ZoomInfo and Egosurfing

Just-launched ZoomInfo aggregates web information about individuals into a single profile.

The business model is a little opaque. The website offers a subscription service for “recruiting, sales intelligence and other markets”, and the article says that “the free “people search” option aims to draw new visitors to the site and build the company’s reputation, thereby boosting subscription sales.”

Whatever the motivation, the consumer interface provides a convenient way to egosurf (or stalk someone else, depending on your inclinations). You can see my profile here. The site appears to have done a pretty good job distinguishing among several Eric Goldmans, although the snippets it displays are of varying quality and interest.

AP article on the tool.

Article on a defamation case brought by Mark Maughan because Google’s search result snippets were allegedly misleading.