Dig Up Digital Dirt: People Searching
There've been a number of new search tools released in the past few months. Here's a roundup to help you search for sources while working on your next story.
You can also download a PDF version to keep on your desktop here.
*Creative People Searches (General)
Spock (http://www.spock.com)
Spock is now in public beta and delivers thorough results on people. It pulls content from other websites and allows users to enter their own information, wiki-style.
Pipl (http://pipl.com/)
Pipl searches the deep web to find information hidden within databases and other areas that standard web crawlers can’t or won’t search.
Wink (http://www.wink.com)
Wink is a smart search tool that pulls information only from social network sites such as MySpace, LinkedIn, Bebo and Facebook.
ZoomInfo (http://www.Zoominfo.com)
ZoomInfo offers two search strategies, free and paid. The site is geared to recruiters, but it offers plenty of leads for reporters, too. You can search by person, by a person within a company, or just by a company.
*Search Across Networks
Infopirate (http://www.infopirate.com)
Infopirate allows users to share their bookmarks, which reporters can then use to look up individuals or companies.
Sputtr (http://www.sputtr.com)
Sputtr offers single search window with many different options: Type in “Second Life” and search through YouTube, Flickr, Digg, etc. by selecting your button of choice.
Whonu (http://www.whonu.com)
At Whonu, search through images, videos, news, maps, blogs, books, calendars, notebooks and more. After, you can share or bookmark your search results.
*RSS/ Blog/ Podcast Searches
Blogdigger (http://www.blogdigger.com)
Blogdigger is a powerful search tool that digs only through blogs to retrieve information.
Everyzing (http://www.everyzing.com)
At Everyzing, search only for audio or video files for information.
*
Search The Zeiggeist
Omgili (http://www.omgili.com)
Search through what people are saying in forums and discussion boards.
Pixy (http://www.pixy.com)
Mega-search for images and videos on dozens of journalism/ news sources, now divided by category.
*For Fun
Gahooyoogle (http://www.gahooyoogle.com/)
Search through Google and Yahoo on one combined split screen.
Gizoogle (http://www.gizoogle.com)
Return Snoop Dog-flavored search results.
