(NOTE: My need for this is 1,000 times greater RIGHT NOW - within days
- than it will be in the month limit I see posted!!! )

I often need to do Internet research to uncover any additional
business names a company - or an officer of a company - may be "doing
business as (dba)." I'd like to find the best comprehensive sites,
either searchable or that provide listings I can scroll through, that
produce the following:

* When a company name is entered, other corporate names (dba's)and/or
locations associated with it are returned. In other words, the data is
cross-referenced to the other company name(s), and sometimes
cross-referenced to officers/individuals. The results returned include
any and all associated companies nationwide, although often the query
must be entered per - state with a drop down box. (Note that if you
find sources that can only be telephoned, I'll do that too but prefer
online searching.)

Fictitious example of need: A company called BJ Smith & Associates
offers my employee a job. I suspect that my competitor Bob J. Smith,
CEO of Acme Corp, is actually behind the offer, even though we have a
non-compete agreement. But I need to find and prove his usage (dba) of
the name "BJ Smith & Associates," officially OR unofficially. By using
comprehensive databases, often as you plug in the names of the related
parent, subsidiary, etc. companies you do know or come across in your
search "travels," suddenly the dba piece of the puzzle will be smoked
out, or the person's name will appear in a corporate record you link
to from there.

I think it would be rarer to find comprehensive sites that can be
searched by a person's name or queried for the names of individuals
associated with a business, than it would be to find cross-referenced
"business to business" names only. So disregard it if necessary. But
if you want to try, and do find a site where I really can just punch
in a person's name and get a nationwide list of associated businesses,
that would be a big score and very much in line with my objectives!!

Here is the reason I stress that I want comprehensive,
"one-stop-shopping" (or close to it) sources. Say through tons of
little searches I identify 15 companies Bob Smith has ties to. Between
them all there are 25 location states. And Bob goes by Robert, Rob,
BJ....If I have to plug ALL conceivable combinations of these into the
100 limited little search types I've thought of (e.g. reviewing trade
organization membership), which all have a blessed yet nasty way of
linking to yet more search ideas,.....I WILL GO MAD!!!

Things I've tried: paid database services, like Choicepoint/Autotrack
and Dow Jones Interactive media searches; I use the free Dun &
Bradstreet service to find out if various company names I uncover are
officially listed by D&B (but have always been too afraid to risk the
high cost of their reports when the data I seek may well not appear.
But if you think that fits my needs best, time is money too, so maybe
I should order those reports sometimes); Secretary of State corporate
records, separately for each state involved, online or by phone (time
consuming and incomplete); UCC and county recorder's office records by
phone only; Edgar Online (only the free searches so far. I doubt I'm
using even those to their full potential, like figuring out SEC
filings searches and significant shareholder data); regulatory agency
records and site news/routine public disclosure references where
available; it was suggested I try alumni organizations if I can
identify the person's alma mater - haven't tried that yet; was also
told that sometimes the IRS and/or Dept. of Revenue can help with some
things...

Any tips on fully utilizing the above resources - since maybe I'm
misusing them if I'm still looking for better ones - would help too,
but is secondary if I must choose. EXCEPT any IRS/Dept. of Rev. info
access tips! Those would be very valuable. Of course I do tons of
advanced google searches (is this the best engine for my purpose?);
and I check online directories like yellow/white, etc., and directory
assistance. By nature I hesitate to use any of the people, etc. finder
services that pop up all over the place. And I see a type of software
suite all over the place for about $40, that says with it you can
access just about any super sleuth, private eye type info. Again, with
no experience/evaluations, I don't trust it. If it works, it would of
course be worth it!! I would open more paid database accounts too if
really useful.

