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Alumni Finders Have you ever wondered what happened to that cheerleader with the blond ponytail from high school? (The one who invited you over to her house that day for "grilled cheese sandwiches".) Or what about that guy in your chemistry class? (The one who you think liked you, but would never actually tell you out loud.) Here is your chance to find that elusive someone-from-the-past and catch up on old times. Register for one of these find-an-alumnus services, and see who you can find (and who might find you). Web:
Billionaires Get the goods on the world's richest people. In 2002, Forbes Magazine listed 497 billionaires, of which 243 are from the United States (including #1: Bill Gates). Check out how they made their money, their marital status, their ages, where they were born, and their education. Billionaire trivia: the top 25 billionaires are distributed as follows: United States (14), Germany (2), Hong Kong (2), Sweden (2), Canada (1), France (1), Mexico (1), Saudi Arabia (1) and Spain (1). Web:
Biographies Have you ever had an uncontrollable urge to find out when Isaac Asimov was born, or when John Lennon married Yoko Ono, or if there was ever anyone famous named Hahn? As an Internet user, you never have to worry about your urges being denied, especially the uncontrollable ones. All the information you need about all the famous people that you might ever care about is only a few mouse clicks away. (By the way, the answers to the previous questions are 1920, 1969 and yes.) Web:
Charities What can you do with all that extra money you have lying around? Why not give it to a charitable organization? You may not be able to use a tax deduction, but you can always use a few extra points with the Man (or Woman) Upstairs. Web:
Communes and Intentional Communities When I was an undergraduate, I lived in a dorm that was actually a co-op. That is, it was owned and operated by the students who lived in it. A student co-op is a type of organization that, today, is referred to as an "intentional community". In addition to student co-ops, other examples of intentional communities are communes (remember the 1970s?), land co-ops and farming collectives. What distinguishes such groups from commercial organizations is that intentional communities are owned by members who share a common philosophy. If you have ever thought about living with a group of unrelated people of your own choosing, you may want to learn about intentional communities. Web:
Cult of the Dead Cow The Cult of the Dead Cow is the oldest underground telecommunications organization, dating back to 1986. Although the membership is small -- consisting of only about 20 active members -- their influence is felt around the world. The cult has a number of products, including the program Back Orifice, as well as a series of articles, written at various times by various members, with new articles being added from time to time. The articles are regularly read by thousands of people, so why not expand your mind and give it a try? Do you think you might like to join the cult as a member (as opposed to being an outsider)? Here is a hint: don't ask to join. Cult members are welcomed by invitation only, and once you ask, they will never invite you. Web: Diaries and Journals There's nothing like the sinful pleasure of snooping where you don't belong. The Web is a great place to be able to stick your nose into people's private lives. With the click of your mouse, you can be finding out who did what, to whom, and why. Just think, if it weren't for these people who have nothing better to do with their time, you would have nothing better to do with your time. Web:
Expatriates and Refugees An expatriate is a person who lives away from his or her native country. (I, for example, am a Canadian expatriate.) A refugee is an expatriate who leaves his or her native land for political or religious reasons, often because of persecution, expulsion or war. Expatriates of any type need to be able to fit into a new country while maintaining their personal culture. Refugees have, in addition, the more pressing needs of personal safety and well-being. If you are living away from your own country, for whatever reason, here are some resources that may be able to make your life a bit easier. Web:
Family Reunions There are two types of families: those who have reunions, and those who wonder why anyone would want a reunion. If your family is the type that would enjoy getting together, maybe you should do it. Successful family reunions require a lot of preparation, so here are some resources to assist you in planning your gathering and spreading the word. As you plan your reunion, be sure to answer the four key questions: (1) Where will people stay? (2) What activities will be available? (3) What will everyone eat? (4) How can you keep Aunt Martha from pinching you on the cheek? Web:
Find-A-Grave What do these people all have in common: Desi Arnaz, Albert Einstein, Greta Garbo, Jerry Garcia, Woody Guthrie, Alfred Hitchcock, Rock Hudson, Janis Joplin and John Lennon? The answer is they were all cremated. This is just one of the fascinating facts I found at the Find-A-Grave Web site. Look for your favorite dead person, and I bet you a cookie they are in the database. Isn't it comforting to know that, wherever you are in the world, you can find out where Marilyn Monroe is buried (at Westwood Memorial Park), display the exact street address, and look at a picture of her tombstone? This is an amazing site that you simply must visit at least once in your life. Web: Finding People You can run all over the Net, but it's getting harder and harder to hide. Here are some services to use when you need to track down that elusive someone. You can search for email addresses, phone numbers, postal addresses, Web page addresses, and so on. If you do not want your name listed in these directories, send them email and let them know. Hint: If you really need an email address, and all else fails, call the person on the phone and ask him. Web:
Friendly People on IRC Looking for some new friends? Try chatting on IRC. These channels are lively and always populated. It's the perfect place to start up a conversation and meet new people. IRC:
Friendship Mailing Lists If you want to make friends and meet some nice people, join one of these mailing lists. They were started as forums for people from anywhere to talk to anybody about anything anytime they want.
