The Internet is a remarkable resource. But it does have its limitations for use in researching and investigations. Most, if not all, of the records found on the Internet are public telephone numbers in directories. That means, simply, if someone does not want to be found, they just will not be listed in directories on the Internet. But for the Internet research that calls for seeking lost family, school mates, or friends, the Internet provides low-cost, national telephone directory access. The list below is not intended to be an exhaustive list of Internet sites but rather a simplified list of some of the more useful sites today. Since the Internet is considered mostly a "free" resource, the telephone and address directories are national white or yellow pages. I have not included sites that generally do not have databases. Nor have I attempted to include commercial sites that cannot produce interactive information that might be especially interesting to you or that does not provide some type of listing that can help you search better, such as a list of state genealogy libraries, for example.
1. Telephone and address directories (most found on the Internet). These systems are based on telephone directories and loaded on electronic files. Then loaded onto an Internet server. I sometimes use the Internet to start an investigation, just in case I "luck out" and find the subject listed with a published telephone number and address. However, I must say, I have yet to find anyone professionally on the Internet. Since most of my clients have already begun here, they all utilize data gathered by just three different information vendors Database America, Metromail, and ProCD. These records are generally found to be three or more months out-of-date, but still represent a good place to begin. Remember that the telephone company's telephone directory, accessed by calling 411 or 555-1212, is generally one to two months out of date, and you must know the city in such cases. Understand, of course, that if you are looking for a classmate or family member these directories can prove useful, since most people in the United States move on average about every four years. So logic would suggest that if a directory is six months old, then the person might very well be still at the listed location and telephone number. Such directories - and there are hundreds of them - are based on one or two types of published information systems. In the next chapter we will talk about 1,300 databanks or more, held privately - based on tens of thousands of published information systems! A good starting place is at The Internet Sleuth, http://www.isleuth.com. This listing has over 2,000 databanks at fingertip, this site has a reverse white pages directory that starts with just a telephone number then will tell you the ownership of the telephone number.
E-MAIL DIRECTORIES
* ESP EMAIL SEARCH PROGRAM, http://www.esp.co.uk/
* FOUR11 DIRECTORY, http://www.four11.com
* HOUSERNET, http://www.housernet.com/ (search by demographics, not by name)
* INFOPLUS INTERNET DIRECTORY, http://www.infop.com/phone/isearch.html
* YAHOO PEOPLE SEARCH, http://www.yahoo.com/search/people/
YELLOW PAGE TELEPHONE DIRECTORIES:
* AMERICAN BUSINESS INFORMATION - LOOKUP, http://www.lookupusa.com/
* BIGBOOK, http://www.bigbook.com/
* BIGYELLOW, http://s16.bigyellow.com/
* GTE SUPER PAGES INTERACTIVE SERVICE, http://superpages.gte.com/
* ZIP2, http://www.zip2.com/
* NYNEX YELLOW PAGES, http://s14.bigyellow.com/
* ON VILLAGE YELLOW PAGES PLUS, http://www.onvillage.com/
* TRUE YELLOW, http://www.trueyellow.com/
* YELLOW NET WORLD WIDE PAGES, http://www.yellownet.com/
* YELLOW PAGES ON LINE, http://www.ypo.com/
NASA'S TELEPHONE AND E-MAIL DIRECTORY
http://nic.nasa.gov/x500.html
PAGENET WORLDWIDE MESSAGE CENTER
http://www.pagenet.net/pagenet/page_inp.htm
CANADA 411, http://canada411.sympatico.ca
2. Social Security number death indexes. These databanks contain 51 million death records. (But with a Social Security number the Social Security Administration will give you the same information by calling 1-800-772-1213.)
* SOCIAL SECURITY DEATH INDEX SEARCH
http://www.infobases.com/ssdi/query01.htm
Search by name, circumscribe by SSN number, state issued, DOB.
Returns: Full name, DOB, Date Of Death, Zipcode where death occurred, Zipcode of beneficiary.
Databank on aircraft owners, alpha name search of US registrations, certified pilots database, aviation medical examiners database, NTSB accident reports, and air worthiness directories.
Newsgroups represent an interesting and free method to elicit information by listing your search requests. I have included this list as one method to get the word out on your genealogy searches. This method is a passive investigative or research method, but nonetheless a good one. In the field of genealogy, you cannot be too timid in your methods. This simple but sometimes effective personal information marketing tool reaches hundreds of thousands of people. You can find these newsgroups with most Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Since it is free, I recommend using it since you have nothing to lose and might gain the information desired. When posting a message here, make sure that your message is broad in topic, but specific in request. The topic of a family name like SMITH might produce too many e-mails or other postings. This leads to confusion, but a more specific request or posting might provide better suited for this forum.
Alt.genealogy at news:alt.genealogy
soc.genealogy.african at news:soc.genealogy.african
soc.genealogy.australia+nz at news:soc.genealogy.australia+nz
soc.genealogy.benelux at news:soc.genealogy.benlux
soc.genealogy.computing at news:soc.genealogy.computing
soc.genealgoy.french at news:soc.genealogy.french
soc.genealogy.german at news:soc.genealogy.german
soc.genealogy.hispanic at news:soc.genealogy.hispanic
soc.genealogy.jewish at news:soc.genealogy.jewish
soc.genealogy.medieval at news:soc.genealogy.medieval
soc.genealogy. methods at news:soc.genealogy.methods
soc.genealogy.misc at news:soc.genealogy.misc
soc.genealogy.nordic at news:soc.genealogy.nordic
soc.genealogy.slavic at news:soc.genealogy.slavic
soc.genealog. surnames at news:soc.genealogy.surnames
soc.genealogy.uk+ireland at news:soc.genealogy.uk+ireland
soc.roots at news:soc.roots
* LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, http://www.loc.gov
Searchable index by author or keyword.
* OREGON SECRETARY OF STATE CORPORATION DIVISION UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE
RESEARCH TYPES: language, geographical, financial, Internet, shipping
& mailing
* PAYPHONE COMPANIES
http://www.payphones.com/ipp.htm
* VETERANS ORGANIZATIONS AND VOLUNTEER LOCATOR
http://www.army.mil/vetinfo/vetloc.htm
Federal Government Web and Gopher Locations
I have included a list of Internet government databanks. Now these World Wide Web and gopher locations are great for research referrals, providing pathways to lists of locations that can assist in some researches. Most gopher files are download files not viewable on-line, but rather opened by applications off-line. By no means will these interactive databanks allow you to obtain personnel records or address updates, but certainly should be listed here as a good reference resource:
1) Archival Resources Elsewhere on the Internet, http://gopher.nara.gov:70/1/servers/archives
2) Genealogical Resources Elsewhere on the Internet, http://gopher.nara.gov:70/1/servers/genealog
3) Government Information Exchange, http://www.info.gov/
4) Information Infrastructure Task Force Documents, Information at Department of Commerce - Not maintained by National Archives, http://iitf.doc.gov/
5) International Council on Archives (ICA ), http://www.archives.ca/ica/
6) Keigwin and Mathews collection of historical newspapers, http://www.bluewater.com/bluewater/keigwin_mathews
7) Library of Congress (MARVEL), gopher://marvel.loc.gov/11/
8) PRESIDENT (Presidential Libraries IDEA Network), http://sunsite.unc.edu/lia/president
9) References to Internet Resources, http://gopher.nara.gov:70/1/servers/generalGeneral
10) US Government Manual 1993/94, gopher://una.hh.lib.umich.edu/11/socsci/poliscilaw/govman
