The reverse indexes were usually quite expensive. We had them in the lawfirm I worked in years ago. You could get a guy's telephone number, look it up, and then call his neighbors, do whatever.

The difference between this service and Google is simply availablilty. Anyone with access to a computer can find a person now, as long as the number is in the system (Google lets you opt out).

I've yet to see a local library that didn't have one of the criscross directories. Having google provide it makes it slightly easier to obtain.

The thing is, a lot of the information that the government collects and considers public record is not information that it has any business collecting. The same goes for most corporations.


In reply to Re^4: What will Google do next? by xorl
in thread What will Google do next? by jacques

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