# Looking for old friends
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-old-friends/108404
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 11, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-old-friends/108404 "2002-05-11T01:03:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2002, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-old-friends/108404/1 "2002-05-11T01:03:45Z")
There’s been a few friends over the years that I have lost contact with. In the last few years, there’s been an explosion of webites and services that, for a fee, will help you track them down. For the most part, I just want to know how they’re doing. One friend was a girl I knew in school. She had a seriously sucky home life (abusive father, divorced parents, slutty uncaring mother, consequently negatively affecting school). While I don’t necessarily want to re-start a friendship, I would really like to know if she’s doing okay. I think of her (and the others) from time to time, but it’s been 20 years now! Should I just give up thinking about them? The fees are usually in the $30-100 range and I COULD afford them, but I don’t know if I should.
Have any Dopers used these services? What were the results?
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### Author:  [@heptapod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/heptapod)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/looking-for-old-friends/108404/2 "2002-05-11T03:12:09Z")
Have you thought of just searching various web sites that offer directory searches or perhaps Google? I’ve stalked various people just using [The Ultimates](http://www.theultimates.com/white) in addition to checking various high school alumni sites available on the web.
See what you can do for free before paying someone to do the legwork for you.