Do you know...???

OK, I think this problem comes from Japanese English speakers translating

~知っていますか？

into

Do you know~?

Now this literal translation does not work. The English sentence:
Do you know...? means Have you met...? Is ... your friend? So it means:

Do you know ... PERSONALLY?

Also "Do you know...?", is ONLY used to talk about people, NOT things.

So, what should you say??? Well, you should use the very useful expression:

Have you heard of ...?

This can be used to talk about BOTH people and things:

Have you heard of Takanohana?

Have you heard of bungee jumping?

Have you heard of ごくせん?

So this expression is simply asking if you know about something or someone. Did you hear, read or see ANYTHING about it. Do you have KNOWLEDGE of it? Are you aware of it?

I hope this helps!

You can ask your friends:

Have you heard of Phil's English Tips Blog?

hahaha