Using Finger to lookup the name of the owner of an email address

Can't remember the name of your friend who just sent you an email? You might be able to find out his or her name by using the Finger command:

FINGER <email address>

For example, if you're wondering who "dummy_user@companyname.com" is, try running the Finger command by going to a DOS box / Command Prompt and typing:

FINGER dummy_user@companyname.com

While the Finger service is supported by most Internet servers, some service providers may have it disabled due to privacy and security concerns, in which case you will not be able to lookup any user information at that service provider. If the Finger service is active, it may also indicate whether a given user is logged on to the system and other optional information provided by the user (sometimes called a "plan").

The Finger command is built into Windows NT, however you may have to download it from an Internet software archive if you're using Windows 95.

You can optionally use the following Finger gateway without downloading any software. Simply type the email address you want lookup information about and click "Lookup":

Email address (user@host):

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• List of Finger gateways at Yahoo!
• rfc1288 : The Finger User Information Protocol
  This memo describes the Finger user information protocol. This is a simple protocol which provides an interface to a remote user information program.

Listing #1 : Finger related information on the Web

Posted in: Internet Tips