A blurb from the article titled Google helps states make public records easier to find:

WASHINGTON -- By providing free consulting and some software, Google Inc. is helping state governments make reams of public records that are now unavailable or hard to find online easily accessible to Web surfers.

The Internet search company hopes to eventually persuade federal agencies to employ the same tools -- an effort that excites advocates of open government but worries some consumer privacy experts.

My thoughts are that this is a bad idea.  Sure public records are public, but one of the great things about them is that they are not easily accessed, sure the information is there if you really needed it, but just the general Joe Schmo won't go look at them because of all the required work.  But now take this information and put it on the internet, easily search-able using Google's excellent search algorithms.  Sure Google is great if you want to search information that is willingly put out there, but all Public Records, that just worries me.  I'm still not sure how I feel about Google, their motto at the beginning was, "Do No Evil", but since they've become a public company they keep getting more and more information, pretty scary stuff.

This could also be used for very bad purposes.  Some examples that come to mind are, finding clients through court records (I already get enough crappy advertising), stalking, I'm not sure what else, but this just gives me a weird feeling.

Any one else have thoughts?