The Seattle Times: Living: It's never been easier to be your own detective: "Is your dream date hiding a less-than-dreamy rap sheet?
Can you trust your new baby-sitter with the car keys -- or the kids?
More and more government agencies post public records online, making a startling amount of information available. With a little amateur sleuthing, you can peek into the backgrounds of the people you let into your life -- a nanny or housekeeper, an online acquaintance, a potential business partner -- and be reasonably satisfied they're not predators or crooks.
You may feel squeamish about digging up dirt on people -- and privacy advocates do worry about some methods people use to gather that dirt and its potential misuse.
Yet divorces, bankruptcies, many blogs, recent arrests and old convictions are publicly accessible and may reveal telling details you'd like to know before you hand over your house key to a handyman or in-home care provider.
Today we offer a tutorial on how to navigate public-records sites, as well as a list of online tools and tips compiled from private investigators and background screeners."
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