My need for these comprehensive listings is greatest right at this
moment, so I hope you'll be interested!! I have never done this before
and the price thing is confusing. I'm totally guessing for now, having
no idea what I will get. But I have a heart and will balance it all
out in the end. If your suggestions fit my goals discussed above, and
ideally contain more than expansion on the things I've mentioned
(although some of that is welcome, especially if I'm obviously not 
getting the most out of them and you can enlighten me), I will sense 
that an appropriate tip is needed to reflect the value to me! Remember, 
the goal is that since so many different combinations and versions of 
name and location data must be entered in these types of searches, I 
want to limit the number of sites I have to go to and do this, yet 
still feel confident that I uncovered pretty much all the 
dba's/associated company names available.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 28 Feb 2003 10:05 PST

Hello.

Yes, there is a one-stop-shopping source of information that will get
you quite a ways to what you're looking for.  The only problem I see
is your stated goal:

"...the goal is that since so many different combinations and versions
of
name and location data must be entered in these types of searches, I
want to limit the number of sites I have to go to and do this, yet  
still feel confident that I uncovered pretty much all the  
dba's/associated company names available."

Without hiring a private detective, you simply can't get close to 100%
certainty...there are simply too many ways and places to file a
business name, and too many options for conducting business under
names that never even get filed in public records.

However, if you can settle for, say, a fairly high degree of
confidence (I'd put it at about 75%)...then the site I have in mind be
just the ticket, and is the best source of electronic information
available.

Just to give you the flavor of it, I've listed some of the business
categories and sources it searches.  But by the way, another approach
you might consider is to NOT do a search yourself, but simply post the
information you're looking for as a question here at Google Answers. 
We're good.  We're fast.  If it's out there, we'll find it.

-----
Company Financials 

 U.S. Reports, including: 
America's Corporate Finance Directory, Best's Company Reports, The
Bond Buyer's, Municipal Marketplace, Broadband Intelligence, Inc.,
Company Briefs-Gale Group (US), Company Intelligence - US,  Directory
of Corporate Affiliations, Directory of Trust Banking, Disclosure(R)
Online Database-US, Public Company Profiles, Experian Business
Reports, Inactive Business Database,
Market Guide Company Profiles, Market Guide Industry Aggregates,
Municipal Issuers Registry, Nelson's Public Company Profiles, Nelson's
Research Firm Profiles, OneSource(R) CorpTech(R) Company Database,
Standard Directory of Ad Agencies and International Ad Agencies,
Standard Directory of Advertisers and Int'l Advertisers, Standard &
Poor's Daily News, Standard & Poor's Descriptions Plus News, Standard
& Poor's Register of Corporations, Thomson Bank Directory, Thomson
Credit Union Directory

US Business Directory  
 Analysts Research  
 U.S. Filings  
 Securities Reports  
 Mergers & Acquisitions  
 Bankruptcy Reports  
 Directors & Executives  
 Business Opportunities  

-----

Public Records 
 Business Locator, including: 
Yellow Pages, DBA and Partnership Registrations, Fictitious Business
Names, Franchise Index, Inactive Business Names records from all
states
	
 Asset Locator 
	Combined Deed Transfers, Tax Assessor Records and Mortgage Records 
 UCC Filings  
 Judgments  
 Tax Liens  

-----

These are just some of the sources referenced and searched, in all
fifty states.  If you're interested in having more detail posted as an
answer -- along with search strategies to handle the complexities of
"Bob" vs. "Robert" searches -- please let me know.

---

Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 28 Feb 2003 11:55 PST

(Excuse me in advance; I can't "write" anything - ever - in 20,000
words or less!)

WOW! Your source sounds fabulous! I am actually in the investigative
industry, but am usually pigeon holed into work requiring less
connections. But still, it's alarming that a database such as the one
you describe may be available without any of my more experienced
associates knowing about it! If you are familiar with two of the
sources I mentioned - Choicepoint/Autotrack and the "expensive" Dun &
Bradstreet reports, and feel the one you have in mind is more suited
to the objective I have in this case (certainly sounds like it from
your menu listing), bring it on!!

