Thursday, July 31, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
People Search: How to Quickly and Easily Find Someone You Lost Track Of
Recently my wife's sister got curious about what had happened to her first husband after they split. That marriage had ended badly and they hadn't been in contact for nearly thirty years. She tried searching for her ex-husband's name on Google and Yahoo but didn't get any hits. Knowing I do research online in my work as a professional writer, she asked if I could find out anything.
I write for business and technical publications, so I use a number of high-priced databases for in-depth research. But I suggested she try a simpler alternative - a solution I use myself when I want to find someone quickly and easily. I recommended she try one of the people search database services. Even the better ones cost so little, they're practically free. Most offer a trial period. I gave her the name of one to try.
She was dubious. She's not very comfortable using her computer for much more than email. Her stab at the search engines had already left her flustered. Now she was going to have to "sign up for something and learn something completely new... oh my goodness," was the way she put it.
Yet, later the same day I suggested it, she emailed back excitedly. In just minutes, she'd found out all kinds of information about her ex. It turned out that he'd done something of a turnaround after they'd broken up. Their divorce resulted from fights over his serious drinking problem. After they broke up, though, he'd eventually gone back to med school, gotten his MD and become an orthopedic surgeon. He'd even been instrumental in developing some sort of device used by other surgeons in his field.
Unfortunately, the poor fellow had passed, but at least my sister-in-law found comfort in knowing that things had worked out for him after all. She remarked that even though their relationship ended in the worst imaginable way, it had started from a good point. She said she hadnt really wanted to contact him. She just wanted to know what had happened to him.
Sometimes all we want is just to satisfy our curiosity about what happened to someone we've lost track of. Most of us have an old friend or acquaintance we still wonder about.
A Better Way to Find People
I suspect that's what makes people searching so hot. As many as half a million times a month, someone searches on Google alone, looking for a way to find a lost person. Whether it's someone from the past with whom we've lost touch, or someone we met last weekend and yearn to see again, were always searching for others.
Unfortunately, most general searches fail. Just like Googling failed for my sister-in-law. The information is out there, somewhere. But being forced to sift through so many unrelated results makes it nearly impossible.
That's why I recommended she use a people search service - sometimes they're called Internet Detective services. They pull all the information spread across thousands of servers and combine it into people-specific search databases. Then when you drop in a name or an address or a phone number, whatever bit of information you have, you get instant gratification. Up pops the latest scoop about your person.
Thats totally unlike the cold mechanical response a Google or Yahoo gives:
Results 1 - 10 of about 55,100,000 for joe smith. (0.06 seconds)
You can almost hear the search engine yawn.
By the way - most searchers don't know this - search engine results don't actually extend beyond about a thousand entries. Even when the search engine results page says they found millions and millions of hits, they don't actually bother to dig it up and give you access to all of it. They're really just estimating from their own database tables. Even they know it's a waste of time.
Yawn, yawn, yawn
On the other hand, it's exciting when you do a person search on a dedicated database. You find what you're looking for in seconds. Plus, you not only get current information, often you get historical data too. You find not only where the person is now but also where they lived or worked before that and before that and before that.
You can sort of see your old friend's life laid bare. (Now what in heaven's name was George doing in Poughkeepsie, New York, in winter. He always hated the cold)
Sometime you find a person's life didn't turn out the way you'd have thought. That's when the Criminal Check part of the service can help you find out what prison they ended up in!
When You Choose a Personal Search Service, Here's What to Look For
If you decide to try out a personal search database, here are the things I've found important to consider during a review
1. Free versus Paid
I've been disappointed by the free services. Their main concern seems to be to try and get you to click on some of the pay-per-click ads they're displaying - so they can make a little money.
2. Speed
You want a service that responds quickly. Make sure you try it out. A fun test is to do a search on yourself. You get to check speed and accuracy! 3. Proprietary Database
If a service compiles their own database, they must be fairly successful. It's costly to build and maintain. Such well-funded providers are much more likely to stay around. From a usability standpoint, it's better too. You get a single interface that you can quickly learn.
And I've never seen a free service that has its own database. Most of the free services I've checked out are really just link farms - they just point you at some public or government database.
