Have you ever Googled an individual company to find out if they are reputable? For that matter, have you ever Googled yourself or your spouse/partner just to see who gets the most results? It turns out that nowadays people are using the search engine on prospective dates to help fill in some of blanks before they meet. Katie Laird, a 24-year-old Web marketing professional, tells her friends to “use the power of Google to their advantage.”

Try it, if you have not before. You can often find blogs, resumes, e-mail and address listings, or hidden fetishes listed on MySpace. Just remember the wise words of Ms. Laird, “Don’t Google what you can’t handle.”