And yes, I do understand that certainty is not possible. But I want to
know that I've met and exceeded superior efforts before I say "no
hit." Left to my own devices and all the needle-in-haystack little
searches I've conceived of (including hundreds of microscopically
redefined google searches) since the standard, main ones I listed did
not yield info, I could go on forever not being sure it's time to say
- with justification - 'enough.'

Regarding your source, would you say that, in reports available  from
it, all info provided in the best D & B reports - AND YET MORE - is
provided? Or to be thorough would I need to obtain a combo of info
from both? I have actually never ordered a D & B report, except for
the limited Business Background Report. I have this possibly
irrational fear that I will pay $150 without knowing in advance which
categories will be returned blank, and may be the only ones I really
needed. But it sounds like your source offers ala carte services
rather than these blanket packages. True? I think the more comprensive
D & B reports range around $80 to $150 or more. If it's a paid
service, would your source be in that ballpark?

And yes, search tips for my type of issue would be hugely appreciated.
Especially as, like you mentioned, a dba may not even be "official"
and appear anywhere "normal." So considering that, I was hoping to
find places where such a fabricated name - probably developed from the
hip to suit some particular situation - may appear. Meaning that maybe
the individual who used it may tend to use it on multiple occasions
where he needs to be less than forthright (although this person's name
is clearly embedded in the dba I seek, so I don't know how he could
have thought it was hiding anything....?).

Regarding your suggestion that I just post the exact data I'm looking
for, that is EXACTLY what I was dying to do!! But then I saw the rule
against seeking personal data, and that is a subjective term. I am not
seeking personal data such as SSN, DOB, etc. Yet in order to get this
done one of the pieces of info I'd need to give would be an officer's
real name, not just the names of all the companies connected to him
that I've unearthed. If that is permissible, great! BUT!! It also
occurred to me that I am posting this publicly, and you never know,
the wrong person may see or get wind of my research. And this is
evidence for a civil case; that would not do!! So maybe you and I
could e-mail privately or I could give you my phone number? Or, will
your answer to my original question in itself negate any need to farm
out the case specifics?

I sense that I could become quite a repeat customer of this answer
format!! I'll be on and offline all day and evening, unless something
comes up to tear me away....I would prefer one more communication
regarding the above (confirmation that it's more comprehensive for
business than Choicepoint/Autotrack and D & B; and even a very rough
idea of cost for use.) Please give a heads-up if special
qualifications are needed to open an account. Sorry, as a newbie I
don't know if going back and forth a couple times is being too
demanding!

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 28 Feb 2003 13:15 PST

Hello again.

We can have as many back and forth conversations as you'd like (but if
each of yours is in the 20,000 word category, I'm going to get
tuckered out pretty quickly!)

Google Answers is *very* careful about posting private information
about private people  However, in general, commercial-type of
information about who owns what is considered fair game and can be
posted here without difficulty.  As an example, you may want to look
at a few previous Google Answers such as:


http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=141058
Who owns Google

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=96270
Who is U.S. Dataport?

http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=163845
Seeking copyright owner to a sepcific book title 


Each of these questions (and many others on Google Answers) provide
information on named individuals.

Although I can't speak for the editors of Google Answers, my
experience has certainly been that if you post a question here asking
for ownership information of a company -- including the real names of
the owners --  it can be answered without treading on privacy
concerns.

-----

The information source I mentioned originally already includes a great
deal of Dun And Bradstreet data.  Now of course, D&B is a HUGE
operation, and does not share all its databases with others.  But in
my own search experience, there are better sources for tracking down
the type of who's who information in a company (particularly in
smaller companies) than the D&B records.  However, I admit that my
experience in using D&B is limited, so I can't say too much in the way
of comparison.  I can say that in researching a company's records --
in some cases, as deeply as I thought humanly possible -- I don't
think I've ever spent more than $50 on a search, and usually
considerably less (although how much time I spent searching can be
another story entirely, as I'm sure you well know...)