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Goths There's a lot more to being a goth than wearing black. As a rule, goths listen to gothic music and are well-read. Past that, it's hard to generalize. Many (but not all) goths enjoy things of a darker nature (such as movies like Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, and horror films). The darklinks Web site is maintained by Carrie Carolin (one of the most wonderful goths on the Net). Visit and you will learn about gothic history, lifestyle, makeup, fashion and culture. When you want more, try the other Web sites, the Usenet groups and the IRC channel. On the Net, the culture of your choice is yours for the asking. Web:
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Interesting People on the Web The Internet is the largest gathering of people in the history of mankind, so you really have to go to extremes to stand out as "interesting". Well, these people manage to do it. Bizarre, unusual, unexpected, contorted, ingenious -- this collection of strange, but true, humanoids will amuse and astonish you with the enchantment that only the extraordinary can bring to the otherwise dull, meaningless dance of life. Web:
Kooks On the Net, kooks are not only tolerated, they are venerated (at least by somebody, even if it's only their mother). Would you like to explore the mental cutting edge of humanity? These resources lay bare the glorious achievements of kookdom. Some of the kooks are the regular kind you find everywhere. Others are special Usenet kooks, who infest Usenet discussion groups. Web:
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Masons and Shriners Freemasons (or Masons) are members of a worldwide fraternal organization named the Free and Accepted Masons. The origins of Freemasonry are lost to antiquity. Some historians trace its roots back to the Middle Ages. Modern Freemasonry started in England in 1717 with the formation of the first Grand Lodge. Masons pass through levels of membership called "degrees". The three basic degrees are Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason. Once a person attains the third degree, he is deemed to be a member of the Blue Lodge and is considered a full-fledged Mason. He is then entitled to join the Scottish Rite or the York Rite. Within these Rites, a Mason may advance in degree: in the Scottish Rite through 29 more degrees, in the York Rite, through 9 more degrees. Once someone has advanced to the highest degree (of either Rite), he can petition to join the Shrine -- more formally, the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine -- at which point he becomes a Shriner. (When the Shrine was started in 1872 in New York, an Arabic theme was chosen, which is why Shriners wear red fezzes. Notice that the initials AAONMS form an anagram for "A MASON".) Shriners and Masons are well known for their charitable work and for their emphasis on moral development. They are also known for their elaborate rituals and secret traditions. (See, for example, the 1983 book Big Secrets, by William Poundstone.) Web:
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Mensa Do you fancy yourself in the ranks of Isaac Asimov, Marilyn Vos Savant, Geena Davis, and other smart people? If so, maybe you should join Mensa. All you need to do is score within the top two percent of the population on a standardized intelligence test. Check out the official Mensa Web site for information about the organization. Web: Usenet:
Names Names mean a lot. For example, suppose you are a guy in college, and a friend calls up and says, "Come and visit me next weekend, and I can get you a date with one of two girls. You can either have Bertha or Jasmine. Who do you want?" Come on, you know who you're going to pick. Since names are so important, I have found some resources that will help you understand names and what they mean to us. First, you can try a free name analysis. Find out what your name says about you. Second, you can look at Web pages created by or about people with the same first name (for example, people named "Eric" or "Jennifer"). Web:
Nerds Somewhere along the line, a bit flipped in the global memory bank and nerds became cool. So if you want to be cool, you need to know more about nerds, and these are the places to do it. Web:
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Non-Profit Organizations A non-profit organization is one that is set up for a public purpose, not to generate profit. Most charities, for example, are non-profit organizations, although there are many, many other types, covering a wide variety of social needs. Would you like to volunteer, look for a job or internship, or simply find a particular organization? Perhaps you would like to start your own non-profit organization? The information you need is waiting for you on the Net. (Just make sure you don't make any money.) Web:
