The simple fact is, there are many situations in life where it's extremely helpful or reassuring to be able to quickly find out something about an associates or neighbor's instant background.
Consider a few scenarios:
+ You're thinking of investing in a business and you want to know more about the current owner.
+ You're considering dating someone you met on the Internet and want to know more about that person.
+ Your son or daughter has a new girlfriend/boyfriend and you want to check the person out.
+ New neighbors have moved in next door and they've been acting a little odd (or so you think). You have kids and would really like to find out more about these people.