ZoomInfo apparently collects information about people from the Web to create profiles of them. A blog I read linked to a profile about someone the blogger had just heard about.
For the nuts of it, I typed in my name to see what this profile said about me. Sheesh, is it off...way off!
It accurately lists me as pastor of Friendship Lutheran Church and as a blogger.
But it also says that I'm president of something called Megasports, "a fantasy sports online service," and of the National Association of Firearms Retailers.
NO NO NO NO NO. NOT ME!
So, I decided to contact the ZoomInfo folks to let them know their information is wrong. I mean, I don't mind them collecting public information about me. But this stuff has nothing to do with me.
The ZoomInfo site said it would be easy to change my information. I just had to click on a "This is me" button. But as you progress through the hoops needed to tell the folks at ZoomInfo that their info is whacked, they tell you what Internet Service Provider suffixes they'll accept in order to confirm things with you via email. My ISP wasn't listed...and it's AOL!
They do have an alternative: Give them your credit card number. Are you kidding me? I'm going to give my personal information to some incompetent company that can't get my public information right...and believe them when they say that they won't charge my account? I. DON'T. THINK. SO!
So, now I'm trying to straighten out ZoomInfo's inaccurate portrayal of yours truly by other methods. I've sent an email their way. I'll let you know how things turn out.
You might want to check what they've done to your personal reputation...and see if you can't straighten them out, too.
Let me know what happens. This company deserves to be watched very carefully.
[UPDATE: I just checked. (I've been out of town for my uncle's funeral today. ZoomInfo responded to my email of last night and eliminated the factual errors on my profile. I'm glad of that.]
3 comments:
I. DON'T. THINK. SO!
You should have added a "Homey don't play dat." to the above.
I just searched for your name on ZoomInfo and did not find any reference on the profile for you to sports or guns. There are 417 other Mark/Marc Daniels. Were you on the same profile?
Prior to my registration or sign in on the site, I did not see any button called "This Is Me" and when I clicked the edit button next to your profile, I was brought to a generic registration page. I just registered on ZoomInfo with my email address @ cox, so I'm not sure why it won't accept AOL from you. I was not asked for a credit card either.
Throwing around the word incompetent seems harsh, and not very accurate here. It sounds like user error to me.
Your profile looks to have been compiled by searching for web references to you. Either someone was putting out misinformation about you deliberately, or the search engine was using a web reference for a different Mark Daniels. However, as I wrote, looks like there is no reference to sports or guns in your profile now.
Mark,
This is the hottest I've ever seen you. All caps? With periods?!?
My info was substantially correct -- except somehow I picked up an MD and a PhD. Bonus!
I'll teach a class at Friendship Lutheran and give you a free physical if you can set me up with a .45 semi-auto and an autograph session with the Dallas Cowboys.
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