Social Networks Bring People Together After Haiti ‘Quake
Social Networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are helping survivors of the Haiti Earthquake tragedy re-connect with loved ones. Survivors are rushing to these sites to let others who live far away know they are ok and giving detailed reports of the conditions and situation in Port au Prince. Some are even using Facebook to alert others in the area of people who are still trapped under rubble or still need assistance in some way. Twitter was also very helpful when the quake first shook Haiti as it became a trending topic and you could essentially keep up with what was happening live those first few hours. It was a great source of very current and up-to-date news that was un-matched by any other major news outlet. The uses of social networking were highlighted by this tragedy but they were used as tools to help others. Who knew these channels of communication would become so valuable?
Use the Internet to Find Lost Family Members
The Internet is one of the best ways to find lost friend or family on the Internet. If you don’t have time to research, or visit libraries, the Internet is a tremendous source for digitized records and genealogy databases. The Internet has records, large databases and many other sources for searching about a family tree.
The Internet is a virtual worldwide library’ and makes a perfect source for finding your family.
References
1. ehow.com
Warning, Facebook Hackers On The Loose
Okay, we all have a facebook page, and everyday we use it to get in contact with old friends, collage buddies and other people from a long time ago. But a growing Facebook trend is starting to appear as more and more people are getting their accounts stolen by people in order for them to make a quick buck.
References
1. Youtube.com
Using Public Records To Find People And What They Have Been Doing
Okay, i am not normally goes around finding out secrets of people that i know, or even don’t know for that matter. And since most people are like me, you might ask yourself why they’re are public searching databases. Well, here is the deal. When ever you get into trouble with the law, or have to go to the court house, or even buying a new home, all the info from these events is collect into the Database that is free to use by anyone with a computer these days. Most States have there own websites that let people search through the many files to find what they are looking for.
So what do people do with this info? Well, a common use is for the work place. Ya, it sounds weird but every job does a background check of some kind to make sure you aren’t going to cause problems. All they need to do is type in some basic info into the system and anything will pop up. Its one of the great features of the Freedom of Information Act. Of course, the documents important parts are blacked out, so no one gets their identity stolen next time they buy a house.
References
1. Article
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How to be Found
Whether it is a reunion, or simply some memory montage people generally want to connect with their old friend at some point. What people do not account for is that they may already be searching for you. Now you may think that simply because your name seems unique that you will be easy to search for. Nothing is further from the truth; my name is David Appelman and there are several David Appelmans out there that spell their name the same as I do. So what can you do? Simple on whatever social media site you frequent be specific, add your high school, your college, and your hometown. If you have a blog write a post about your shennanigans include nicknames, friends names, teacher names, any information that you can think of. If you google David Appelman I am somewhere on the 8th page but if you google David Appelman Jacksonville you could find me.
Another issue is which social network to join if you are trying to reconnect. I find that facebook is best for this since most people have one, and they offer a ton of specific information about yourself. Facebook also lists search results in order of significance to you, so that if you search John Smith the first result it will give you would be the John Smith that went to your high school or is somehow linked to you. That all being said good luck being found!
How to Find Your Friends On the Internet
This is a great video to show you some tricks and techniques to find your friends on the internet.
Internet safety…
On Myspace there are millions of users who can browse your profile and any pictures you have listed at any time of day or night. (If you don’t have your profile set to private) Sexual predators troll these types of territories looking for their next victims. This can be extremely dangerous an scary for our community and parents everywhere. the National Association of Attorneys General had a meeting recently and the biggest focus was trying to get rid of the Myspace creeps. Myspace says it has removed thousands of profiles of sexual predators who have registered under their own names. What about the ones who are signing up under different names? Myspace defends themselves by saying this is currently something they are diligently working on and want to make it as safe as the Internet can be. Until then please make sure your children are being supervised while using such sites, so your fears do not become a reality.
There are several other social networking sites that face these same types of problems in the future, I don’t want anyone to think I am singling out Myspace only, however I have done no research on the other social networking sites.
References
1. ATG.WA.GOV
Expunging a Felony Conviction
The process of expunging a felony conviction varies from state to state, and in some states it is not possible to expunge a felony conviction. The U.S. District Court does not provide options, instead leaving it up to the states in which the felony was committed to determine whether or not it is advisable or possible to expunge the convicted person’s record.
Although it is common belief that felony conviction records become sealed after a period of time, a specific application to have the conviction expunged is required for the convicted person’s record to be cleared. There is law governing the circumstances under which a felony conviction may be expunged, and an applicant must meet the legal criteria to be approved.
The length of the decision process varies depending on the seriousness of the conviction or the business of the court involved. All applications require fees, typically in the $2000-3000 range, which include the steps of drafting the application/petition, filing, and more. Not every petition will be allowed, but the chances of a positive result are increased with additional research into whether or not the convict meets the legal requirements for expunging records.
Employment in the UK: Criminal Records Bureau
The Criminal Records Bureau is a UK government organization in England and Wales, part of the Home Office, which gives access to criminal records to people of all sectors. The purpose of the Criminal Records Bureau is primarily to help employers make informed and safe decisions about the people they hire. This is especially true for businesses where the employees may be working with children or adults at risk. The Criminal Records Bureau was created in 2002 to address the problem of overwhelming numbers of criminal records requests made to the British police.
There are two types of Disclosure of criminal records made by the Criminal Records Bureau, Standard and Enhanced. Standard includes such details as convictions, reasons for record, and disciplinary action taken by the courts. Standard Disclosure involves an automated check against a database. Enhanced Disclosure involves manual work, checking with the police and gathering any information about additional investigations, or other information at the discretion of the police.
The Criminal Records Bureau charges fees for Disclosure services, but the process of applying for a check includes online amenities such as tracking of the check on the Bureau’s web site. For more information or to apply visit http://www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/.
Conducting Your Own Public Records Search Online
The beauty of public records is that they are indeed public, and in these “wired” times access to such information is growing easier and easier. It used to be once, and in some places still is the case, that in order to perform a public records search you had to be present at the courthouse or government office in question to sign forms and pay fees. Now some government agencies offer the ability to bypass that by searching their databases for public records on their web sites.
For example, if you’re planning a public records search for someone’s marriage records, you may be able to find that by visiting the web site of the Department of Health or Vital Records office in the area where the marriage took place. If the agency doesn’t have a web site with search enabled, you can still call or visit. But you can also try any of the many third party web sites created to make it simple for you to conduct your own public records search online.
Using third party sites to perform a public records search usually still means paying a fee, but it’s often a one-time, reasonable fee. Once you identify a safe and reliable site you can use it for all your records searching needs over time. One good source is all it takes to keep yourself informed. Tips for identifying safe and reliable sites can be found in this post.
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People Search Widget
