Another comment made me think of this, what if you can't find someone from your past?

[rachel776]

I don't need to find anyone particularly, but where did the people go who you used to know but can't find on the Internet or anywhere?

Updates

1 y

Well this was interesting, I never knew there were so many people who cared about privacy or anonymity. It seems like everyone just gives away all their personal information for nothing. When you type my name in, I show up everywhere (though you can't get to me physically, i. e., you can't just walk up to my front door). I'm 19, so friends from the past being dead is not a high probability, but it is weird for people my age not to be all over social media. Thanks for the responses.

[WindAtMyBack]

I look for people from the past all the time on the Internet. I rarely find them since people move and scatter all over the place. On top of that, so many women got married and have a different last name.

Every now and then I do find someone from the distant past. Not long ago I found a guy who was a good friend around 1969-70. I knew that he moved out of state in the late 70s, but was surprised that he moved back to his home town.

I used to find a lot of past co-workers on LinkedIn. But they quit allowing non-members to search.

I've actually found relatives that I didn't know I had. That led to a whole bunch more, and a genealogy going back over 250 years.

While looking for people from high school I recently found two old pictures of myself, plus a picture of the first girl I dated which I didn't have before.

I also found the army base where my father was stationed during WW2. It got torn down after the war, but they have a small museum now.

[WindAtMyBack]

"I never knew there were so many people who cared about privacy or anonymity"

It's a MAJOR issue. Privacy is a right, just like freedom of speech. The Internet is basically a big spy network. There are a lot of laws all over the world that try to curtail the Internet spies. There have been a lot of law suits brought by governments in different countries against some of the big spies like FB. The EU has the data protection laws for privacy. Browsers all have the ability to block cookies and trackers. There are a lot of browser add-ons that give even better privacy.

It's a huge huge issue that everyone should be concerned about. People should be just as concerned about Internet privacy and companies that violate it as they are about free speech or any of our other rights. Having a right doesn't mean you have to exercise that right. But just because you don't choose to exercise a right doesn't mean that everyone else no longer has that right. You should fight for everyone's rights, not just the ones you choose to exercise.

[mark000h]

I wonder sometimes too. When I remember someone and try and look them up and it's not there anywhere. It's harder to locate women because often their name changes if they get married. Then maybe they died or just don't have any online presence. Some could be in prison too.

[exitseven]

I usually can find everyone. There was a kid that used to bully me in 9th grade. He was 17 in the 9th grade and the next year he was not in school anymore so I imagine he dropped out. I wondered what ever happened to him but he has no footprint on the internet. I suspect his life did not really turn out so good or maybe he is dead or in prison. At least that is what I would like to think.

[Anonymous]

What if? You just can't. I've tried to look up people I went to school with before (just for fun/curiosity out of boredom lol), and never found a trace of them anywhere. With social media etc, it's a bit "odd", but it is what it is. With women especially, they could've changed their names (married) etc, which makes them harder to find. Or they moved.

[DJB72]

I've looked for a couple of people I knew when I was younger. Found one who turned out to be a university professor but never found the other.

Not everyone has a digital footprint

[Gent207]

Uh do you mean a private investigator or a website like BenVerified that gathers all available public information on someone?

[Dontaaaa]

If I can't find them then I'll just give up and move on, that's what I've done with a few people that I wanted to try and reconnect with but just couldn't find a way.

[Friendlybro79]

They're somewhere just like you but might value anonymity more than being able to be found by anyone.

Or worst case, and I hate to say it, but possibly dead.

[Friendlybro79]

Anonymity meaning not being on social media at all. It's seemingly harder for younger people to ponder that some people don't want to be found by all people in their past.

[TallAnon]

Some people just don't use the internet more than once or twice a week. Girl I knew got into a relationship with the wrong guy (strictly religious) and just disappeared for ~5 years until she broke up with him.

[RedStealthOperative]

No clue. Can't help but day dream about the good 'Ol days with them, though. :)

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I think most people move on with their lives and could be in college / have families/ got married/passed away, etc.

[Th3ft]

Lol! Then they are just lost. This is kind of a first world problem…😏😜

[Xtendable]

I don’t know. Some may have passed away (more related to my age group), may not be on social media (again, more related to people my vintage), or have changed names through marriage or a desire to live a little less publicly.

[FunkyMonkee]

I have no idea. I've searched quite a few and can hardly find any.

[Sparkie460]

Like a lot of my old friends, they don't go on social media. They don't have Facebook, Instagram or anything like that

[exitseven]

yes but if they own a home and have a phone number and register to vote you can still find them. Try Whitepages. com

[Sparkie460]

There's a few ways to find hidden people. I once found the secretaries brother in another state. All I had was his name and birthday. She said I should have been a detective instead of an electrician.

[exitseven]

yes, a birthdate can help. I have old girlfriends that are married and changed their names. If their parents have died sometimes you can look at the obit and find out what their name is.

[Sparkie460]

Hmmm does your wife know you're looking up old girlfriends while you're home all day? Hahaha 😆

[exitseven]

I only did it the one time and it turned out that she was dead too. She died before her father did.

[Wise4myage]

I’ve had that happen to friends and internet friends as well. Makes me wonder how they are doing.

[one1wild00]

Many of the ones I knew didn't join the electronics revolution and is still off the radar.

[roy_ricky09]

You just can't. Your life didn't stop then and won't stop now.

[Anonymous]

I've actually never thought of this tbh and well it doesn't really apply to much to me as I can't really remember anyone that I've fallen out of touch with.

[Opinion Owner]

In fairness I do that as well very few have my mobile number and social like you could probably find me but I just don't accept I don't even have family on any social media

[IsoUser]

To be perfectly honest some people males or females may not want to be found Lol

[Tstrbrainer]

Nothing much can be done about it.
I have no idea where my childhood best friends are.

[driven159]

they might be in relationships or married