There are times that we need to find an email address that we have misplaced or want to lookup email addresses to write to someone but don't know where to begin or how to go about it.

You can pay to look up email online, of course, but that can get expensive. These searches are not necessarily going to bring results, either, which can make them frustrating. There are still things you can do, though, that are absolutely free and that can give you quick results that are also easy when you're looking for someone's email address.

One of the best ways to do it, and one of the most reliable, is to hook up with a social network site like Facebook or MySpace. These and other social networking sites can be very valuable when you want to find someone. Simply look for someone's name, email address, employer name, school name, etc., and the site will come up with a list of possible results for you. Most of these sites require that you have an email address to register, and you can make email addresses public when you register so that others can write you if they wish. If an email address is not visible, you can still send someone a message via the site itself without having to have a specific address, and the site will forward your email to the person you want to get in touch with. These sites have become very popular as millions of people have joined and become reconnected with old friends. In addition, of course, you also have the option to hook up with new acquaintances with similar interests, if you wish as well.

You can also look up email online by searching databases or web sites with email services like Google, Yahoo, MSN, and Hotmail. These have many, many email addresses on file, and you can access them through a search.

If this type of search of their member database does not produce the results you were looking for many of these sites also have search engines that you can input search words and get results that way. I have often found a business or person's email address by placing the pertinent information into a search engine and combing through the results. The more information provided, such as name, phone number or town of residence the narrower the results are.

A third option to lookup email addresses is to go to a site that is set up specifically for such a service. There are many sites available that have email search services. While some will cost you money either per search or as a one time fee, there are some websites that allow you to lookup email addresses for free. These sites will often request more information than what you would need for a social network, database or general search engine might require. They will often have fields requiring the latest contact information for the person you are looking for. Some of these services can do a search with limited information but you will get a much greater list of results, sometimes with thousands of results which you must look through until you find the right person or business.

The internet has opened the world up to us without making us leave our comfortable spot in front of the computer. We can access information of all kinds while still dressed in our p.j.'s. It has brought resources that were never before available right to our finger tips. It is easy to find the information we want just by typing a few words and a couple clicks of the mouse, and to lookup email addresses is no different.