Years ago, before the computer and the internet became
household items, trying to find someone pretty much came down to looking for
their name in the phone book. With new technology, things have changed. If you
are trying to find people online, you have plenty of options.
Your first basic move is to look for their name in a search engine. Use
whichever one you'd like. If the individual has any web presence, you'll be
sure to find them, as long as their name is uncommon. You could find
information about their school, workplace, or even their own personal website
or blog. This may not be a viable option, though, if they have an incredibly
common name, in which case you'd find too many results.
You can also try online phone books or directories. Though they contain much of
the same information as old school phone books, they often also contain other
days, such as e-mail addresses and bogs.
Another option is to check social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace.
Many individuals have profiles on these sites nowadays, and you can easily
search these sites by name. If you know their acquaintances, you can search for
them and then find your target through that intermediary. Once you've found
their profile, simply message them or e-mail them to make contact.
Your final, and perhaps most expensive, option is to use websites that look for
people. These websites are pretty much like online private investigators. They
will help you find out the information you need about someone - for a fee of
course. Only use this option if you are really desperate, such as if you're
trying to find a long lost family member, as it is probably not appropriate if
you're just looking for some acquaintance.
