How to Find People for Free Online

Whether it is a high school lover, an old college buddy, or a neighborhood friend, using the internet is a wonderful way to find people. By knowing where to search and by knowing sometimes very minimal information about someone, you can find anyone in no time! Sometimes it will require more information than just their full name, but a lot of times a first and last night is all it takes.

Many of the ways to find people online are free, although some of them do cost you money. Although there are many databases that can track people and many professional firms that can track down people also, I will only discuss some of the free ways to find people online.

A great place to start is Google. Not only is it one of the number one sites online, it has also become a verb (to type someone's name in the search engine is said to be called "googling them.") Even some Hollywood movies have used the term "googling" as a synonym to the standard web search. By typing in someone's name, you may find a blog written by them, or a profile on a web forum, or a social networking website (which I will go into in a little bit.) If you know one of their hobbies, you can type their name alongside something to do with their hobby, and you can typically find someone that way. In addition to Google you can use MSN, Yahoo, Ask, or one of the thousands of other internet search engines out there.

Another great place to find people is through social networking websites. Social network sites are definitely here to stay and there are ones for elderly people, ones for teens, ones for horse lovers, and ones for boat enthusiasts. There are also many different general social networking sites that anyone can join. Because of the popularity of places like MySpace and Facebook, many people are joining daily, and many of them have some very good search functions to allow you to search by first and last name but also allowing you to narrow your searches by location. As mentioned, MySpace and Facebook are great places to look, but Xanga, Meetup, Hi5, Friendster, and Orkut are just some of the more popular ones. For a list of social networking sites that includes a description/focus and an estimated user count, visit Wikipedia's List of Social Networking Sites.

If someone has been involved in a court case, then checking court records could be a great place to find someone. If you have exhausted your other options, this may be a good place to check. Along the same lines, other government databases provide some basic information such as a city to help you to narrow down searches at other sites. Marriage records are also another good option for finding people, especially if you know someone's maiden name.

Although there are many professional websites and firms that will track someone down for you, the best place to start if it is not an urgent matter is the internet. Whether it be through an online search engine or through one of the many social networking sites aimed at bringing people together, or just simple government records, finding people online has never been easier.