It appears anonymity may be dead. At the very least, people who post on Web sites may not have a fake name to hide behind any longer.

Why? A new online directory - www.emailfinder.com - has come up with search tools and resources that essentially create an e-mail directory akin to the telephone book.

You can search either by using someone's name or their e-mail address. Users need only to enter an e-mail address in a search box, and within seconds the owner's name is displayed, the site's creators say. In addition, they say, results provide the owner's address, telephone number, social networks into which the e-mail address is linked and other places on the Web where it has been mentioned.

With a forward search, users enter a name and a location to find someone's e-mail address.

Ease of use is the main selling point, that and ferreting out strangers and scammers. For example, the claim continues, if you receive an e-mail from an unknown sender and want to make sure the message isn't a scam, you can conduct a reverse e-mail look-up to determine their true identity.

"Check if the sender's name and address information match. If they don't, you should be wary of what information you give out. It's not uncommon for thieves to steal your identity with deceptive phishing tactics," the site states.

Alas, though, all good things in life are not free. There is a membership fee of $1.95 a month, or $14.95 for the year.