Dear 'Jerry'

I am horrified to admit that the other day I failed to resist the temptation of texting into 'Who is Jerry?'. You know those things you see advertised in magazines that say "Text yours and your partners name for only $3.50 and we will tell you your love calculation! Amazing results! *conditions apply*" (they regret to tell you that they will continue to charge you weekly. Read the conditions! On the other hand, if you're stupid enough to be dragged into the scam, good luck to you and your phone bill)


'Jerry' boasts that whatever your question may be, Jerry will give you the answer! Keeping in mind Jerry knows exactly who you are. Here I am at work, mucking around with friends thinking to myself "Ha! Very funny! Lets see what you can tell me about me Jerry!". To my utmost dismay, five minutes later I received a text back telling me what my fashion style is, I won't mention names but somebody close to me who 'needs the fashion police before seeing her (me)' and that 'Alistair Pullan loves this chick. HOT ;)'. Okay, I must admit, I had a laugh, I was impressed and then hooked. Bad, bad, bad. I then went on to ask 'What do people think of Phoebe Robertson from Toorak?' I'm not going to repeat what was said but let me tell you, I was then completely and utterly FREAKED OUT! First thing I asked myself, more like screamed at myself was "How the f*** does this person know this?!!!" It is absolutely beyond me!

I did a little research (once again with my trusty little friend we like to call Google), and it seems as though I wasn't the only person who was worried about this 'person' knowing too much information. There was a huge uproar when 'Jerry' first came about. Although the reality is somewhat more of a giggle. With the ever expanding use of social media services and shared personal information publicly available nowadays, society tends to forget that personal information is; in fact, not personal any more once you have entered it in somewhere.  It lives electronically potentially into perpetuity. 


Can you say scary? Yes sir.


Personal check list:

• Increase Facebook privacy (get Megan to do this)
• Change all passwords
• Check old Myspace account for privacy settings/contemplate deleting
• Last but not least, HUNT JERRY DOWN!