The Internet: The Missing Manual

Chapter 4. Searching by Information Type

By now, you know how to conduct basic and advanced Web searches with the major search engines (and if you don’t, read the previous chapter). But even advanced queries and precise keywords can’t always help you find what you need to know. Suppose you need directions from your mother-in-law’s house to the nearest Motel 6. Or a copy of Form 8283 to fill out for your tax preparation package. Or who’s hiring people with a Master’s in zoology.

For quests like these, start your search at a site that specializes in that type of information. This chapter’s a compendium of sites that help you find people, businesses, maps, careers, health and government information, and more.

White Pages, Yellow Pages

When you’re at your computer, the Web can be faster than a telephone book. Plus, you can search the entire country, not just the area in the book the phone company dumps on your porch once a year.

To look someone up in an online directory, you need to know at least the person’s last name, plus any other information you can supply, like first name, city, and state. For very common surnames, this additional information gets you more accurate results.

Here are the most popular people-finder sites:

• Switchboard.com. Billing itself as Your Digital Directory, Switchboard.com (www.switchboard.com) lets you search for phone numbers and addresses.

  You can also do a reverse lookup on the address if you know the phone number, look up area codes, and get maps and directions ...