-----

As for how to proceed at this point, that's entirely up to you of
course.  It seems to me you can:

1.  Follow through on this question to learn about additional search
sources and search techniques.

2.  Cancel this question, and post a separate question asking for the
specific company information you are seeking.

3.  Get this question answered AND post a separate question for
company research.

4.  Ask for more details through a follow-up clarification, to help
you come to a decision.


Google Answers is a great service.  If you don't get a satisfactory
answer, you can request a refund, and all you've lost is a fifty cents
listing fee.  The risk is small.  The researchers here are top notch. 
So let us know how you would like us to proceed, and I -- or another
researcher -- will do our best to meet your needs.



-----

---

Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 28 Feb 2003 19:22 PST

(Sorry, have not been able to carry out posting for some reason. Was
not going through.) Ok, ok, we're virtually there now, I promise!!

Good to know the rough parameters of "personal info." But, as
infinitesimal as the chance may be, I suppose it could happen, as I
stated, that the "wrong" party could get wind of my posted snoopiness.
Is this a rational thought? If so, can the details ever be submitted
outside of the public view of all "lay" Answer forum members?
------------------
I just had one of those 'ding-ding-ding' thoughts where, without ever
having looked into the following source, from what I understand it may
be as comprehensive as the one you described. Is it Lexus-Nexus or an
offshoot? Again without looking into it, I have assumed my handlers
don't want to utilize it for some reason or they would be doing so.
(They are licensed investigators w/ a licensed agency, but are busy
and unorganized enough to be willing to credit me with the ability to
figure out all the right moves for this particular matter on my own.
But at the reasonable cost of the example mystery database search you
named, if that's a typical Lex/Nex fee, I don't see why they'd
hesitate, unless maybe there are registration prerequisites they don't
meet...)

If it's NOT Lex/Nex et al, and if it's something I can sign up for and
begin using virtually immediately without any permissible-use or
licensing hoops to jump through, ok, I'll bite at this point; BUT
please also see my reflection on pricing issues which appears below.
I'm wondering if, in case my variable scale notion applies and isn't
out of line here, I could slip in a request for inclusion of the
unofficial sources I discuss in yet another paragraph below.

If it IS Lex/Nex, I would prefer to retract and redefine my question
to solicit the exact info I need. (Don't know if in reality that is a
routine thing to do or is a rarely used measure! I wish there was a
workable way to tweak the end cost based on what was ultimately
involved; e.g. if the endeavor involved reading a question and knowing
a fabulously suited answer off the top of one's head, vs. hunting for
it at various levels of difficulty.) Note that all sources "I" check
for this matter will need to appear in my report. So I would need the
identity of the sources examined, or if that's a conflict somehow, at
least a very professional sounding and specific enough umbrella
category to name, such as "Major industry-related trade association
membership rosters." Somehow I can't see refering to "good sources,
but I can't elaborate" or "Google Answers" in my client report.

Ok, three considerations in the event that I now (or soon, if I try
yet strike out with the source) submit a new question seeking the
actual entity info: I very much need to also be looking at potential
sources of "unofficial" dba hits; I know this may not be -  and by now
suspect it is indeed not -  a "real" company name. So being able to
state that I did reasonable searches in the best possible pools of
official and unofficial info is my aim. I figure that once I name the
industry involved, the potential unofficial sources may be better
conceived of. (IF reflective of the effort involved, I can consider
official/unofficial two separate questions.) Second, is it warranted
to think I should - and if so, can I - "obscure" public presentation
of the identifying case details? Third, can I specify that I'd like
you to do the research? ;-)

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 28 Feb 2003 19:59 PST

Sorry for the difficulty you had getting through -- there has been
some sort of a glitch in the system.  Hopefully it's resolved not.

Whew--you weren't kidding about your propensity for words.  But let me
try to tackle your questions/issues one by one.

--can the details ever be submitted outside of the public view of all
"lay" Answer forum members?

