Reviewed:
March 21st, 1997
By:
Paul Hollands
By far the most comprehensive service now available for finding details about people seems to be WhoWhere?, and thus far it has provided me with the correct details at the top of the list of matches for 90% of those I have searched for. This is extremely impressive.
WhoWhere? provide a range of services covering an email directory, US residential phone and address listings, Internet Phone directories, as well as corporate, financial and community information services. The greatest thing in WhoWhere?'s favour is the apparent size and coverage of the Email Directory database.
I have to presume that WhoWhere? collects details using a robot as my details are in the database and I didn't put them there. It would be nice to know for sure however as I presume that if I am correct then only those who contribute to Usenet or email lists, or who author web materials will be included in the database. (There is an option to register..)
Main Page of WhoWhere? Website
The simple search also provides you with a choice of Exact Match or slightly fuzzier All Matches search.
The All Matches fuzzy search gives relevance ranked results with the most likely hits separated under the heading Highly Relevant Matches. (WhoWhere? provides two levels or relevance ranking, what it calls Highly Relevant Matches first followed by further Possible Matches - (best matches first).) I have found that invariably the first hit listed is the person you are looking for although I admit my test searches were not exhaustive.
Us ac.uk types seem to be stuck with the simple search therefore.
Reviewed by:
Paul Hollands
SOSIG Training Officer
Institute for Learning and Research Technology
University of Bristol
Email: p.j.hollands@bristol.ac.uk
Tel: 0117 928 8443
Material on this page is copyright Ariadne/original authors. This article last updated/links checked on 18-May-1997