Google used this woman's name on all its Docs templates, and she's spent the last 2 years dealing with confused and angry messages
She wondered whether Google had actually Googled the name before it used hers -- and wished it had
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Your support makes all the difference.Casey Baumer got her first message about Google Docs roughly two years ago.
A friend called and asked her, "'Uhh, did you know your name is the Google Docs name?' And I had no idea what she was talking about," the 20-something food stylist tells Business Insider.
It didn't take her long to figure it out.
If you've ever used one of Google's apps like Docs or Slides, you may have seen her name at the top of an example résumé or plastered on a project template.
Google uses "Casey Baumer" as the randomly generated dummy name on all of its document prompts.
A Google spokesperson says that the company decided to use that name instead of something like John Smith or Jane in the spirit of creativity, but the decision ultimately caused the real Casey Baumer to receive dozens of angry or confused messages.
After that initial phone call, Baumer started hearing more and more about her "alter ego" from friends and acquaintances.
Sometimes it was kind of funny, so she tried to ignore it or would respond by explaining the situation. But things really got weird about a year ago when she discovered a heap of messages in her "Other" inbox on Facebook.
Strangers were accusing Casey of hacking into their Google accounts or secretly corresponding with their significant others.
While some of the messages made Baumer laugh, the instances where people seemed really mad made her uncomfortable, and it became a hassle to keep explaining to everyone what was going on.
"If you actually look at the documents, instead of just reading the name, it's clear that none of it's real," Baumer says. Google user a filler text, called "lorem ipsum," for the bulk of the documents, so it's just gibberish. "But people clearly don't really read it!"
The constant barrage of messages became frustrating and creepy.
Someone even started writing a fictional story about her.
She wondered whether Google had actually Googled the name before it used hers -- and wished it had.
She got so sick of the messages that she posted a couple of statuses on Facebook imploring friends to help her get in touch with someone at Google.
Her most recent status caught some steam (including leading Business Insider to reach out to both Baumer and Google).
A spokesperson said the company's in the process of updating its template names.
For Baumer, that comes as huge relief.
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Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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