Favorite things

The sites you visit regularly can say a lot about you. Your bookmarks reveal your hobbies, interests, medical issues and more. Sites like del.icio.us are used for storing bookmarks online.

But they are also used for sharing your bookmarks with the world. You can examine the bookmarks of others. You only need their user names. Would you want an employer looking through your bookmarks?

In the same vein, what you purchase can reveal personal details. Amazon allows people to create a wish list in their personal profiles. People use this to list things they’d like to buy. However, wish lists are searchable. Anyone can read them. All they need is a user name.

Both sites have a privacy setting to keep selections hidden. But you must enable these settings. By default, all selections are open to the public.

Hard facts

Employers can also find some interesting facts about your surroundings. Zillow, Trulia and Cyberhomes offer detailed real estate information. Just enter an address to get an estimated home value.

You can also get a breakdown of the neighborhood. What’s the average income in the neighborhood? What is the school district? Find out more about these real estate sites in this tip. Where a person lives can reveal personal details.