How to Find Someone Using the Internet
First try “googling” thier name. Enter thier name in the google search engine with parenthesis around the name. “John Clark”, for example. If the person has a web site or has done something of note, it may be as simple as that. Read each entry for the person’s name. If the subject is not the “John Clark” you seek, perhaps it is a relative. If a search of tthe full name does not bring up a result, try searching without the first name. This will bring up alot more info to search through, Again consider whether this may be a relative who can give information. Many peoplee go by versions of thier first names or even nicknames. For femalee friends, try googling thier full name and “nee”, if they have married you can often find thier new surname this way. Google is definetly worth the effort. Read all posts with the correct name. Perhaps your friend was quoted in a local paper or ran a wedding announcement. If so, google may have that information. If you have no idea where the person lives, keep a list of citiies to check, based on mention in the google search.
What if the person your looking for has no web site or is someone you suspect would not be mentioned on the net? You still may be able to find them by using free search engines. Www. people.yahoo.com, www.wwhohere.lycos.com and www.switchboard.com. are all good places to start. These engines will provide all those with the same name you enter. If they have a listed telephone, switchboard.com should bring it right up. Switchboard does require a specific town or city though. Use your google city search list. Don’t forget to consider calling males with the same surname to look for a female friend. Consider posting information about yourself.. and mentioning who you are looking for ..at places like classmate.com. Checking member profiles by name at large internet service providers (aol, yahoo etc) can also provide a list of possibilities. Redcross.org can be of help in some situations, consider them for searches where you think someone may have displaced or if you know they live in an area where there are climate condititons like hurricanes.
You may want to consider using a paid search site. There are many paid sites to choose from. Intellius is one of the best. Www.Intellius tracks people through a huge data base of records and only costs about eight dollars. Take note: before paying for any fee site, be aware that some require information you may not have. Do not pay and then find out afterward that you need a correct birthday or geographic location.. I found one paid site that required a social security number. Bypass the page where you enter your credit card information to see what the search requirements are. If you can’t, I’d recommend choosing another site. Also, there are paid sites that determine thier fee based on the number of “hits” you recieve. If the person has a common surname and you have little information about them, you may get a list of thousands of “John Clarks’ and a big bill. A set fee paid search is the better way to go.
The internet is making reunions possible for untold numbers of people. I hope you are one of them.
