The Internet And Finding People
Remember that hilarious guy you met at the casino on your last
cruise? What about that best friend you had from the high school
you transferred from your sophomore year? What about that long
lost crush; how is she? Everyone needs to find someone at
sometime in their life, and sometimes that can be difficult.
Short of hiring a private detective, there are few options
available. With the proliferation of the Internet, there is
another place to turn.
An easy place to begin is the Internet white pages. Think of
these sites as a gigantic phonebook with listings for people all
over the country and even the world. The downfall of these types
of sites is that it is usually difficult to locate the exact
person you are trying to find, and it may be awkward and time
consuming calling up 150 people named "Michael Brown." There
are, however, other places to turn.
Many Internet sites now claim to be experts on finding personal
information. Any of these sites can be found by loading Google
in your browser and searching for "find people." Of course,
these sites charge a fee, from small to large, to present you
with all the information you could ask for. These sites offer
you address, phone number, cell phone number, email address, job
record, credit reports, criminal records, and much more. Some
sites even claim that this is a great way to learn about
prospective dating partners! It may be smart to first try the
service with your own name to see exactly how it works and what
information is available.
If you wish to learn more about relative and your family's
ancestors, there are sites that can help you do this as well.
They will help you retrace your family roots right up until you
can find your actual relatives that immigrated to the United
States (the website is actually created by Ellis Island).
Overall, these sites are great for finding someone you want to
contact. However, they do seem like they interfere with people's
privacy. Do you really want to know that that hilarious guy in
the casino has gone bankrupt 3 times since the cruise? Come on!