Google Answers is a publicly-viewable website.  Our entire
conversation thus far, and any information you will get here in the
future, is available for all the world to see (not that all the world
comes here...but in theory, they could!).  Thus far, Google Answers
has no provision to provide a client with information
for-your-eyes-only.  However...your identity is completely private. 
No one knows who you are other than 4u2do-ga (good name, by the way). 
So that particular detail -- your true identity -- is protected from
public view.

--Is it Lexus-Nexus?

Yep...sure is.  But with a catch or two.  Your researchers may not use
Lexis-Nexis because they fear they can't justify the hefty
subscription fee (I'm just speculating here...but this is a common
reason for people to steer clear of this resource).  However, they may
not know of the option to use Lex-Nex on a "per use" basis.  Also,
they may not know how to "deep search" for the type of complex
situation you have described.

--If it IS Lex/Nex, I would prefer to retract and redefine my question
to solicit the exact info I need.

Be my guest.

--I wish there was a workable way to tweak the end cost based on what
was ultimately involved

You can change the price of a posted question in mid-stream if you
feel it's warranted.  You can also provide a tip (I think the max is
$100) for research that you feel went above and beyond the call of
duty.  If you think an answer didn't provide your money's worth, you
can request a refund, or ask the researcher to do some additional
work.

--I would need the identity of the sources examined, or if that's a
conflict somehow, at least a very professional sounding and specific
enough umbrella
category to name...

I don't see any problem in specifying the sources, and if that's
important to you,  just specify so in your question.  Fact is, Google
Answer researchers usually provide a pretty full accounting of their
sources in every answer.

--I very much need to also be looking at potential sources of
"unofficial" dba hits; I know this may not be -  and by now suspect it
is indeed not -  a "real" company name. So being able to state that I
did reasonable searches in the best possible pools of official and
unofficial info is my aim. I figure that once I name the industry
involved, the potential unofficial sources may be better
conceived of. 

I think I see where you're going with this.  Yes, it is certainly
possible to search both official and unofficial sources.  But
understand that the latter is a pretty grey area, and it helps for the
question-asker and question-answerer to have a good mutual
understanding of what is meant by this term.

--IF reflective of the effort involved, I can consider
official/unofficial two separate questions.

Entirely up to you, but it might be a good idea to consider doing
this.  A researcher who has a good handle on official sources, but
might be uncomfortable with unofficial sources, would likely shy away
from your question if you included both.

--Is it warranted to think I should - and if so, can I - "obscure"
public presentation of the identifying case details?

If this means can the answer be delivered privately to you, rather
than publicly posted, then I'm afraid the answer is no ... this is a
totally public forum, as I explained above.  If your asking do you
need to tell us everything about the company you're looking into, the
answer is:  tell us what you're comfortable with -- the more info the
better, but keep in mind it IS in public view.  If you mean something
else by this, please explain further.

--Can I specify that I'd like you to do the research?

Yes you can, simply by making it clear in the title and/or text of
your question that you would like a specific researcher to do the
honors.  Be aware, however, that if your chosen researcher is out of
the loop (I do occasionally go on vacation and things of that sort),
then your question might sit untended for longer than you'd like. 
Some folks in the past have requested a particular researcher, but
have also said things like:  if this isn't answered by Tuesday, then
it's fair game for all.

It's nearing my bedtime now, so if you ask for more info, I'll be sure
to check back here tomorrow so I can get back to you.

---

Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 28 Feb 2003 23:56 PST

Very helpful once again, thank you! But ouch, now I must wrestle with
this public posting thing. NOT because the data would be exceptionally
personal by any means. Would just be an officer name (generic and
common at that - which of course slows down the search itself due to
name hits that turn out to be the wrong person), his primary company
name, and the specific dba-type name I seek to associate with him.
Rather, I hesitate only because, in a brewing civil case, the last
thing an opponent would want to do is willingly flaunt details about -
or notice of - any particular strategy. If nothing else it could tip
the other guy off to potential findings he should start devising
explanations for. And considering the industry involved, I can easily
imagine that its "type" of workers tend to toy with computers and the
Internet enough to have discovered Google Answers, possibly even in
numbers disproportionate to the general population!