4. Training and Support
Be sure you can easily learn to use any service you choose. Actually, you'll find the better services are intuitive - how to search will make sense as soon as you look at it. But better services will also provide extra, in-depth searching. If you ever need the extra, it might require you dig into it a bit before you can fully use it. Just make sure your service has easy, accessible ways to learn, like tutorials.
And don't ignore support. Sooner or later you'll have questions or there will be something you need help to get resolved. It's best if they offer free, live support.
Final Word
Join the millions using the web to track down old friends and new friends. But make it easier on yourself by using a People Search service rather than a general search engine. Have fun finding out exactly what did become of your old friend (or even your old, not-so-friendly ex)
I write for business and technical publications, so I use a number of high-priced databases for in-depth research. But I suggested she try a simpler alternative - a solution I use myself when I want to find someone quickly and easily. I recommended she try one of the people search database services. Even the better ones cost so little, they're practically free. Most offer a trial period. I gave her the name of one to try.
She was dubious. She's not very comfortable using her computer for much more than email. Her stab at the search engines had already left her flustered. Now she was going to have to "sign up for something and learn something completely new... oh my goodness," was the way she put it.
Yet, later the same day I suggested it, she emailed back excitedly. In just minutes, she'd found out all kinds of information about her ex. It turned out that he'd done something of a turnaround after they'd broken up. Their divorce resulted from fights over his serious drinking problem. After they broke up, though, he'd eventually gone back to med school, gotten his MD and become an orthopedic surgeon. He'd even been instrumental in developing some sort of device used by other surgeons in his field.
Unfortunately, the poor fellow had passed, but at least my sister-in-law found comfort in knowing that things had worked out for him after all. She remarked that even though their relationship ended in the worst imaginable way, it had started from a good point. She said she hadnt really wanted to contact him. She just wanted to know what had happened to him.
Sometimes all we want is just to satisfy our curiosity about what happened to someone we've lost track of. Most of us have an old friend or acquaintance we still wonder about.
A Better Way to Find People
I suspect that's what makes people searching so hot. As many as half a million times a month, someone searches on Google alone, looking for a way to find a lost person. Whether it's someone from the past with whom we've lost touch, or someone we met last weekend and yearn to see again, were always searching for others.
Unfortunately, most general searches fail. Just like Googling failed for my sister-in-law. The information is out there, somewhere. But being forced to sift through so many unrelated results makes it nearly impossible.
That's why I recommended she use a people search service - sometimes they're called Internet Detective services. They pull all the information spread across thousands of servers and combine it into people-specific search databases. Then when you drop in a name or an address or a phone number, whatever bit of information you have, you get instant gratification. Up pops the latest scoop about your person.
Thats totally unlike the cold mechanical response a Google or Yahoo gives:
Results 1 - 10 of about 55,100,000 for joe smith. (0.06 seconds)
You can almost hear the search engine yawn.
By the way - most searchers don't know this - search engine results don't actually extend beyond about a thousand entries. Even when the search engine results page says they found millions and millions of hits, they don't actually bother to dig it up and give you access to all of it. They're really just estimating from their own database tables. Even they know it's a waste of time.
Yawn, yawn, yawn
On the other hand, it's exciting when you do a person search on a dedicated database. You find what you're looking for in seconds. Plus, you not only get current information, often you get historical data too. You find not only where the person is now but also where they lived or worked before that and before that and before that.
You can sort of see your old friend's life laid bare. (Now what in heaven's name was George doing in Poughkeepsie, New York, in winter. He always hated the cold)
Sometime you find a person's life didn't turn out the way you'd have thought. That's when the Criminal Check part of the service can help you find out what prison they ended up in!
When You Choose a Personal Search Service, Here's What to Look For
If you decide to try out a personal search database, here are the things I've found important to consider during a review
1. Free versus Paid
I've been disappointed by the free services. Their main concern seems to be to try and get you to click on some of the pay-per-click ads they're displaying - so they can make a little money.
2. Speed
You want a service that responds quickly. Make sure you try it out. A fun test is to do a search on yourself. You get to check speed and accuracy! 3. Proprietary Database
If a service compiles their own database, they must be fairly successful. It's costly to build and maintain. Such well-funded providers are much more likely to stay around. From a usability standpoint, it's better too. You get a single interface that you can quickly learn.
