Moving house, big life changes, and time: there are many ways to lose touch with old friends. Luckily, we now live in the internet era, so finding old friends will be even easier! This article can give you tips for tracking back old friends on the internet. Part 1 will provide instructions on doing a basic internet search that will work for most people. Part 2 will give you a method to see if the person you are looking for is hard to find and this is a common occurrence due to the long passage of time, or because people change their name after marriage, etc.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Doing a Basic Search to Find Someone
Step 1. Gather the information you know about the person
The more information you have, the easier it will be to find your friends. Think about a time and place where you got to know that person, and other people you knew at the same time. Write down as much information as possible below about someone you remember. You don't have to have all this information, but the more information you get, the greater the chance to meet old friends.
- First name and last name.
- Middle name. This can be helpful if your friend has a popular name, or if your friend changes their name to their middle name.
- Estimated age and date of birth.
- Place of birth
- School and class.
- Place and length of work.
- Military service information: unit name, service date/location, and year of service.
- Last known address.
- Names of your parents, siblings, and/or closest friends.
- Names of other people who know your friend.
Step 2. Do a simple web search
Over the years, various search engines have been created to search for people on the internet; however, only a few are still being updated, and many people search sites no longer update their records. That's when Google appeared. A Google search includes entries, registries from social media, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, phone directory information, and more. Google is a great place to start and end your search.
- Go to Google, or the search engine of your choice. Not all search engines can access various social media sites, so if the first search engine you tried didn't give you satisfactory results, try something else.
- Enter the first and last name of the person you are looking for, then click the “Search” or “Search” button, or press the enter key on the keyboard.
- Look through the search results to find something about your friend.
Step 3. Add information to your search
Often times, simply entering the first and last name is not enough to find the person you are looking for. Especially if the person has a common name, such as “Budi Suryadi”, so try adding other information to narrow down the search. Use quotation marks between your first and last name to combine them into a single term, then try different searches that include additional information.
- You can add geographic location, and search by keyword: “”Budi Suryadi”, Bandung”.
- Try adding the name of the school, such as ""Guntur Anugrah", SMAN 2 Bandung".
- Try adding the company where he works, such as ""Tuti Surtati" Garuda Indonesia".
- Keep experimenting like this for a while. Chances are, you'll find the person you're looking for.
Step 4. Search on Facebook
Another easy way to track someone's whereabouts is to use social media sites like Facebook. Facebook is a very useful site because it allows people to record information (which you can find!) about former schools, places of work, and more. If you don't have a Facebook account, it's a good idea to create one so you can contact your friends when you find one. Be sure to include a photo so your friends can recognize you when they message you. Then, enter your friend's name in the “Search Facebook” field at the top of the screen, and start looking for that person's name in the list of names listed.
- Facebook provides a lot of automated help with people searching, and will log information you provide about your other friends, as well as work and education history to narrow the list of people search results.
- Keep in mind that Facebook gives its users the opportunity to keep their names private in public searches, so you can find people on Facebook that you couldn't find using Google search.
- New social networking sites are always popping up, and you don't know what sites your friends are using. If Facebook returns nothing, try searching using other sites like Google+, Ello, and others.
Step 5. Make a contact
By now, you may have found some information about your friend's contact, or someone you believe to be an old friend of yours. The contact information can be an email address, phone number, social media account, and so on. Now is the time to contact your old friend. It's normal to feel nervous at this stage, but don't be! It has become commonplace to find the location of old friends on the internet, and chances are, if your friend has a social media account, this is what he's been waiting for!
- Keep the initial message short and to the point. There's still a chance you'll find the wrong person, and it's best if you clarify that first.
- An example of the message is: “Hello, I'm Rini Seruni from Bandung. This is Meli Marlina who studies at SD Sariwangi 3 class of 2005, right? If so, please reply, I want to chat!”
- If you have the person's phone number, call and send the same message.
- Remember to clearly identify and why you called or texted him. Explain that you're trying to track down old friends, and don't work as a debt collector or any other unpleasant thing.
Part 2 of 2: Doing a More Detailed Search
Step 1. Contact other friends who also know the friend you are looking for for information
You may have a hard time locating your friend because she changed her name after marriage, had sex surgery, or for some other unpredictable reason. If you're confused, try contacting other people who know the whereabouts of the friend you're looking for. Try contacting your friend's siblings or parents if the contacts are easier to find.
A simple message you can send could be something like: “Hello, I'm Tiara Dewi from Jakarta. I'm trying to find my friend, her name is Karina Ayu, she goes to the same school as you. Do you know how to contact him? Trims"
Step 2. Use LinkedIn to find your old co-workers' contacts
If you meet your friend at the same workplace, or at least know where she used to work, LinkedIn might be a useful tool for tracking her down. First, create a profile on LinkedIn, then start searching based on information about jobs that you remember.
- Keep in mind that LinkedIn is a website targeted at making or finding new business contacts, so keep your profile looking professional. Even if you're only using the site to find old friends, keep in mind that your profile is something that other companies that might hire you can see.
- If you can't find your friends quickly, you can still find contacts who also know your friends and can provide additional information.
- Keep in mind that LinkedIn and other similar sites often notify users when someone views their profile. When you can contact your friend, don't be surprised if they already know you're looking for them.
- Look for social networking platforms that are specifically targeted at a particular industry or field. For example, Academia.edu is a networking site for researchers and academic staff. Contact your professional organization or colleagues to see if there is a particular network or registry you can use.
Step 3. Check out the alumni group at your friend's former school
Many universities and even high schools still maintain alumni lists for others who want to share their location and information with their former classmates. Try contacting your former school to see if it has an alumni list or not. If not, try searching one of the various online alumni/classmate search sites, such as classmates.com, which contains alumni information provided by site users for middle, high school, and university schools around the world.
Step 4. Check military records
There are various websites that record enlistment information, and have a “buddy finder” section to help you track the whereabouts of your military comrades. Search for “military friend finder” and state the country you serve to find a website that can search officers' records by country of duty. You can also try contacting the branch military office in your area and asking how to find your old friend.
Step 5. Check obituaries
It's possible that the reason you're having trouble figuring out where your friend is is because he or she is dead. To find a website that can search obituaries by country, try using Google to search with the keyword “obituary” and the name of your country (for example: “Indonesian obituary”). There are also several sites that can help you find obituaries from different countries.
Tips
Be creative! If you're confused, get out your yearbook and search old photos for clues that will make your search easier
Warning
- If you can't find your friend quickly using the methods above, he probably doesn't want to be found. If a person goes to great lengths to erase his presence on the internet, he may be doing it for a special reason. Your efforts to find your friend will not be appreciated.
- Don't share personal information with anyone until you're sure you've found the friend you're looking for, and your attempts to contact them are welcome.