Remember Bob Smith (who uses three versions of his name) of Acme Corp
(with all its already established, associated corporate entities), and
the large number of states where branches or HQ's are located? That
illustrates my actual case. And means, there are hundreds or thousands
of at least somewhat techno "Acme Corp" employees and associates
nationwide, and only one of them needs to know about GA...It also
means, of course, that the number of data combinations to be entered
in the various searches devised ain't no small thing. BUT!!! I may be
way off on what's actually logical, as I've been making this up as I
go along.

I may just have to run this posting dilemma by my boss for a decision,
but I can imagine the typical initial reaction of someone who has
never heard of GA and is asked to consider it for real-life biz
applications. Maybe I'll just forward this whole discourse to him! You
will probably help me look good here! (Oh, and while I welcome,
encourage and appreciate your thoughts and insights on the public
posting issue, let me clarify that I am NOT asking you to promise me
anything or push me in one direction or the other.)

Ok, that's what I'll probably do, although I don't know if my boss
will be able to retrieve anything from me over the weekend and I may
get impatient as a new work week approaches. I'll update you as soon
as I can. If I proceed, can I elect to either just tack the new
parameters onto our running correspondence, OR start a brand new
question?

Btw - can YOU access Lex/Nex for one of those nifty pretty-darn-deep
searches (and advise me of or hint at the corresponding monetary
increase)? Can I post and solicit that service as a question, or is
that too sales-related?

Whether or not you can search Lex/Nex yourself, or think I can find
someone else to: if I do ask for more research of any type, would YOU
be comfortable with both the official (we can, if necessary, exclude
from that resources requiring fees or contracts) and unofficial
components? Me, me, me; what's best for ME?
  ;-) I CAN provide many linked company names and locations; details
beyond just the three basics I named in my first paragraph above.
Would at least help reduce duplicated efforts.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 01 Mar 2003 04:04 PST

Good morning.

--Can I elect to either just tack the new parameters onto our running
correspondence, OR start a brand new question?

Either one is fine.
 
--Can YOU access Lex/Nex for one of those nifty pretty-darn-deep
searches (and advise me of or hint at the corresponding monetary
increase)?

--Yes, and if the cost is excessive (i.e., too much to justify
spending on for the price of your question) I can let you know.

--Can I post and solicit that service as a question, or is that too
sales-related?

No problem there, ask away.  

 
--If I do ask for more research of any type, would YOU be comfortable
with both the official (we can, if necessary, exclude from that
resources requiring fees or contracts) and unofficial components?

Yes, I can do both.

--I CAN provide many linked company names and locations; details
beyond just the three basics I named in my first paragraph above. 
Would at least help reduce duplicated efforts?

It MAY reduce effort, and it may not, but it would certainly be the
best strategy for you to get the most reliable information available. 
The more info you provide, the better the options for confirming any
info retrieved on the illustrious "Bob Smith".

---

Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 01 Mar 2003 11:00 PST

Greetings! First up, let me ask if some of my previous procedural and
privacy questions would better have been, and from here on should be,
directed to the google support email address. I may have eaten up a
lot of your time with misdirected complications. If indeed it has been
inappropriate for me to treat you like customer service, I apologize,
and to make up for my error will not expect to walk away from this
without at least tipping you for all your patience and personal
attention. ;-)

Anyway, I woke up today ready to just go for it and throw the
identifying info out there. It occurred to me that, even now, I have
never looked at the format of how these types of postings appear.
Don't laugh: is this called a usenet, or a newsgroup...All I know is
that I have sometimes surfed in on funny looking lists of topics
(lacking graphics, bells & whistles) with unfamiliar looking name
extensions (like the -ga type thing), which when followed lead to
boards that don't look like any of the couple "mainstream" message
boards I've seen. Again, sparse; an untamed frontier! Is that what
"we" look like right now? (Or maybe the fee-for-service aspect
relegates us to some less traveled corner..but if not..) So
considering that, I thought, my posting will be more buried than I
originally thought. Not like posting to The Straight Dope or anything!