And I've never seen a free service that has its own database. Most of the free services I've checked out are really just link farms - they just point you at some public or government database.
4. Training and Support
Be sure you can easily learn to use any service you choose. Actually, you'll find the better services are intuitive - how to search will make sense as soon as you look at it. But better services will also provide extra, in-depth searching. If you ever need the extra, it might require you dig into it a bit before you can fully use it. Just make sure your service has easy, accessible ways to learn, like tutorials.
And don't ignore support. Sooner or later you'll have questions or there will be something you need help to get resolved. It's best if they offer free, live support.
Final Word
Join the millions using the web to track down old friends and new friends. But make it easier on yourself by using a People Search service rather than a general search engine. Have fun finding out exactly what did become of your old friend (or even your old, not-so-friendly ex)
Become an Online Investigator
How many times have you watched your neighbor across the street through closed drapes or blinds? Something about him seems suspicious, and your instincts are on the alert regarding this shady neighbor. You see strange people coming and going at all hours of the night, and his house has been broken into three times in the last month. You find yourself wondering why. Your best friend calls you, distraught, and tells you she thinks her husband is having an affair. She desperately wants to know the truth, but is afraid of a confrontation with him. Another friend was involved in a traffic accident, and the other driver fled the scene. She has his license plate number, but is incredibly frustrated because the police do not seem interested in her case. If you have ever found yourself in one of these situations, and had an overwhelming urge to find out the answers, you may make a terrific online investigator. Discover the truth through legal investigations online Imagine being able to search local police records for your neighbor's address, only to find he has been arrested four times for narcotics violations. Or, you can search the motor vehicles database and local police reports to locate the name and address of your friend's hit-and-run driver. You can also find out where your friend's husband has been going after work, and now you must decide whether or not to tell her the truth. Having the ability to investigate these relatively simple situations online is easy. Many reputable databases can provide you with unlimited access to millions of public records from all across the country. You have nationwide access to documents that might otherwise never be seen. Search court documents to find out if your next door neighbor is really a deadbeat parent, or perhaps a convicted child molester. Or search pending foreclosures to get that once-in-a-lifetime deal on a bigger home. All of this can be done by searching public records legally. Conveniently protect your family and friends with the power of knowledge You could go to the courthouse or to the recorder's office, and search all of these records by hand. Or you could use an affordable online service, such as Net Detective, that will immediately transform you from a neighborhood busy body to seasoned investigator. You can have the inside scoop, allowing you to protect yourself, your family, and your friends. You can have insider information on your neighbor's private lives, or you can check out a new neighbor to make sure they are not a threat to your children. You can find out about your friends and lover's past histories, and learn how to prevent others from finding out your secrets. Run your own credit check to protect yourself against theft or fraud, especially in this day and age of forgery and identity theft. Whatever your motivations are, you can become your neighborhood's online sleuth. Within a matter of minutes, you can discover the truth behind your investigations protecting you and your loved ones with insider knowledge.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
How much do you really know about your lover?
No matter how well you might think you know someone, all of us have a past. Everyone has secrets they hold near and dear to their hearts, without revealing them even to the most important people in our lives. What secrets does your lover hold? When it comes to your lover, you hope those secrets are innocuous secret crushes, a wild weekend in Vegas, or little white lies that harm no one. But what if they are big secrets? Perhaps your lover has been married before. Maybe he or she spent time in jail. There may be serious financial difficulties – tax evasion, bankruptcies, or a string of lost jobs. Your lover could be hiding secrets that could have a profound effect on your life together. Unveiling those secrets at a later date could erode any trust you have in each other, and cause the relationship to crumble. Break open the box of hidden pasts through the internet Wouldn't it be better to find out sooner rather than later, if there are any questions about your lover's past? A simple background check will give you the answers you need, giving you the knowledge to continue in your relationship with confidence. Knowing if there are any obstacles up front will give you the ability to decide if you want to try to fix them, or if they are so serious in nature that you need to move on from a shady lover. There are several ways to go about discovering your lover's past. You can search public records for tax information, lawsuit decisions, liens, divorces, even criminal histories. You can find out whether your lover owns any significant amounts of property, or has ever had property repossessed or foreclosed upon. Find out if the IRS is going to come knocking at your door looking for taxes owed to them. Or if there is an ex-spouse who will show up unexpectedly seeking alimony or child support. Quickly, simply, and easily find out about your lover's past An easier way to discreetly play detective and find out the information you need is to conduct an online background check of your lover. Specialized online services, such as Net Detective, have large databases, allowing you to find all of the above information in one convenient location. A simple search from your own computer will allow you to access public records from all over the country, providing you with the facts you need to put your mind at ease. Many of these databases can also cross-check any aliases, so you will get the information you need even if your lover is not being honest about his or her true identity. If you do learn your lover has been involved in less-than-desirable behavior, you will have the tools you need to decide how you wish to handle the situation. No matter how well you think you know your lover, you will be amazed at the useful information a thorough online background check will give you.
