If you’ve never heard of http://johnny.ihackstuff.com/index.php?module=prodreviews Johnny “I Hack Stuff” and the database of way too much information they’ve uncovered via Google, then you might not think this story is too funny. Bottom line, these folks have been digging into the guts of http://www.google.com Google for some time and sharing what they find. C|Net ran a story on this topic last month, and to demonstrate the potential abuse, they googled up info on one of Google’s own. Too bad Google can’t take a joke…

Google blackballs reporters, CNET – Aug. 5, 2005

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) – Google Inc. has blacklisted all CNET reporters for a year, after the popular technology news website published personal information of one of Google’s founders in a story about growing privacy concerns for the Internet search engine, according to a CNET statement.

CNET on Friday reported “Google representatives have instituted a policy of not talking with CNET News reporters until July 2006 in response to privacy issues raised by a previous story.” That story, by reporter Elinor Mills ran under the headline “Google balances privacy, reach.”