OVER 2 YOU 246 (30/08/05)

SEARCH FOR A BEST MAN

I am trying to locate my best man of almost 50 years ago. I have used Yahoo's ‘people.yahoo.com’, which has provided me with 200 names appropriate to the person concerned. I wish to send a simple email to all of these, enquiring if the recipient is the chap I am seeking. How can I do this without having to prepare and despatch 200 separate emails? Does someone have a tried and tested solution? Those people who flood us with Spam must have a method.

Phillip J. Corbett, Aylesbury.

If Phillip Corbett writes a single message, then copies the contact addresses into 'Bcc' in the destination window of Outlook Express, he can send to all at the same time, without any of the recipients being able to see who the other recipients are. It shows up as "to undisclosed recipient" in the addressee’s mailbox.

However, it is possible that his server might limit the number of addresses at one go, so split it up into smaller manageable parcels. I frequently e-mail a guild membership with details of meetings etc. and send to maybe 50 or so, per mail. It's easy to copy the same message a number of times into the 'Drafts' folder, then add in the addresses to Bcc.

Patrick Heigham, via email

Your correspondent should be able to considerably reduce the number of candidates by using other on-line search resources and thereby simplify the process of getting in touch with everyone involved. I suggest he could reduce the list to fewer than a dozen contacts by visiting sites such as Friends Reunited, where you can search by school, college, university and work place. There’s another people finder at www.silversurfers.net/findit-people.html, which tracks individuals down by a variety of means, including interests and associations, religion, military service and so on. Also have a look at Journalism.net at: www.journalismnet.com/people/. This has sections for finding people on mailing lists, newsgroups, genealogy and reunions. Lastly there are dedicated search sites like Tracesmart at: www.tracesmart.co.uk/?page=peoplesearch. This is a paid for service but you can see how many results it throws up for free.

Keith Salter, via email

UNIFORM ANSWER

Can anyone recommend any web sites for buying and selling second-hand school uniforms? It's that time of the year again when I need to refit three kids and dispose of their redundant or outgrown clothes!  I've looked at ebay but it is too vague and doesn't allow searching by school.  Any ideas?

Kate Warner

Why not just ask your school? Mine runs a very successful second-hand uniform service, with regular updates and offers to buy and sell uniforms and equipment on the schools own web site. Failing that why not suggest that they set one up? I am sure that there is the necessary expertise within the school’s IT department, amongst the Governors or within the parent body. It could even make a useful exercise or project for the students.

Mary Tailor, via email 

A DIFFERENT HYMN SHEET

I direct a mixed choir and we try to get away from the standard repertoire from time to time. Can anyone recommend a website that publishes the lyrics to classical compositions?

Jeff Monro, via email

My website www.lyricsforclassics.com has information and sound clips on twelve of sixteen lyrics to classical compositions. A free demo CD can be requested. Over two hundred choirs throughout the world are using the Lyrics For Classics collection.

Don Read, via email

CHANGING GRAPHS

I need to be able to manipulate graphs that are on web pages. These can usually be copied as images into a word processor, but they stay as images. Is there a program that would allow one to follow the line on the graph with the cursor and then record the X & Y values, into a table, say, by pressing Enter. The values could then be manipulated as required.

C. Cadman, via email

If you simply wish to record x, y values then there will be umpteen tools that will easily achieve this. However, if you wish to customise the process, for example, auto-update of the web-images, data storage, and bespoke analysis/processing of the data then try MS Excel. Basically, you need to hook into Excel Chart objects with VBA.

George Weaving, via email