Finding E-Mail Addresses on the Internet


The following are some of the ways to find someone's userid on the Internet:


  1. At Columbia University (within Cunix), a search can done by using "lookup" command. With the lookup command "the address, the phone number, and the department" of a user can be found.
    At the Cunix $ prompt type: $lookup person's name/userid
    Example: $lookup seferoglu or lookup sss31
  2. Another way of finding someone's userid is using "finger" command. To use this command, however, you need to know the node, and the "finger" command has to be supported by the site you are searching. Here is how it works. At the $ prompt type:
    finger lastname/or/firstname/or/fullname@machinename.domain
    Ex: finger John Smith@pitt.edu
  3. Searching can also be done through gopher. This site can be used to retrieve information for "Students, Staff, and Faculty" within Columbia University and all over the world.
    The URL is: gopher://gopher.cc.columbia.edu:71/11/phones
  4. Go in to a mail program (e. g. pine):
    1) Send a mail to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
    2) In the subject: do not write anything
    3) In the message body, type: send usenet-addresses/name Example:
    1) mail to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu
    2) subject:
    3) the message body: send usenet-addresses/John Smith

    After this message is sent, you will receive a list of addresses which containsthe word John and/or Smith. There are two other addresses which can be used in the same way:

    1- mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu
    2- mail-server@Bloom-picayune.mit.edu
  5. People's e-mail addresses can also be found in the following way:
    At the $ prompt type telnet bruno.cs.colorado.edu
    Then when asked for a login, type "netfind" (without quotes)
  6. The Internet Information Center offers several ways to find someone's e-mail address.
    To use this servis, at the $ prompt type telnet to ds.internic.net.
    Ex: $ telnet ds.internic.net


S. Sadi Seferoglu ---
Academic Computing Services, Teachers College, Columbia University. May 6, 1995
  • Comments/Contributions to: sss31@Columbia.edu
  • Last updated: October 14, 1995

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