > various appraisal district websites. Reading the rules
> > for
> > > the Dallas one, for example, the only way to exempt your
>
> > > name and info from appearing is to be a police officer
> or
> > > other law enforcement. SO...if you're a popular jock or
>
> > > other personality, how do you get around people looking
> up
> >
> > > your home address?
> > >
> > > Of course, one way is to make up a business name and set
>
> > up
> > > the deed that way, or put it in a relative's name.
> > Problem
> > > is, let's say you're Russ Martin and you really need
> that
> > > homeowner's exemption to offset your outrageous house
> > > payments...you have to decide whether to risk putting
> your
> >
> > > name out there to save a few thousand a year, or suffer
> > the
> > > loss and put it under an alias or a business name.
> Tough
> > > choice for some folks who may be counting pennies to
> save
> > > their upscale home after they lost their cherry job at
> > > whatever station. I'm sure Tempie and Chuck and others
> > > don't really want their fans showing up for dinner some
> > > night, and I've seen my share of "stalkers" who may mean
>
> > > well, but hang out at station events a little too long
> and
> >
> > > make the talent feel uneasy.
> > >
> > > The driver's license and license tag database is no
> help,
> > > either. With a credit card number and a little lie
> about
> > > your "need" for the information, one can get access to
> > > whoever's info they want. In this day and age of the
> > > internet, how do you protect your privacy? Some people
> > have
> > > insulated themselves pretty well (Kevin McCarthy, for
> > > example) by using a stage name since Day One of their
> > > career. But with a little research, nom de plumes are
> > > usually easy to uncover (even Kevin's, much to his
> > > consternation...and he's had stalker issues before.)
> > >
> > If the proposed changes get the go ahead, your tax prep
> info
> > might be allowed to be sold to the highest bidder. So
> that's
> > another possible "info leak" that might allow someone (a
> > stalker or others) into your life.
> >
>
Then there's the problem of TV celebs. Dan Rather tried a big floppy hat and sun flasses and he still was assaulted by three guys demanding to know, "What's the frequency, Kenneth?" Maybe the incognito garb made him look like Kenneth.
 
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