I’m Carole A. Lane, the editor and host of The San Diego Beat.  

My writing career started out many years ago and quite by chance.  After more than a decade in information technology, culminating with positions as Senior Systems Analyst and Data Administrator of TRW Consumer Credit Information Systems, I decided to pursue my passion (and get the heck off the freeway) and started a research firm, TechnoSearch, Inc.

Although I did many types of research (market research, competitive intelligence, legal research, etc.), I became most known for my knowledge of personal records research, and was asked to write articles in this area for industry publications.  That’s where my writing seed was planted.

Since nearly all research is proprietary, I learned that the two avenues open to researchers for publicizing their expertise are writing and public speaking.  I did both, and when I found that there was a great deal of interest in personal records, I decided to write a book on the subject, mainly to promote my business, and share my knowledge with other geeks researchers like myself.

I had no idea that the world was about to discover the Web and that “Naked in Cyberspace: How to Find Personal Information Online” would become a best-seller and thrust me into the national spotlight.  Before the book even hit the shelves, I found myself appearing on Good Morning America and testifying before the Federal Trade Commission in DC!

In the following years, I made multiple appearances on many other programs including A & E’s Investigative Reports, World News Tonight, and the Montel Williams Show, as well as radio shows across the country (sometimes three a day).  I traveled as far as Berlin to talk about the book, and eventually closed down my research firm, but continued to write for such publications as The Washington Post, PC World, and Selling Power magazine.

I wrote a second edition of Naked, which has honored with an international award for Most Insightful Book of the year from the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals, and along with three other writers wrote “Plugged In: Using the Internet for High School (and Professional) Journalism” on a grant from the Radio and Television News Directors Foundation.

When I decided not to write a third edition of Naked, I started exploring a blog as an alternative way of updating the content, and became hooked on blogging as my future direction.

On my short list of topics that I’d like to blog about, San Diego (the place that I love and, God willing, plan to spend the rest of my life), was at the top.  I knew that I could write about this on other blogging networks, but I was looking for a place that would become known for that specifically - where people would go to find out more about their home town, or go to look up information before traveling.

In walked Jon Symons with that very vision for Home Turf Media, and here I am.