But then that thought (if correct) triggered the connection that, duh,
I HAD SURFED IN ON THOSE THINGS, by a keyword. Which hurled me in the
other direction; thinking that my posting would actually be much, much
more easily accessible than I had considered before. I'm sure a high
percentage of people and companies search their own identities from
time to time, for reasons ranging from idle curiosity/vanity to
caution related to their relatively high profile.

Probably neither here nor there: Does having found, in an industry
specific search, an email address which has the known parent company
name embedded in it (it's an extremely common surname so it may not
even be the same company)followed by 'net' (Somebody@parentnet.com)
mean that they are a resident of the untamed frontier I so ineptly and
probably inaccurately characterized above? And that they'd be more
likely to be well versed in it? Maybe I'm thinking of .net extensions.
And even then not making sense.

As always, without any semblance of reliance on or solicitation of a
privacy guarantee from you (I'd sign here: X_____________________ if I
could), can you address whether or not my assessments hold water (only
because I truly have no clue about the nature of where I am, and
therefore don't have even the most basic tools for making an
evaluation):

- That participation in this parallel universe, which I assume
encompasses multitudes of groups with a common location or
organizational thread I can't put my finger on - of which GA is one -
is generally less mainstream; less visited by the average surfer who I
assume prefers the constant stimulation of the flashing lights, shiny
objects and bright colors of typical Internet fare ("they" are network
TV and sitcoms; "we" are PBS and cable?);

-That when entering a given group within it, so many sidestreets and
so many voluminous topic lists and offshoots thereof are presented
that I'm about at the center of the earth in terms of being desirably
buried in layers of information;

-That despite all that, if one entered an advanced keyword search
containing all or just most of my Main Three (Bob, Bob's primary
company, and Bob's dba that he possibly only summons forth for certain
purposes)they would probably instantaneously be escorted right to my
posts.

I guess I'm affording the whole layout of the groups thing more
intrigue than it may hold. I have a visualization of being on the
other side of a mirror, where the appearances of the inhabitants are
in reverse, like film negatives.
(And I haven't even started drinking yet today! Hahaha, totally
kidding. But maybe it is time for me to get out of the house and
interact with the three dimensional beings said to exist out there.)

Anyway, I do have a gameplan here so that soon, we can put this thing
out of its misery (although I personally am having fun with this. But
maybe I should find a more appropriate forum for my long-winded
keyboard). The plan is this. I'll await your next NON-BINDING comments
on my comments. Armed with and in light of those, I will then either
say proceed and forward identity specifics, or track Boss Man down for
a decision and come back ASAP.

If we go forward, I'd love to include your Lex/Nex search. I
absolutely would pay accordingly! I really want - but sense I can't
get - a simple estimate for the recommended searches. Can we work this
out?

As you know how to deep search, I want to leave the searches selected
up to you, as long as I first know the cost ballpark. In making those
selections, just keep in mind that this isn't a matter of KNOWING a
dba OFFICIALLY exists, "if only we could find it!"  Not that this
means I strictly want a limited, perfunctory glance, but because in a
case where one does KNOW the dba is out there somewhere, there would
be the potential to absolutely NEVER give up.

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 01 Mar 2003 12:55 PST

Hi.  If we keep on like this, I'm going to need a nickname for you...I
can't quite bring myself to address you as "Dear 4u2do".

The lowdown on Google Answers is this: it is a fairly isolated corner
of the web.  So much so, it is not even indexed in the Google search
engine.  That is, if you posted someone's name in Google Answers, and
then did a search at Google's main page for that name, it wouldn't
show up.  Nor would it show up in AltaVista, Northern Lights, or any
other search engine.

