[Click here www.lowfatliving.com]   [GoWest: The Inside on the Outside]   [Click here for Intimate Source]
Tech tip
Pick a topic:
Arts
Careers
Education
Entertainment
Fashion & beauty
Fix-it
Food & wine
Health & nutrition
Home & garden
Kids' stuff
Mags & 'zines
Money
News & politics
Off the wall
Parenting
Relationships
Shopping
Sports & fitness
Travel
Women & the Net
Women's issues
Your favorite site
The cafe
Ask B

Home
Finders Keepers

Krister wrote that he is "trying to find the addresses to some friends" and Ruben is "looking for a young lady" he went to school with. Guys, this tip is for you. Have a webby question? All you have to do is Ask B.

Looking for a long-lost love, a childhood friend, or a business contact whose card you've misplaced? You can track down phone numbers, addresses, personal web pages and email addresses using fast, accurate web databases.

Beyond the look and feel of each site, there is little difference between them. I've highlighted extras like worldwide email listings, celebrity info or business listings.

To search, just fill in the first name, last name, state and domain name fields with as much information as you have. (Hint: The domain name comes after the "@" in an email address, like "bguide.com" or "whitehouse.org.") Try entering very general information, like an initial rather than a full name or a state rather than a city.

4 to check out:

Four 11
Bonus points: Search the specialized databases of government officials and celebrities. Become a member (it's free) if you want to be found; this section is searchable by alma mater.

Infospace
Bonus points: Canadian telephone directories, 800 numbers, fax numbers and extensive local, county and state government listings within the U.S.

Switchboard
Bonus points: Search for business listings by category, like the "real" Yellow Pages.

WhoWhere
Bonus points: Who Where Communities helps you locate people who belong to specific affinity groups. Use the site in English, Español or Français.

Privacy concerns
While free, centralized directories are definitely useful, all this information zipping around on the Net may cause you to worry about your own privacy. To protect people whose information is listed (this probably includes you), the databases do not allow reverse searches, where a searcher can find a person's name by entering his or her street or email address.

If you're still concerned, you can change your listing in your local phone book -- it should appear the same way on the Internet. For more on privacy, email questions to the nonprofit Internet-industry consortium Privacy Assured.


Women's
Wire and Yahoo!
© 1997 Wire Networks, Inc. and Yahoo, Inc. All rights reserved.
Comments