Find Out Hidden Secrets about Your Partner's Past
It sounds like a storyline of a bad movie you meet your partner and fall in love, preparing to live happily ever after. Perhaps you even manage to live out your fairy tale life for an extended period of time. Maybe you get married and have children, or take off together to explore the world.
The hidden secrets your lover heart holds
Suddenly one day, your whole world comes crashing down around you. Perhaps you learn your partner was involved in some shady business dealings and now has the law after him. Maybe he or she was married before, and you find yourself confronted by a jilted spouse. Or perhaps your lover owes a tremendous amount of money to his debtors.
Every day, people learn life-altering facts about their spouses. Secrets that have been hidden for years come roaring back with a hearty vengeance. In a matter of a moment, everything you believed to be true has changed.
How do you handle such situations? Better yet, how do you prevent them from happening to you in the first place?
You can always try a search of your partner’s name on the Internet, but will it really give you the information you need?
Protecting yourself and your heart with a privy investigation
A simple background check can be done through the use of public records. These checks reveal important information about someone's past. You can easily find out if your lover has ever been married or owes child support, has ever been arrested, or was sued in court.
By playing sleuth on your own, you can find out important information that will ward off any future surprises in your relationship. The most effective way to do this is to enlist the power of the Internet.
The biggest obstacle you will run into during your online investigation is determining where to begin looking to find the information you want. Rather than spending hours searching thousands of websites or databases, simplify things by utilizing one of the online services for personal background checks, such as Net Detective.
With a specialized product such as Net Detective, you can access millions of records from all over the country. Even if your partner fled another state to escape his or her problems, you will be able to easily and quickly uncover those secrets.
Save yourself from becoming entangled in a situation that could prove to be costly, heartbreaking, or downright dangerous by unearthing your partner's secrets now. After all, knowledge is power, and knowing your partner's past gives you the power to plan for your own future.
The hidden secrets your lover heart holds
Suddenly one day, your whole world comes crashing down around you. Perhaps you learn your partner was involved in some shady business dealings and now has the law after him. Maybe he or she was married before, and you find yourself confronted by a jilted spouse. Or perhaps your lover owes a tremendous amount of money to his debtors.
Every day, people learn life-altering facts about their spouses. Secrets that have been hidden for years come roaring back with a hearty vengeance. In a matter of a moment, everything you believed to be true has changed.
How do you handle such situations? Better yet, how do you prevent them from happening to you in the first place?
You can always try a search of your partner’s name on the Internet, but will it really give you the information you need?
Protecting yourself and your heart with a privy investigation
A simple background check can be done through the use of public records. These checks reveal important information about someone's past. You can easily find out if your lover has ever been married or owes child support, has ever been arrested, or was sued in court.
By playing sleuth on your own, you can find out important information that will ward off any future surprises in your relationship. The most effective way to do this is to enlist the power of the Internet.
The biggest obstacle you will run into during your online investigation is determining where to begin looking to find the information you want. Rather than spending hours searching thousands of websites or databases, simplify things by utilizing one of the online services for personal background checks, such as Net Detective.
With a specialized product such as Net Detective, you can access millions of records from all over the country. Even if your partner fled another state to escape his or her problems, you will be able to easily and quickly uncover those secrets.
Save yourself from becoming entangled in a situation that could prove to be costly, heartbreaking, or downright dangerous by unearthing your partner's secrets now. After all, knowledge is power, and knowing your partner's past gives you the power to plan for your own future.
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