Traffic to Google Answers is still fairly small.  Consider that there
are millions of people on the web at any given moment, yet there have
been only 30 questions posted to Google Answers today -- hardly a
flood of user involvement.

There's a very good chance that information that you post here about
an individual (like someone's name) would not be seen by that
individual.  A good chance....but no guarantee.  You found Google
Answers and so might someone else(but did you realize that Google
Answers has its own independent search function, and have you searched
on your name?  Probably not, and likely neither would our
acquaintance, Bob Smith!).

The amount you have posted for this question already is enough to get
us going, if you're interested in doing so.  If the costs at my end
turn out to be excessive -- even with the Lex/Nex search --  I'll
certainly remember that next time a question like this comes up, but
let's not worry about it right now.

I look forward to learning your decision on this.

paf

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Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 01 Mar 2003 19:45 PST

Good evening! That was all great to find out. In case the indexing of
Answers in the Google search engine is something that will logically
be done or considered someday, I'd of course like a heads up if it
happens to be anywhere near the table now. But barring such present
intentions, our mission sounds like a go!

I will finish up a detail or two, like a djinteractive.com media
search (other media searches you know of would be great too if you
consider those helpful). Then having surely still found nothing, I
will put together the corporate identity info to post for you,
tomorrow I anticipate. And do so with a 98.5% likelihood of indeed
posting it!

From there, will your schedule permit getting pretty well into the
thing over the ensuing two days or so? Goes without saying, of course,
the sooner the better. But not meant to rush you at all either. Just
want to get a feel for the timing as it relates to any projections I
may need to give someone. Once this starts rolling, I'll be sure to
sign on at least every couple hours to check if you need anything.

Oh, and regarding the nickname thought: and are you saying you can't
bring yourself to call me 4u2do, or to call me dear? = (   C'mon,
we've been through so much together! : ) If I may say so, your "name"
doesn't exactly roll melodically off the tongue either!

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Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 01 Mar 2003 20:00 PST

....ok, on second thought, it kinda does. But I may accidentally hack
off a "la," or occasionally indulge myself in a "fa-la-la-la-la."
Without the hyphens, they're not fun.

---

Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 03 Mar 2003 02:54 PST

Ya know, you'd think I'd learn by now! I keep impatiently jumping
right into new things I happen upon, like a little kid. Without first
taking a look around and getting a feel for the thing and the most
efficient - and least funny looking - ways to do things. So I spent
loads of time composing and pondering, yet put no time into reviewing
GA to see how things actually work. I see now that most aspects of my
process were off the mark. From my subject title, which could also be
taken to be asking for something odd regarding data base
administrators, to the fact that I wasn't ready to make a clear
request.

And in my particular case, with its "official" and "unofficial"
dimensions - many of which I've already explored but are numerous and
hard to concisely delineate for someone else - I worried that
duplication was inevitable (which is what I gather some GA members
actually mean when they cry "generic;" something they were even able
to grasp themselves). But hey! How would I know? You may have a vast
personal store of knowledge on where executives in the
teleservices/telemarketing/telecommunications biz tend to slip up and
leave a trace of their possibly-fake alternate company name when they
violate non-compete clauses!

Anyway, the whole convoluted mess that was my maiden voyage needs to
be either made over or shot. I also have some questions regarding
optimal GA use that I didn't see addressed in the FAQs, so I suppose I
should direct those to customer support. I may repost a version of my
question as a toned down, simple can-you-find-this-phrase (exact
company name) kind of thing. I'll cancel this one out officially
Monday. Sorry for the inconvenience! I'll leave a tip! And proceed to
become a reasonably normal and concise GA citizen (stop laughing)!
Future researchers, please do not be afraid!

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Clarification of Question by 4u2do-ga on 03 Mar 2003 02:56 PST

....one last thing: Feel free to think of the tip as bribe money to
accidentally delete this page!  ;-)