Obituaries Why settle for reading the obituaries in your local paper, when you can go global? Use the Net and you can find out about all manners of people who have died, from the well-known to the obscure, and back again. Web:
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Pen Pals by Email Looking for someone with whom you can exchange email? Check out these lists of people who are looking for pen pals. Along with the names of the people, there is also information about the languages they speak and their hobbies, so you can find someone suitable for you. If you really like writing other people, you might want to register your own name for one of these services and let other people find you. Web:
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Personal Web Pages Once you get caught up in the Web, it's hard to get away. Everywhere you look there are paths leading all over, and it's nearly impossible to get where you are going without getting sidetracked. One of my favorite ways to get sidetracked is to start with someone's personal home page and see where it leads. These Web sites attempt the impossible: to keep track of all the home pages on the Net. Look here if you are searching for someone's page, or if you want to pick a place at random to explore. Web:
Politicians' Biographies Where do politicians go when they die? I'm not sure, but on their way, they get buried somewhere. If you want to find that somewhere for an American politician, the Net will be glad to help. Along the way, you'll be able to find out general biographical information for a huge number of politicians: federal, state and local. If it's true that the only good politician is a dead politician, the United States certainly has a lot of good ones. Web:
Shared Realities Some days you just wake up and think to yourself, "Hey, I think I will be someone else today." It's easy when you participate in some of the shared realities of Usenet. In these groups, people assume a persona and write about their thoughts, feelings and actions as that character. Meet people, form bonds, make friends, entertain and be entertained. Even if you don't want to participate, these groups are fun to read because it's like seeing a story unfold before your eyes. Usenet:
Shared Thoughts "Thank you for sharing." That's what people all over the world will be saying to you once you participate in these Web sites. Start by looking. See how people with unresolved feelings send in a comment or letter for everyone to read. Then explore the archives, and marvel at how other people are sensitive, but you are even more sensitive. Now you are ready: share your thoughts. Web:
Tea and Conversation Join the silly, comfy, cozy good times at this tea party on the Web. Chatters sit having tea and conversation, making up stories, talking about their lives and generally having a fun time. The atmosphere is relaxed, friendly and comfortable. Web:
Town Criers It has only been in the last hundred years that the general population has enjoyed a significant degree of literacy. In earlier times, information of general interest was often announced by a town crier: a person who would stand in a public place such as a market or a town hall, get everyone's attention, and then shout the news for everyone to hear. Although we don't use town criers today, the tradition lives on among history and reenactment buffs. In fact, some cities (such as London) still have an official town crier. Web:
Virtual Memorials Those who die in the world of flesh and blood live on indefinitely in our hearts and minds. To maintain the memory of our loved ones, it is possible to create a virtual memorial: a Web page that describes and celebrates someone who has passed away. I am always touched when I visit these sites, as you will be. They are so full of life and happiness that the experience of visiting is more joyful than morose. Though we may struggle and complain, life, for all its turmoil, difficulties and uncertainties, is a lovely, delightful gift -- and the whole thing is over much too soon. Web:
Volunteers One of the best ways to feel good about yourself and about the world is to help someone else. If you are looking for somewhere to volunteer, you can use these Web sites for ideas and information. Some are for the United States only; others have global info. (If you can't find anything that looks good, I'm looking for a volunteer to help me brush my cat.) Web:
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Y Forum The idea is to find out how and why people are different from each other. The medium is a forum open to anyone on the Net. The method is to ask questions about race relations to which people write serious, straightforward answers. It works. Web:
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